BLOGS

Our third summer of hosting young environmental stewards has come to an end. This year, we embarked on a new journey; an Urban Sustainability Youth Culinary Program! While our programs have always revolved around learning about our local food systems, this is the first time we take a deeper dive into how to prep and cook our food. Youth ages 14-15 from across the City met local farmers, growers, beekeepers, artists, and community partners over the course of 6 weeks. Friends

We are fortunate to welcome so many talented individuals this Summer! Our impact is possible thanks to the contributions of volunteers, interns, and the families that continue to support local circular economies. Get to know some of the people who are supporting our work this summer... Phoenix Arana (He/Him) Digital Media Specialist Hey Phoenix! Tell us about yourself and how your summer has been at Plant Chicago so far? A favorite hobby of mine is collecting figures from m

Stella Sturgill. I’m Stella, a rising sophomore at Sarah Lawrence College exploring my interests in environmental science, social justice, and health and wellness. On campus, I'm an active member of the Green Rights Organization for the World, a student-led club focused on environmental advocacy, and I'm currently working to institutionalize composting across our community. I was drawn to Plant Chicago through my childhood experiences attending the 61st Street Farmers Market,

Mya , Youth Program Lead I'm Mya, a rising Junior at Chicago High School For Agriculture And Science. I’m excited to join Plant Chicago this summer as a Farmers Market intern & a Group Helper for Students who were joining our new ASM program. Outside of my work days, I enjoy playing soccer and catching up on some of my shows. During my time here, I hope to gain better skillsets in my goals like do more public speaking, get more comfortable around dirt and bugs, being more ope

Alex will graduate in August from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) with a B.S. in Environmental Science and a Minor in Spanish. Alex has also just returned from studying abroad in Australia for the past 6 months - what an adventure! Alex has many passions related to environmental science and was inspired by Plant Chicago. She hopes to be exposed to many different aspects of circular economy, urban agriculture, and alternative agriculture methods. Fun

While interning at Plant Chicago, I got to write things that I was actually interested in. The largest piece I wrote was a blog called Sustainability in the Fashion Industry where I explored not only the things that people are doing wrong in the fashion industry, but I also spoke to people who are doing the right thing in fashion, meaning they are focused on circularity. Oftentimes “saving the plant” centers a really depressing message. It was good to write something positive

Nico Christians: Aquaponics / Hydroponics Intern: My experience as the Aquaponics and Hydroponics Intern has been deeply educational and impactful. Spending my summer learning how different types of systems function, how to grow successful crops, and building entire aquaponic systems from scratch has been such an amazing experience. To me, aquaponics is more than just a method to grow food; it's the creation of an ecosystem. This ecosystem has the potential to provide healthy

Greetings! My name is Karina Quiroz and I am a 20 year-old high school student in search of improvement and new life opportunities. I've lived in Back of the Yards for most of my life. However, I attended a high school on the north side of the city for some time. I eventually transferred to Peace and Education Coalition High School in Back of the Yards, which is filled with many opportunities that a regular high school does not have. Peaceworks is a program within the school

This summer, I've been researching mushrooms! I'm specifically interested in the ways in which mycelium (the thin threads that grow into networks which eventually grow fruiting bodies, i.e. mushrooms) releases enzymes. Those enzymes allow them to break down surrounding material so that the mycelium can absorb nutrients from its environment. I'm curious if specific mushroom species can be bred to release stronger enzymes that can potentially break down plastics (Styrofoam, PET

Plant Chicago’s internship program encompasses many topics and disciplines related to our mission of cultivating local circular economies. At Plant Chicago, we strive to ensure that the internship experience is beneficial to the individual by shaping the program to fit their particular interests and goals. Currently, we are hosting interns within each of our programs: Small Business, Education, and the Farmers Market. Meet our 2021 interns! Alejandra Bergquist is a second yea