EG EDUCATIONAL PRoGRAMS

Family & Community Programming

  • From June to October, Evanston Grows operates vibrant Farm Stands at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, the Levy Senior Center, and the Infant Welfare Society of Evanston. Our Farm Stands offer free, fresh produce sourced from our urban farms and supplemented by generous donations from Whole Foods. Each week, visitors can enjoy a range of enrichment activities, including cooking demonstrations, recipes, health demonstrations and screenings, and gardening workshops. These initiatives aim to foster a sense of community, promote healthy eating, and provide valuable education on nutrition and sustainable living. Our hope is that the Farm Stands is a community gathering space for folks to experience the bounty of locally grown produce and engage in enriching activities that benefit the whole person.

  • Community Partner Gardens

    Evanston Grows is proud to support community partners by installing gardens for organizations such as Meals on Wheels, which serves 20,000 elders monthly, Connections for the Homeless, and Turning Point Mental Health. These gardens not only provide a safe and therapeutic space for constituents and residents but also supply nutritious, fresh produce to enhance their meals. By integrating gardening into the services of these vital organizations, Evanston Grows helps to promote physical health, mental well-being, and a sense of community. Our collaborative efforts aim to create sustainable food sources and foster environments where everyone can thrive.

    Full list of PARTNER GARDENS

  • Evanston Grows is dedicated to supporting school gardens by providing vegetable starts and technical garden support whenever needed. Our goal is to empower schools to create greater impacts on their students through gardening. These school gardens offer safe, nurturing spaces where students can learn about sustainable agriculture, nutrition, and the environment. Additionally, they provide fresh, nutritious produce that enhances the health and well-being of the youth. By fostering these educational and productive spaces, Evanston Grows helps cultivate a love for nature and healthy living in the next generation.

OUTREACH PROGRAMMING

  • Chef Q and Chef Tinelle teamed up with Evanston Grows volunteers in March 2023 to provide a “veggie forward” dinner for over 60 seniors and our farm-stand community. This event was sponsored by Evanston Grows and hosted at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center. Collard green caesar salad and spring vegetable pasta led guests to exclaim: “I never knew vegetables could taste so good!” and “It’s so nice to get together and share a meal with our farm-stand friends.” Dinner guests also shared ideas for programs, innovations and opportunities for Evanston Grows, further centering the voices of those we serve.

youth programming

  • Evanston Grows has partnered with the Infant Welfare Society of Evanston (IWSE) to introduce young, Pre-K children to the joys of gardening and the wonders of nature. This engaging 20-week program spans the entire growing season, offering hands-on learning experiences tailored to the developmental stages of preschool-aged children.

    Program Components include weekly gardening sessions filled with interactive activities where children learn the basics of gardening; sensory exploration of the garden to foster a deep connection with nature and stimulates curiosity; themed lessons, such as “Eating the Rainbow” and “Roots and Shoots” related to gardening and nature; Practical hands-on activities include planting seeds, transplanting seedlings, watering, weeding, and eventually harvesting fruits and vegetables; Story Time and Songs; and Tasting and Cooking.

    By the end of the 20-week program, children will have a foundational understanding of gardening and where their food comes from. They will have developed important skills such as cooperation, observation, and fine motor abilities. Additionally, the program promotes a lifelong appreciation for nature and healthy eating habits.

    Parents are invited to take home the harvest weekly through the IWSE Farmstand. Evanston Grows provides an abundance of produce from Ward Farm, an urban farm located next to the IWSE Baby Toddler Program on Main Street in Evanston. Products from our Fleetwood Seniors Flower Crew, including gorgeous flower bouquets and products such as tea made from our herbs are distributed free of charge.

  • IEvanston Grows facilitates a vibrant garden for the Teen Baby Nursery Program of the Infant Welfare Society. This initiative invites our youngest gardeners, along with their dedicated teachers, to embark on a journey of planting, harvesting, and tasting fresh produce. Evanston Grows staff maintains the garden and assists with harvesting, while teachers provide enrichment through cooking activities with the children.

  • Evanston Grows partners with ARTSiE, a local non-profit who engages and empowers children through equity and excellence in arts and education programming. Our Spring Break Wellness and Gardening Program at Fleetwood's Spring Break Camp, designed for children aged 5-12 features a variety of engaging activities, including hands-on gardening as well as an urban farm tour, where kids learn to plant and nurture their own crops. Additionally, participants learn culinary arts by creating their own cookbooks and making delicious, nutritious smoothies. Through these interactive sessions, youth gain valuable knowledge about healthy eating and sustainable living, all while enjoying the fun and educational experiences of spring break.

  • As an expansion of our Spring Break Wellness and Gardening Program, Evanston Grows now offers wellness programming at three separate summer camps in Evanston. Designed for children aged 5-12, participants learn culinary arts and nutrition by creating their own smoothies using fresh produce from our farms. In 2023, this program engaged over 135 children in Evanston.

    Additionally, the Evanston Public Library’s summer youth camp visits our farm sites regularly for tours and to help with the harvest, as well as maintaining crops planted outside of the Robert Crown Center.

