Cultivating Code, Engineering the Future.
A collaboration between Unity Foundation and Hazelwood School District. Students arrive with no programming experience. They leave having built, tested, documented, and publicly published an automated growing system that runs on its own — and defended it to an outside panel of engineers.
$50,000 funds the first full year implementation of the Smart Greenhouse Program for the 2026–27 school year.
Instructor, hardware, curriculum, mentors, and the capstone showcase.
What Your Gift Funds
Six pieces come together to make the Smart Greenhouse Program's first year possible — starting with the person who teaches it.
25+ years as a Principal Software Engineer, building large-scale cloud and data architectures (AWS, Azure); teaches Agile methodology, real database design, and production-grade software patterns.
The Hardware Foundation
Classroom grow stations: a no-solder demo station, team carts with 3–4 plants each, data-logging thermometers, shared grow lights.
Professional Readiness
Workforce-aligned practices (data literacy, documentation, peer design reviews, professional communication) built into the curriculum, not added on.
Accessible Tech
The demo station infrastructure means every student can participate in physical computing regardless of prior experience.
Curriculum Integrity
A full, ready-to-teach implementation guide and classroom resources.
Open Source & Ethics
Licensing, attribution, data ownership, and algorithmic fairness, taught as engineering.
Capstone Showcase
A final session where students present their work to an external panel.
The Sponsorship Ladder
Five ways to invest in the program, from a founding gift to a first step.
| Level | Gift | Recognition & Access | What your gift makes possible |
|---|---|---|---|
Founding Cornerstone Lead Investor | $50,000+ | Below, plus Founding Sponsor of the Program · Recognition carried inside the openly licensed curriculum into every district that adopts it | Funds the full first year of implementation — and a district replication package, so the next Missouri district does not start from zero. |
Systems Architect Benefactor | $25,000 | Below, plus prominent placement across program collateral · A seat on the capstone review panel · Joint press | Sponsors an entire school site for the year — stipends, mentors, family engagement, the showcase. |
Closed Loop Circle | $10,000 | Below, plus Two employee guest-engineer slots · Named in board and grant materials | Adds what equipment cannot: instructor preparation, the guest-engineer program, and the summer kits students keep. |
Grow Station Partner | $5,000 | Below, plus your logo on every student project site published that year · Invitation to the capstone showcase | Underwrites one classroom end to end for a year: equipment, consumables, printing, spares. |
First Light Supporter | $2,500 | Named on the Unity Foundation web site and in the showcase program · Annual impact report | Equips three classrooms with the full grow station — controller, pump, sensors, lights, seed and soil. |
Give Once or Monthly
Making a smaller or general gift? Give directly through our secure Zeffy donation form — no fees are deducted from your gift.
See the Evidence Behind the Ask
Trust & Accountability
Unity Foundation · EIN: 86-2158056
501(c)(3) Private Operating Foundation — Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Committed to independent, uncompensated board governance.