A Look Into This Year's Youth Program

Our third summer of hosting young environmental stewards has come to an end. This year, we embarked on a new journey; a 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 from across the City met local farmers, growers, beekeepers, artists, and community partners. Friendships were made and interests piqued as these young teens explored different topics around circularity, sustainability, mycology, urban planning, ecosystems, food, communications, and so much more!

Summer of 2026 Youth Cohort (& program facilitators)!

What are some of the recipes they've explored this summer?

We were so grateful to have the support of local chefs like Harold Chapman! The group made a delicious chicken skewers with an Afro-Latin fusion! Pickling red onions in hibiscus tea, and pairing the meal with a tangy aji verde. We intentionally sought to work with partners from the south and southwest sides of the city, many of whom are vendors in our retail space, growers who utilize our Indoor Victory Garden, and local community residents and organizers. This diverse set of guests came in to show us that practicing circularity can look differently in their respective fields.

Harold and youth marinating chicken.

Teens didn't just stay in the kitche this summer, they took a couple of field trips to different partner sites nearby such as Su Casa Liberation Landing, Cedillo's Fresh Produce, Free Street Theater's Storefront, Swap-o-Rama, and more! Getting to learn directly from experts and practicioners is something we intentionally plan for. Teens learned about local mutual aid efforts, hyper-local farms, community outreach, and even got to learn about bees and made their own beeswax candles with Oscar from Bee-Utiful Honey & Candles!

We're so appreciative of ASM teens' enthusiasm to learn more about circular economies and food! As always, this successful program couldn't have been possible without the support of our partners, friends, and colleagues, special thank you to After School Matters Staff for all of their support and guidance!

Meet the two young women that helped coordinate and facilitate this year's program with Tom Knapp.

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Meet this year's Program Facilitators!

Isyss Graves (she/her)

Program Instructor: Sustainability and Nutrition focus

Hey Isyss! Tell us about yourself and what your day looks like at Plant Chicago?

I love hiking and reading. I am an Instructor at Plant Chicago through my science professor at UIC. Helping youth learn how to cook and have better nutritional values. Yes, a lot of the planting and composting is new to me as well as working with teenagers. We come in at 9am and plan for the day, the students come in at 10 and start their group work until 10:30, then food prep and lunch until 1pm, then cleaning until 1:30, and lastly workshop for the day or group circle until 2:30.

What have you learned in your time being at Plant Chicago?

  I've learned patience and a lot of new recipes. Plant Chicago has taught me the correct ways to recycle and compost by teaching me about what foods should be composted and what items should be recycled as well as what food can be reused and fed to the animals. I like that all of the workshops are interactive and exciting. With Daviiid (Contemporary Farmer, INC), we got to take the micro-greens home and eat them. With Dulce (Cedillo's Fresh Produce), we learned a unique style of cooking. With Alex Galvan, MSW, LCSW, we made weaving work we could hang at home. Each workshop has been very engaging and interactive.                

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Sofia Espinosa (she/her)

Program Instructor: Growing Focus

Hey Sofia! Can you tell us about your work at Plant Chicago & how you got to know us?

I started as a Grassroots Solar Educator, which means informing community members about Illinois Solar for All, a statewide program that helps income-eligible residents with affordable solar panel installation. My role has mainly consisted of planning and attending tabling events or workshops. This summer, I took on an additional role supporting PC’s After School Matters program, which aims to teach teens about sustainability and culinary techniques.

My first experience at Plant Chicago was right after the 2024 presidential election: I was a farmer at the time, and my friend and coworker Megan, told me about the event, Healing & Harvest, hosted by the Community Navigator. It was a gathering focused on communal healing, with a special meal honoring growers in both the Levant and Chicago. We were both interested, and I’m so glad we attended because the night was full of wonderful energy!

How's your summer with Plant Chicago been so far?

With After School Matters (ASM), I come in at 9 am to solidify the day's plans, including recipes and activities: the teens start arriving at 10 and then take care of their morning checklist items. After that, we usually start cooking together, which takes a while since we have a lot of mouths to feed and a lot of cleanup to do. We usually end our day with a workshop or have a guest speaker present. A lot of my energy has been focused on helping the teens grow through teaching them fun recipes, leading them on gardening tasks, and supporting workshops. I’ve found myself growing alongside them while learning a lot through the program as well!

I’ve learned that fostering a place where young people can creatively learn about our world while also taking care of

it is very important. David Sobel’s quote has stuck with me a lot when creating the curriculum: “Give children a chance to love the earth before we ask them to save it.” For example, teaching our teens about the importance of bugs in ecosystems and engaging with pollinators in the garden have made them less afraid of them. 

I’m excited to give a presentation about prairies, especially because I’m currently installing a native plant garden at my house. Even though prairies once covered a lot of our land, we’re not really taught about them in school. I hope I can pique their interest enough to visit a prairie and maybe even plant some of their own native plants!

What's one of your highlights from your time with us?

The mercaditos have definitely been a highlight, with good music, cooking demos, and cool products. Seeing the work being done at PC has made me hopeful that other communities– not only in Chicago but around the world– can become circular hubs. Being part of such a cool mission has made me so grateful for my time here!

📸 Pictures by 2026 Digital Content Specialist, Phoenic Arana,