Last year, construction began on a new structure located in between the cafeteria and STEAM building. The foundation was laid during the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, with the final touches of glass installed in June. Generously donated by the Robert and Ardis James Foundation in partnership with the Chappaqua School Foundation, the Sustainability Research Center officially opened for student use at the start of this school year.
The Sustainability Research Center, simply known as the Greenhouse by Greeley students and staff, offers a number of new spaces for students to study plant sciences. Mr. Olive, Director of K-12 Science Education in the district, stated that the structure has four different sections, with “K207 acting as a classroom portion, a ‘Head House’ that used to be a computer lab, chambers inside of the Greenhouse portion on the east side, and more chambers on the west side.” Within these chambers are hydroponics (plants that are grown from water) and soil-based plants, some of which native to the United States, such as tomatoes and marigolds, and some to other regions of the world, such as the Pelargonium Echinatum plant, which is native to South Africa. Plants such as these, which are not commonly found in the United States, provide students with opportunities to gain a heightened understanding of the world’s diverse biosphere.
The Sustainability Research Center is currently home to two different elective courses that are new to Greeley this year, both of which take advantage of these state-of-the-art facilities: Environmental Plant Physiology and Plants for a Sustainable World. These two classes illustrate the importance of plant life and how plants respond to certain events while also dealing with the impact of climate change on biodiversity. In addition, other science classes such as AP Environmental Science (APES) and AP Biology often meet in The Greenhouse and use the space to complete various hands-on labs.

Senior Larson Thantu has spent a considerable amount of time in the Sustainability Center with his Environmental Plant Physiology and APES classes. He describes his experience as overwhelmingly positive, stating that “We spend a lot of time in [the center] growing plants like beans, corn, and cranberries, which has taught me a lot about sustainability.” In addition, he described that he was able to get an opportunity to learn about plants he normally wouldn’t have like Deppea Splendens, gain different experiences in his APES class such as watering plants, and even got a chance to work with some of the hydroponics.
Furthermore, student groups such as the Sustainability Club have made the Research Center their meeting space. Club leader Regina Velasco is excited about the new space and hopes that it can help “share the importance of fighting the issue of climate change.” Velasco also stated that “while we haven’t used the Greenhouse much yet, we are excited to plant in the Greenhouse and be able to discover sustainability in terms of plant systems and composting!”
The new building has spurred many positive reactions from students and staff alike. Junior Tadeo Cognac, who visited the center during his APES class, stated that the greenhouse “is beneficial for our school because it allows students to have a better understanding in learning certain science topics.” Similarly, Mr. Olive is supportive of the new space, believing that it aligns with school values of going green. He explains, “I think it’s important for all students to be sustainability-literate, and to have an understanding of how that relates to their own actions and impact onto their community.”
When the Sustainability Center opened, there were already many plans for the future of the space and ways to use it to its full potential. Mr. Olive hopes to bring in more students to the space, especially those performing labs concerning plant sciences. To make this a reality, teachers can schedule around each other to occupy different sections of the greenhouse at the same time. Specifically, he stated, “We can have someone in the head house for seed starting and someone else in the soil chamber.” It seems that there is demand for this, with senior and APES student Jamie Lynch expressing, “I hope to be able to use [the Sustainability Center] for some of my classes in the coming year.” While there is the demand for this new space, it’s up to the district to use it to its full potential, giving Greeley students a chance to discover the environment in a brand new and cutting-edge way.