S4E43: Samantha Johnson - Nudging Students into an Aquaponics Tank

Episode SummaryJoin Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show Samantha Johnson. Samantha is the Director of Aquaponics Programs at Commonwealth Charter Academy, a top accredited K through 12 public cyber charter school located in Pennsylvania. Samantha is a highly skilled and student-focused leader who possesses a strong commitment to the development of students and staff through differentiated, innovative and individualized learning experiencesToday, Harry and Samantha talk about the work she is doing educating young men and women on the AgTech industry, specifically through the aquaponics program at CCA. She talks about the partnerships CCA has with AeroFarms and Vertical Harvest and the goals they are striving to achieve together. Samantha also speaks to the importance she places on preparing her students for the professional world and the challenges they are likely to face in the vertical farming space. Finally, Samantha discusses what continues to motivate and drive her throughout her teaching and vertical farming journey.Episode SponsorCULTIVATDFreight FarmsKey Takeaways01:13 – Harry welcomes to the show Samantha Johnson, who joins the show to discuss her background in education and the challenges COVID-19 has brought to her profession10:36 – Commonwealth Charter Academy12:23 – Samantha’s vertical farming origin story18:07 – Partnering with AeroFarms and Vertical Harvest19:40 – Student feedback on the Aquaponics Program26:49 – Learning through mistakes31:23 – Changes and trends Samantha has noticed in the vertical farming industry35:48 – Companies and organizations Samantha would like to partner with in the future39:51 – Challenges in AgTech and education46:39 – Something Samantha has changed her mind about recently48:49 – What motivates and drives Samantha51:59 – Harry thanks Samantha for joining the show and let’s listeners know where they can learn more about CCA and connect with SamanthaTweetable Quotes“Commonwealth Charter Academy is a public cyber charter school located in Pennsylvania. We have numerous building across the state because, although we’re a cyber school, we very much understand that some learners learn best in person or even in a blended model.” (10:41) (Samantha)“Our school itself is very large. We’re up to about sixteen to seventeen thousand students and our mantra is workforce development. We want students to have skills necessary to either enter the workforce after they graduate. Or, if they want to go to college, we want to help them through that entire process from start to finish.” (11:27) (Samantha)“At the end of the day, I want to give them skills that they can use when they graduate. And there are some basic ones that everyone needs to know. You have to show up on time. You have to show up appropriately dressed. Those kind of very basic skills.” (25:07) (Samantha)“I feel like the vertical farming industry changes a mile a minute.” (31:31) (Samantha)“For us it’s more how do we make sure that we meet the needs of all of our students, and on top of that we work with community members too.” (46:11) (Samantha)Links MentionedSamantha’s LinkedInSponsor Info:Cultivatd WebsiteCultivatd InstagramCultivatd’s TwitterCultivatd’s FacebookFreight Farms WebsiteFreight Farms FacebookFreight Farms Twitter🎙️🎙️🎙️Podcast Production and Marketing by FullCast: https://bit.ly/3sxZ34ySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Mentioned in this episode:2025 Precision Ag Report by iGrowNews2025 Precision Ag Report2025 Precision Ag Report by iGrowNews2025 Precision Ag Report