Our Story
Vision
The vision of Growing Together Aquaponics will be a premier career training facility for individuals with disabilities providing inclusive and competitive employment and healthy food choices for citizens of Western Pennsylvania.
Mission
The mission of the Growing Together Aquaponics is to provide individuals with disabilities with job-training skills leading to competitive, integrated employment. Program completers will serve as stewards of healthy nutrition and improved quality of life.
The Beginning
Bob Arnhold (pictured far left) was a professor at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania until 2019. His field of study was in Adapted Physical Activity – the promotion of healthy lifestyles for persons with disabilities. Toward the end of his tenure at the university he developed Growing Together Aquaponics (GTA) as a vehicle to provide job training, employment, and management and leadership opportunities for young adults with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. .
2018: A Partnership and a Starter Home
In February of 2018 the program was founded and housed within of all places, a brewery canning facility. North Country Brewing Company of Slippery Rock, PA was a natural partner as both programs’ mission is to support local communities in one way or another.
Growing Together Aquaponics was located within the North Country Brewing Taproom, in Slippery Rock for 5 years. Located just an hour north of Pittsburgh and south of Erie. With close proximity to Slippery Rock University this location is only 3 miles East of I-79.
2021: Nonprofit Status
In 2021, Growing Together Aquaponics became incorporated as a 501c3 non-profit entity. Currently, GTA employs about 10 individuals with 50% being diagnosed with a disability.
Bob and Marena continue to have high expectations for growth together (plants and fish, people with and without disability, and the community) and are currently working on plans to develop a full-production greenhouse operation in the near future.
2023: Growing Together
In 2023, a new partnership was formed. Growing Together Aquaponics finds a new home in a larger space, more conducive for their mission, inside the walls of Mercer County Career Center. The mission of Mercer County Career Center is to equip students with marketable skills through effective career and technical education. With aligning missions the two organizations quickly made plans to grow together. Growing Together received a classroom and set up the system in June 2023.