Spring has officially sprung, and our teens are already hard at work, especially those in our urban gardening programs who are rolling up their sleeves to help beautify neighborhoods across Chicago.
These young gardeners are doing more than just planting seeds, they’re growing knowledge and confidence. They’re learning how to identify different types of vegetation, how to plant and harvest crops, and even how to prepare delicious meals using the fruits and vegetables they’ve grown themselves.
This spring, we are offering urban gardening programs from Belmont Cragin to Pullman and across the city – at our ASM locations, and in partnership with schools and community-based organizations. From raised beds in community lots to school gardens, these programs are blossoming and providing opportunities for our teens to learn and grow with their peers.
“This session I am most proud of the fact that our students are not only growing food but also building deeper relationships to each other.” shared Paige Tobin, ASM Urban Growers Collective Instructor,” One student shared that he was glad to come to the program because it is one of the only places where he feels like he can be a kid. That was a special moment reflecting the power of building youth-centered spaces. The skills we learn are cool, but how we feel and how others make us feel matter just as much.”
Urban gardening doesn’t just teach teens how to garden, it nurtures skills that last a lifetime. Teens gain hands-on experience with sustainability and nutrition, resources that many young people may not otherwise have access to. Many of these programs also participate in local farmers’ markets to sell their produce to local community members and neighbors.
Through this work, our teens are building stronger communities and healthier futures for themselves and their neighborhoods.
Teens in the Design.Build.Grow.Eat program located at our Gately building in Pullman are growing herbs and other vegetables in their garden. They are using their produce to cook tasty meals.
In the Urban Growers Collective program located Downtown, teens planted springtime veggies like leafy greens and radishes at the South Chicago Farm.
In the Austin Grown program, located in the Austin community, teens learned how to grow mushrooms indoors using mushroom kits and a closed container to regulate the temperature.
