Lake Zurich Unit School District 95 is asking for community votes to win a $10,000 or $20,000 grant to launch a greenhouse and gardening program at the high school, but residents only have until Monday to vote.
District officials said the grant would provide a chance for high school students with disabilities to build and learn about greenhouses.
The district application for the Seeds of Change Grant Program states the greenhouse will provide a sheltered area designed for horticultural instruction and experiences.
The district has three special education programs at Lake Zurich High School. Students will work together to plant, weed, water, harvest and sort their own produce. Officials said having students in the special education program run and operate a garden and greenhouse would allow them an opportunity to be outside and connect with nature.
“Being outside not only provides a new environmental learning space but a real connection with the community along with a sense of pride and accomplishment,” according to the grant application. “The greenhouse will empower students with the knowledge of food production and create an appreciation of where their food comes from.”
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Building a greenhouse would also let students start a microbusiness that helps them become entrepreneurs in the community, the district said. The goals would include selling produce to create revenue to support the program, as well as developing business partnerships and community stewardship, according to the district.
Susan Coleman, the district’s assistant superintendent of student services, said it was the district’s first attempt applying for the grant.
With the grant, school officials hoped to teach students about and create an interest in the importance of healthy eating by allowing them to sample jam made from homegrown berries.
The goal is to sell the produce and plants from the greenhouse to local restaurants, as well as host an in-school farmers market for students, teachers, faculty and community residents. The hope is also to reach out to local farmers to learn farming skills and hands-on techniques.
Another aspect of the proposed program included a buddy system where the high school special education students will teach younger-aged children the skills they have learned.
The district’s three special education programs include a life skills class feeds and a transition program for students with various cognitive disabilities, including Down syndrome, autism and cerebral palsy.
The public can vote at www.seedsofchangegrant.com/GalleryDetail.aspx?id=1784. Voting ends on April 18.
The grant program aims to enhance the environmental, economic and social well-being of gardens, farms and communities. The grants will be awarded to organizations that help support sustainable, community-based gardening and farming initiatives that focus on teaching people about the food they eat and how it’s grown, according to the program website.
The top 50 organizations will move on to the final phase, and 24 grant recipients, including 12 school and 12 community gardens, will be announced on May 3.
Christine Won is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.