How Lisa Wolf is Revolutionizing Healthy Eating at CPHS
Walking into Lisa Wolf’s Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) classroom at Charles Page High School feels a little less like a traditional school and a little more like the future of sustainable farming. She has two glowing, vertical columns of lush greens and vibrant herbs hums with life. Two hydroponic towers growing fresh herbs and vegetables have become the crown jewel of her curriculum.
Thanks to the Sand Springs Education Foundation, this isn’t just a science experiment; it’s a culinary revolution for CPHS students. After winning her first grant in 2025, Wolf was recently awarded a second grant for 2026 to expand her indoor “farm.”
The journey started three years ago when Wolf, who has taught for nearly a decade at CPHS, was speaking at a national convention.
“I saw my first tower there and thought, ‘How do I acquire one of these?'” Wolf recalls. “When the opportunity came up, I applied for a grant. I was super excited.”
Hydroponics allows plants to grow in a nutrient-rich water solution without soil. For a classroom setting, it’s a game-changer. There’s no dirt to clean up, and the growth rate is significantly faster than traditional gardening.
While the towers are a visual hit with students, their primary purpose is strictly culinary. Wolf utilizes the towers across her Lifetime Nutrition and Wellness, Human Growth & Development, and Comprehensive Wellness classes.
“I grow herbs, they do amazing, and all types of lettuce, basil, kale, and mixed greens for stir-fry labs,” Wolf says. “I even kept it going over the summer, checking the pH and watering it, so that in the fall, students could harvest baby tomatoes for their salads.”
During the 2025 Sandite Hall of Fame dinner, Wolf wasn’t shy about her vision. She was invited to briefly speak as the district’s Teacher of the Year and one of the winners of an Education Foundation grant.
“Mrs. Durkee had me say a few words, and I made sure to plug the foundation. I talked about the hydro tower and whispered that I could really use two of these to get the ball rolling.”
The Foundation listened. With the 2026 grant, Wolf is ordering a second large-scale tower this March, allowing her to grow 36 more plants at a time. This expansion is crucial for increased volume of plants that will be used in food labs, weekly ICE Tasting Tuesday classes, and the annual Food Truck Wars.
The towers aren’t just catching the eyes of students; the faculty is taking notice, too.
“As soon as students walk in, they’re like, ‘Oh, what is this?'” Wolf shares. “I hear them talking about how cool it is and asking if it’s organic. I’ve also had so many staff members say they want to order one. Even the cafeteria would love to have six of these to grow fresh food for the whole school!”
With two towers soon to be in full bloom, Lisa Wolf is proving that at Charles Page High School, the future of nutrition is local, sustainable, and grown right in the classroom.
