Regenstein school

• Teacher Programs
• Student Field Trips
• Outreach Programs
• Science First
• College First
• School Gardening
• Science Career Continuum
• School Garden Wizard
• The Learning Campus

science First

Science First is a great learning opportunity, a chance to see the Garden's 385 acres of plants and nature, and a great way to meet other science-curious students. Each summer, approximately 40 students from Chicago Public Schools travel to the Garden by school bus from designated stops to spend four weeks being immersed in a free, nature-based science enrichment program that engages students in a unique hands-on experience.

college first

College First is a dynamic paid internship program for eligible Chicago Public High School students consisting of career mentorship, field ecology and conservation science, and college prep and assistance. Students spend a portion of each day being mentored by a Chicago Botanic Garden staff member and the other portion of the day in group instruction. During the summer, as well as at monthly meetings over the school year, emphasis is also placed on college as a pathway to careers and guidance is given to the students, who are often the first in their families to attend college.

Teacher Programs

School Gardening Conference
Solving Problems with School Gardening
June 29 at the Chicago Botanic Garden
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Fee: $95
Lunch (optional): $18

Grade level: PreK-12
CPDU credit: 7.5

Program schedule and session descriptions

School Gardens present many challenges and opportunities. From a practical perspective, starting and maintaining a school garden requires a coordinated effort among school and sometimes community members. School gardeners face many decisions and challenges planning and maintaining the garden. Once you have the garden, it can become a living laboratory for science investigations and other curricular connections.

This year’s school gardening conference will provide helpful advice for the practical side of growing a successful school garden and also share activities and lessons that use the garden to teach problem solving and other thinking skills. Join us for a fun day filled with presentations and hands-on activities presented by teachers and professionals in the field that offer practical ways to keep your garden growing and inquiry-based lesson ideas that get your students using the garden to understand nature.. Enjoy the keynote presentation by Sharon Danks author of the book Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation, who will show you how your efforts to confront the challenges and opportunities with school gardens are shared by educators all over the world. Bring your questions and “ask the experts” during a panel discussion.

Bring your own lunch, purchase lunch on-site in the Garden’s Café, or purchase your lunch ahead of time for $18.

One CPS Lane credit and one graduate credit (additional fee) are available if the conference is taken with the School Garden Road Trip on July 13. Call 847-835-8253 for more information about this option.