Hydroponics Initiative Highlights Afro-Caribbean Diaspora At Garden Of Resilience

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2009

Students from The Ralph Bunche School of Laurelton successfully installed a Hydroponics Tower at The Garden Of Resilience. The initiative was led by Jason Harris of Jamaica,Queens. Harris serves as a consultant to the community garden and designed a base to hold a battery and solar panel for the tower. Twenty eight seedlings were placed in the pods of the tower reflecting the Afro-Caribbean Diaspora by students. Some staple vegetables to be grown will include: sorrel ,anise, cilantro and cumin.Harris also led an interactive workshop with the students in having them assemble the actual tower as well. The Hydroponics Towers will be officially unveiled at a community event at the garden on June 12, 2021.  DIVAS for Social Justice serve as a steward to the garden, received support for  this project by the Department Of Cultural Affairs and Donovan Richards as an outgoing council member. 

The students of P.S 132 helped Jason Harris assemble the Hydroponic Tower

The Hydroponics Tower helps the community garden increase how much food is grown in the space and allots for more fresh produce in the community. All items grown out of the Garden Of Resilience will be given for free to anyone, addressing the issue of food insecurity.

The garden is open from 9-1 PM every Saturday and hours will increase closer to summer.  For more information, please feel free to find out more online.

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Clarisa James
Clarisa James is the Co-Founder/Executive Director of DIVAS (Digital Interactive Visual Arts Sciences) for Social Justice. For the past seven years DIVAS has provided free or sliding scale technology training to youth in underserved communities in Central Brooklyn and Southeast Queens. Ms. James has been dedicated to youth development work for the past 15years in the roles of Teaching Artist, After School Director, Curriculum Specialist and artist. Her life's work encompasses empowering youth in underserved communities to use technology for social change and think critically about the issues that are affecting them most. For the past seven years Ms. James has facilitated workshops that help youth develop multimedia projects around environmental justice, housing, leadership development and reproductive justice. Ms. James holds an MFA in Integrated Media Arts from Hunter College's Film & Media Department. In addition to DIVAS for Social Justice, Ms. James currently serves on the advisory board of the Children’s Cabinet, Office of the Deputy Mayor Strategic Policy Initiatives at City Hall. Clarisa James is full of gratitude to her parents for providing such a wonderful upbringing and having the foresight to move into the community of Laurelton in the early 1970's. Clarisa is proud to be a daughter of Laurelton.