by Brianna Crandall — October 13, 2014—Green Living Technologies International (GLTi) has introduced a new “Plug and Play” living wall unit designed for 90 students to watch their own edible plants grow and to reinforce GLTi’s science-based curriculum. GLTi provides a baseline of support, in-service trainings and teacher guides to adapt the tools to the learner and to parallel the existing outcomes and objectives. The company encourages schools and educators to add their own experience to its base program and Teacher’s Guide designed around Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM).
The curriculum is centered on the Mobile Edible Wall Unit, or MEWU. The MEWU is now available in two configurations:
- MEWU ADVANCED, ideal for grades 9-12 and post-secondary, uses the GLTi stainless panel system for more advanced and challenging learning opportunities where students can scaffold previous skills to develop more advanced applications. The Advanced Unit comes complete with 6 — 12″ x 24″ x 6″ stainless steel green living wall panels, and the kit can accommodate 28-32 students while providing 12 square feet of vertical growing in only 4 square feet of footprint.
- MEWU PLUG and PLAY, suitable for pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) and up, contains 90 standard 4″ pots ideal for even the youngest of learners while keeping them safe and clean at their desk or work area. Each pot is recycled HDPE and can be used over and over again to grow herbs, leafy greens and much more, while providing an enriched learning environment throughout the year. No need to wait for a school garden in the spring—the learning experience can start in September and last until June.
Besides classrooms, GLTi’s wall panel units are recommended as ideal for use in retirement facilities, in rehabilitation and Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals, as edible walls or in greenhouses, and in homes and small spaces.
Both units are delivered as a kit in preparation for immediate success. The MEWU is on wheels so it can be easily rolled through standard doors, in elevators and up ramps. If the weather is cooperative, the unit can be rolled outdoors to complement the school garden program.
Schools with existing MEWU Advanced wall panels can also retrofit now with the Plug and Play Configuration at 50% off the current cost. School districts new to the MEWU can mention GLTi’s press release about the Plug and Play and receive a $1000.00 GLTi scholarship towards the purchase of either the MEWU Advanced or the MEWU Plug and Play.
