Project Summary:
The Hydroponics STEM program is an innovative project that will advance health equity and improve health by addressing the health disparities of youth living in communities identified as food deserts. Hydroponics is the technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil. Hydroponic production systems are used by small farmers, hobbyists, and commercial enterprises. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines a food desert as "an area that has either a poverty rate greater than or equal to 20% or a median family income not exceeding 80% of the median family income in urban areas, or 80% of the statewide median family income in nonurban areas." Health disparities are related to the historical and current unequal distribution of social, political, economic, health care access and resources and contribute to poorer health of communities.
The identified need for access to healthy food is a priority in Wisconsin, specifically in the city of Milwaukee. The USDA determined that Milwaukee has 13 Food deserts. Milwaukee has supported initiatives to provide organizations with capital support. However, the funding is limited to $25,000 and eliminates some applications due to requirements such as dollar for dollar matching. This has created a moving target and while three new food stores have opened, four have closed. Numerically the total impact of improvement has remained flat year over year. This stalemate has made it difficult to have a significant impact on the health of the communities and results in worsening of the health disparities of urban communities.
The founder of the Hydroponics STEM Program, Ms. Lyle, received a Master of Science degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering and is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers. In 2018, she moved back to her childhood home in Milwaukee to give back to her community. Her research led her to understand the data behind the food gap in access and the health disparities were immediate result of poor eating. In January 2023, she focused on increasing access to healthy food and applied her engineering expertise in the process to positivity impact the health of her community by creating the Hydroponic STEM Program for youth at higher risk of health disparities. The program includes summer enrichment programs and after school academic programming. This STEM Hydroponics niche program overlaps the educational and health gaps prominent in the Black and Latino communities of Milwaukee.
The Hydroponics STEM Program will have a positive impact on the youth who participate and will serve as an instrument for developing a positive relationship between the historical influence of Black people in agriculture and the STEM advancement to healthy independent eating for youth in central city food insecure zones. The project’s goal is to provide a sense of pride in their history, curate a healthy eating environment, and explore opportunities in underrepresented environmental career paths. This will result in a healthier lifestyle that may also influence their families and social networks to create a healthier community.
Collaborator: Hydroponics STEM Program