The model, developed by students from a public school, combines fish farming and vegetable cultivation.
Seven ninth-grade students from Diego Echavarría Misas Educational Institution, located in the Castilla neighborhood in northwestern Medellín, are advancing the prototyping of an aquaponics system (a method that combines fish farming and plant cultivation through the recirculation of water) as part of Ruta N’s Generación Tech program, an initiative that this year is supporting science, technology, and innovation projects in 208 public and private schools across the city.
The proposal uses rainwater to produce food and promote sustainable practices within the school community. The process begins with collecting and storing rainwater in a pond where fish are raised, creating a natural nutrient cycle. The nutrients produced by the fish support the growth of plants cultivated in a structure located above the pond, where the students plan to grow lettuce, carrots, and other agricultural products.
“This initiative demonstrates that the talent to transform realities exists in every corner of the District. It is also an example of how an idea born in a classroom can become a great opportunity to protect the environment. At Ruta N, we work to ensure that innovation serves as a tool to close gaps and unlock the potential of thousands of young people,” said Carolina Londoño, Executive Director of Ruta N.
The students emphasize that the project aims to demonstrate how science and technology can be applied to sustainable solutions within the school environment, promoting environmental stewardship and food security. Developing this initiative has also strengthened teamwork and increased students’ interest in innovation.
“The problem we want to solve is the waste of rainwater and the challenge of growing food in limited spaces, such as urban areas. What I like most about Generación Tech is that we can learn about technology and turn our ideas into projects that help address issues in our surroundings,” said Carol Guzmán, a student at Diego Echavarría Misas Educational Institution.
As the various Generación Tech projects continue to progress, the program recently hosted a co-creation laboratory involving principals from public and private higher education institutions, along with other ecosystem stakeholders. During the event, participants discussed challenges and opportunities for implementing innovation and educational collaboration strategies for the District, drawing on the experience of a program that this year achieved a historic 725% increase in participation, reaching more than 5,000 students and multiplying its impact sevenfold in preparing young innovators to address city challenges related to entrepreneurship, health, safety, education, and other areas.
Ruta N continues to strengthen its commitment to closing knowledge-access gaps and expanding opportunities for Medellín’s children and youth, empowering them to become agents of change—as is already happening with the students of Diego Echavarría Misas Educational Institution.
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