UCSD CommUnity Garden

UCSD's CommUnity Garden aims to:

1. increase interest in STEM,
2. encourage students to live sustainably, as well as
3. foster community involvement while improving food quality in underprivileged areas.

Our project has two sub-teams: Outreach team and Hydroponics team.

Prior to COVID-19, our Outreach team had been meeting weekly with the Lorax Garden Club at the Preuss High School, providing guidance with student-led initiatives.

Here are some of the Outreach team's accomplishments:

• Establishment of a raised bed garden for the students to grow produce to take home
• Implementation of an enclosure for raised beds
• Creation and presentation of two workshops per quarter to the students on STEM and sustainability

In addition, our Hydroponics team has been diligently working on an Arduino-controlled hydroponics system, which is planned to hold 20 plants. The final completed system will be gifted to Preuss High School, and students will be instructed on its usage and maintenance.

Here are some of the Hydroponics team's accomplishments:

• Completion of a SolidWorks CAD assembly of the system prototype
• Completion of Arduino sensor network for plant monitoring
• Near-completion of the system prototype

While construction has been put on hold due to COVID-19, the Hydroponics team's current focus has been conducting a risk reduction analysis of the assembly.