  • Evanston Grows partners with Evanston Township High School (ETHS) each semester to provide a Wellness and Gardening Program. Over three classes, each with approximately 20 students, our program includes two engaging sessions for each class: one dedicated to hands-on gardening and another focused-on crafting nutritious smoothies. Teens have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the joys of gardening, learning how to cultivate crops and understand the importance of sustainability. In the smoothie-making session, students explore the nutritional benefits of fresh ingredients, gaining valuable knowledge about healthy eating habits. This holistic approach not only promotes physical wellness but also introduces and empowers students with skills in gardening and nutrition.

OUTREACH PROGRAMMING

  • Evanston Grows and the Evanston Public Library partner annually to provide a gardening activity at the 5th Ward STEM Fest, which is designed to support local kindergarten through fifth-grade students of color who are underrepresented in STEM fields. Booths in the main STEM hall are set up in the Family Focus gymnasium, the first stop for all STEM Fest participants. Students may visit any or all of the 14 booths featuring experiments, demonstrations, games, and activities that show real-life applications of subjects like robotics, construction, computer science, and multimedia. Many of the activities centered around problem-solving, learning from failure, and trying again, providing a rich, interactive learning experience. In 2023, over 150 students participated in the festival celebrating science and technology.

SENIOR PROGRAMMING

  • Evanston Grows’ Fleetwood Flower Crew for Seniors at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, is designed to bring seniors together and foster a sense of community. This program, held weekly during the growing season, invites seniors to collaborate in transforming the harvest from our farms into products such as teas, herbal vinegars, and flower bouquets.

    Participants engage in hands-on activities, learning how to blend and package herbal teas, infuse vinegars, oils and salts with garden-fresh herbs, and arrange beautiful flower bouquets donated from The Backyard Flower Lab. These sessions not only provide a creative outlet and new skills for the seniors but also create a vibrant social environment where they can share stories, experiences, and build meaningful connections.

    The products crafted by the seniors are then distributed for free at Evanston Grows three farm stands, ensuring that community members, particularly those with limited access to fresh and healthy products, can benefit from the bountiful harvest. This initiative not only supports food access in Evanston but also empowers seniors to contribute actively to their community, enhancing their sense of purpose and belonging. Through this program, Evanston Grows reinforces the values of sustainability, community service, and intergenerational solidarity.

  • In partnership with Tiz Media, Evanston Grows hosted a facilitated discussion in which seniors share traditional herbal remedies with the goal of supporting a website where these remedies are recorded for future generations to access. Seniors are provided with herb seeds so they can grow their own healing herbs.

  • The "Food as Medicine" program aims to empower seniors with the knowledge and resources to take control of their health through nutrition. By integrating locally grown produce into their diets, participants experience improved health outcomes, increased energy levels, and a greater sense of community. This program not only addresses food access and nutritional needs but also fosters a holistic approach to senior health and wellness, leveraging the power of fresh, locally-sourced food as a foundation for a healthier life.

ADULT PROGRAMMING

  • Evanston Grows partners with Evanston Public Library to present a comprehensive Garden Workshop Series. This series offers participants an enriching exploration of gardening through a variety of engaging topics. Attendees can take one or all of the following workshops: "Beginning Gardening," where they learn the basics of starting and maintaining a garden. "Composting 101" will provide insights into creating and managing compost to enrich soil health. In "Plant Nutrition," participants will discover essential nutrients and techniques to ensure robust plant growth. Finally, "Container Gardening" will teach the art of growing plants in confined spaces, perfect for urban environments.

    Workshop Instructors:

    Jocelyn Mallard, is a certified University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener and serves on the Board of Directors for Evanston Grows. With over 10 years of community gardening experience, Jocelyn puts her skills and knowledge to use volunteering for Evanston Grows (EG). EG’s active role in reducing food insecurity by providing “locally grown produce, nutrition education and building community connections” aligns with her beliefs that good nutrition promotes better health, and every person should have access to quality food. Jocelyn also collaborates with local organizations providing youth and adult gardening workshops.

    Matt Wecshler has 10 years of professional experience growing food in urban areas organically and sustainably. He has helped to design, build and manage many urban farms and garden sites throughout Chicagoland. He has extensive experience in designing and teaching Garden Educational Training Programs for youth and adults. Matt is the founder of Interseed, a company that works to empower communities to grow food efficiently, locally and sustainably.

    Workshops Offered

    Beginning Gardening

    Participants learn the essentials of starting a garden: making a plan, choosing the right location, factors to consider when planting in the ground, using a raised bed or container, selecting soil and amendments, and choosing which vegetables to plant.

    Composting 101

    In 2019, the EPA reported that food waste (FW) represented 24.1% of all waste sent to landfills. Adding paper products, tree trimmings and yard waste (PTY) to this equation, the number increases to 51.1%. Compost equals FW + PTY. To gardeners, it is considered "black gold" because of its many benefits. In this workshop, participants will review the types of compost, how to make compost at home, and how to use it in the garden. We will also explore alternatives to home composting that are available in our community.

    Container Gardening

    Learn how growing food in containers can produce an abundance of vegetables, fruits and ornamental plants and flowers. Topics reviewed: what can be grown in containers, soil-free mix, selecting containers, how to select the correct pot size, drainage, fertilizing and watering.

    Plant Nutrition

    Ever wonder why your plant leaves turn yellow? Or stop growing altogether? What if you could identify these issues and understand how to fix them? In this class, we'll explain how to identify nutrient deficiencies and revitalize the health of your plants.