At North Springs Elementary in Richland School District Two, located in Columbia, SC, students are learning that STEM can grow right outside their classroom! Through their outdoor garden, aquaponics, hydroponics, and indoor and outdoor composting, students are exploring different ways they can grow food, reduce waste, and care for their environment while making real-world connections to science, technology, engineering, and math.
Their garden is currently growing beans, watermelon, strawberries, peppers, tomatoes, melons, cucumbers, and more. Students are now getting ready to harvest sweet potatoes! Students help plant, weed, water, harvest, observe plant growth, and record what is growing in their raised beds. Their indoor and outdoor composting also allows students to see how food and organic waste can be reused to create nutrient-rich compost that helps vegetables grow. As students work to continue as a Green Steps School, they are learning that even small actions can make a big difference in creating a more sustainable school and community.
Kristina Dial is the magnet lead teacher for STEMS at North Springs, and she was recently selected as the East Piedmont Area Teacher of the Year for the SC Association of Conservation Districts. She will be recognized on October 22, 2026, and will go on to the state competition, where she will compete against 3 teachers from the other SC regions.
(Posted October 15, 2026)
4005 Wisconsin Avenue NW #5997
Washington, DC 20016
202.824.0672