The Urban Roots Teen Environmental Justice Program engages high-school students across the Westside in partnership with the Conservatory. Our teens experience joy and tranquility as they build a relationship with the natural world around them. We prioritize building knowledge and skills that support social emotional learning, identity development and personal growth.
The Urban Roots Program is a paid, seasonal employment opportunity founded in environmental justice and designed to develop the knowledge, skillset and leadership development of high school students in neighboring Westside schools within the Garfield Park Community.
The program aims to expose teens to opportunities and knowledge that helps them better understand the environment around them and the ways in which we and nature are inextricably connected.
The Urban Roots teens learn about topics that connect environmental justice to everyday life. Getting the chance to explore community gardening and how it builds both healthy food systems and stronger neighborhoods. While also learning about biodiversity and the critical role it plays in supporting ecosystems, composting, soil health, and the life cycle of seeds. The program highlights professional development, public speaking, and financial literacy. This variety of concepts provides a hands-on, well-rounded curriculum for the teens in Urban Roots.
The lessons that we focus on highlight the idea that the environment is not separate from our communities, but they are a part of them – showcasing empowerment, sustainability, and understanding how caring for the land connects to caring for our communities and ourselves.
Program Overview:
Launched: 2016
Partner School: Al Raby High School for Community and Environment (www.alraby.org)
Students Enrolled to Date: 154
Conservatory Visitors Impacted by UR Teens: 5,200+
Program Components:
• 6-week summer intensive (120 hours)
• Fall and Spring after-school programs (78 hours ea.)
Fall 2025 Cohort: 18 students
In 2022, we restructured our Urban Roots program to include three sessions: Summer, Fall, and Spring. Throughout the year, participants:
- Learn about the Conservatory, from its history to the plants growing inside
- Develop interpretation skills that help them communicate plant information to visitors
- Build critical consciousness through place-based, experiential learning
- Actively engage with local environmental justice issues
- Gain exposure to herbalism and various methods of practice
- Learn and practice a variety of innovative recipes and cooking techniques
- Practice various arts, from natural dyes to collaging to photography
- Plan and lead tours and orientations to groups of all ages
- Engage in lessons and labs related to plant biology and sustainability
- Plan, grow, and maintain their own gardens
- Take field trips to cultural institutions and natural spaces throughout the Chicago area
- Gain exposure to STEAM-related green careers
- Participate in personal development exercises and team building activities
During the school year, we recruit new participants to work alongside the graduates and returners of the summer program while we continue guiding tours, maintaining gardens, and engaging with our lessons. In Urban Roots we use an Environmental Justice (EJ) framework to guide our learning with the belief that EJ is not linear, and there are a multitude of ways to show our support for our community and environment.
Contact Urban Roots
Please email urbanroots@garfieldpark.org with any questions!
Support Urban Roots
Want to support? Become a Member to support programs like Urban Roots and general operations at the Conservatory. Or Click here to make a designated gift to support and uplift this teen program!
Principal funding for Urban Roots has been provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) [MA20-16-0031-16]. Additional funding provided by: Bank of American Foundation, Anonymous Fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation, The Dr. Scholl Foundation, IMC Chicago Charitable Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Bank, The Peoples Gas Community Fund, PNC, After School Matters and an anonymous donor.
