Aquaponic Programs and Services

From employment experience to leadership opportunities, Growing Together Aquaponics staff and program participants are made up of 50% people with disabilities. Come join us.

Services offered through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR)

Here are the types of services and opportunities Growing Together Aquaponics offers through OVR. 


Paid Work Experience (PWE) 

Gain hands-on information and experience inside a job site to prepare you for your next job opportunity, while getting paid. 

Community Work Instruction (CWI)

Group setting that works through job training skills and expectations and also provides a paying wage. Typically done before a Paid Work Experience.


On the Job Training (OJT)

Get paid to learn on the job with us at GTA!

Small Group Services:

A group service provided one day a week for two hours with a total of four weeks per each service listed below.

Workplace Readiness

Learn about job skills such as; communication, time management, organization, teamwork and more. Build a resume, cover letter, and practice interview preparations.

Job Exploration

Understanding employment requirements and pathways. Explore career clusters and interest inventories. Learn about setting goals for your future.

Independent Living Skills

Learn about daily living skills, laundry and hygiene, relationship and boundaries. Then take a deep dive into budgeting and finances.

Self-Advocacy

Grasp the concept of setting goals, resiliency and self care. Dive into disability awareness, disclosure and advocating across environments.

To begin requesting services through Growing Together Aquaponics, individuals, families or caregivers may download and print forms here. Questions can be directed to us here.

Agency Partnerships for Adult Groups

Participants from our adult agency partners come to our aquaponic system typically for a one-hour session, two times per week.

The individuals volunteer their time to help in the aquaponics farming system. While they are here, they feed the fish, sow seeds, harvest crops, and much more!

If your agency would like to learn more about working with us, please get in touch to schedule a complimentary tour of our facilities or begin completing forms.

  • For safe food handling.

  • Cents and Sensibility is a financial education curriculum developed by the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation. The curriculum provides persons with disabilities knowledge, skills, and abilities to manage money, develop a lifelong savings commitment, understand the loan process and interest rates.

    Growing Together Aquaponics, Inc., has spent the past two years piloting and testing this curriculum with young adults with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.

    These education efforts help people make more informed decisions about managing their personal finances. Providing financial education can occur over several platforms. We have established a classroom setting with face-to-face, small group, and/or online instructional sessions.

    To learn more about the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation please visit their site.

    More information about the Cents & Sensibility Financial Education Program can be found on their site.

    • Vocational / Job training for students with an array of disabilities

    • Sell / donate produce to restaurants and the Food Bank

    • Tours / Events

    • Volunteer with us

    • Join our team: Mentor/Employee

    • Aquaponics Club $15/Child

    • Awareness of basic program structure

    • Knowledge of STEM concepts

    • Critical thinking about content

    • Problem solving within the system

    • Decision making of care of plants and fish

    • Action opportunities

    • Stewardship in teaching & mentoring

Individual Students

Kirkland (pictured) is our very first independent worker. After hearing about the system from the Butler County Farm Tour, he reached out with interest in gaining employment. After an interview and a few training shifts, he was offered the position.

Kirkland started working with 4 hours a week and has increased to 22 hours per week! In his free time he enjoys working on his sketches and stories for his comic books, he also enjoys playing video games and searching the internet.