Green Teacher Gathering: Full Schedule

10:30am CDT

Composting 101 with Urban Growers Collective

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:30am - 11:45am CDT

Healthy soil is the foundation of life for all beings.

Join Urban Growers Collective for an informative workshop on the topics of building healthy soil, the importance of composting, and a hands-on demonstration of how to build your own vermicompost bin. Pose questions to UGC’s team regarding the implementation of composting lessons for participants of all ages, with special attention to teen and adult participants.

Participants in this session will learn critical information regarding the principles of composting, receive guidance on ways to incorporate curricular material in an outdoor classroom, and practice the hands-on application of their skills through the construction of a vermicomposting bin (scalable to the individual or community level), and understanding the care required to maintain it. Participants are encouraged to critically engage with the material and will have time to ask questions at the end of the experience to generate connectivity around the science and application of composting in urban spaces.

When we learn collectively, we hold a mirror up to the relationships that already exist among our mentors in the Soil Web. Collaborate with us on ways we can benefit our local soil systems through composting, and find out how to be engaged with UGC!

Speakers

Darion Crawford

Urban Farmer & Compost Coordinator, Urban Growers Collective

Darion Crawford (he/him) has been farming since he was 16 years old. He began his journey with agriculture at Marshall High School in Chicago, where he studied farming, and was chosen to be one of the first 15 year-round students of the Growing Power Chicago Youth Corps in 2006... Read More →

Paige Tobin

Assistant Manager of Education, Urban Growers Collective

Paige Tobin (she/her) received her BA in Anthropology/Sociology and Critical Ethnic Studies from Kalamazoo College. Paige is originally from Battle Creek, MI and has lived and worked in Chicago since 2019.Paige enters this work with reverence for community, storytelling, and our shared... Read More →

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:30am - 11:45am CDT
Greenhouse, 1st Floor Academy for Global Citizenship, 4942 W 44th St, Chicago, IL 60638

Gardening + Growing, All levels: for everyone

Host Organization Urban Growers Collective

1:00pm CDT

Growing Connections: A Guide to Thriving School Gardens

Saturday April 5, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT

Greenhouse, 1st Floor

Summer break is something students and educators look forward to,
but what happens to the school garden when school is out? Contemporary
Farmer, Inc. would like to give a seasonal breakdown of how to maintain a
school garden with the help of administration, students, and the PTA. This workshop will help teachers plan school gardens around the academic calendar, provide tools for incorporating harvests into classroom lessons, school programs, and community organizations, and offer solutions for maintaining gardens during summer.

Workshop highlights include:
● Planning a Garden Calendar: CFI will provide visual aids for scheduling
planting, maintenance, and harvesting.
● Summer Solutions: Tips for low-maintenance crops, volunteer networks,
and community involvement.
● Easy-to-Grow Crops: A list of beginner-friendly plants for school
gardens.
● Harvesting & Usage: Ideas for integrating harvests into education and
donations.

Speakers

Daviiid Toledo

Founder & Owner, Contemporary Farmer, Inc.

Davíd Toledo (he/they) is a queer Xicano, ecofeminist, and Illinois native with eleven years of experience in organic food production. He studied Sustainable Community Development with minors in Sociology and Social Justice from Northland College. After being an educator through... Read More →

Saturday April 5, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT
Greenhouse, 1st Floor Academy for Global Citizenship, 4942 W 44th St, Chicago, IL 60638

Gardening + Growing, All levels: for everyone

Host Organization Contemporary Farmer Inc

2:30pm CDT

Mushroom Workshop with Plant Chicago

Saturday April 5, 2025 2:30pm - 3:45pm CDT

Greenhouse, 1st Floor

TBD

Speakers

Tom Knapp

Education Manager, Plant Chicago

In 2019, Tom (he/him) graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University with a BS in Environmental Science and a minor in Sustainable Community Development. He then moved to Chicago to pursue an MS in Environmental Science and Sustainability from Loyola University Chicago. Since then... Read More →

Kiara Balleza

Program Associate, Plant Chicago

I (she/they) began my journey with sustainability by joining Plant Chicago during the COVID-19 pandemic, initially as a volunteer before advancing to an intern role and then a retail employee. I later transferred to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where I graduated in... Read More →

Saturday April 5, 2025 2:30pm - 3:45pm CDT
Greenhouse, 1st Floor Academy for Global Citizenship, 4942 W 44th St, Chicago, IL 60638

Gardening + Growing, All levels: for everyone

Host Organization Plant Chicago

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