IoT Connects the Soil with the Classroom

Electric Garden is an exciting education start-up using IoT to enable digital learning outside the classroom in a real-world setting - the school vegetable garden.

They want to empower kids and improve their wellbeing by showing how the technology they love can also be used to grow food and care for the environment. Electric Garden’s ambition is to grow the next generation of digital thinkers, and they are off to a great start.

Customer problem

Electric Garden wanted to develop an IoT platform that would allow young students to monitor and code real time data coming from the school garden.

They required robust devices that were relatively simple to install and use, and reliable IoT network connectivity that would work for schools all over the country.

IoT solution

Spark worked with Electric Garden to put the power of IoT in the hands of year 5-8 students.

Students install battery-powered IoT sensors in their school gardens and connect them to Spark’s LoRaWAN or Cat-M1 IoT networks.

Back in the classroom, the students can view and work with data from the sensors via the Spark IoT Network.

Part of the digital learning programme is learning how their data is sent over Spark’s IoT network, where it is stored, and how to access it securely via their Electric Garden IoT accounts.

Results

Electric Garden has connected the garden to the classroom and given kids a fun way to engage with science, using the tech they love.

The IoT-based programme is now available to 95% of NZ schools, and is helping inspire a new generation of digital thinkers.

“ We chose to partner with Spark because we have a similar ambition – to raise the digital capability of all New Zealanders and close the digital divide”

- Michael Trengrove