Growing Healthy People high tech school gardening programs teach students important life skills.

Growing Healthy People high tech school gardening programs teach students important life skills.

Growing Healthy People, a non-profit organization, has created year-round gardening programs at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Waukegan, Lake Forest Country Day School and Bowen Park Urban Ag Lab in Waukegan. The organization utilizes cutting edge gardening technology including hydroponics, aquaponics and aeroponics in greenhouses to allow students to grow food year-round during the entire academic school year. The students at Jefferson Middle School also contribute their produce to the Roberti Community House and food pantries in the Waukegan area.

Students learn valuable life skills through these gardening programs: how to grow their own food; the importance of healthy food and good nutrition; and about careers in horticulture.

Cheryl Besenjak of Growing Healthy People gave a presentation about her organization to the Town & Country Garden Club of Libertyville at the club's December 5th, 2018 meeting at White Deer Run. The Garden Club also made a $100 donation to this organization at the meeting.

Cheryl and her business partner Kevin Westing also co-founded Grow Well Farms which grows microgreens and sells them to restaurants and at farmer's markets to support Growing Healthy People. Cheryl and Kevin began creating year-round gardening programs in local schools through the non-profit organization Growing Healthy People.

You can help this non-profit organization by volunteering, spreading the word, becoming a partner or donating at growinghealthypeoplenow.org. For more information, contact Cheryl Besenjak at Cheryl@growinghealthypeoplenow.org. See their facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/growinghealthypeople/growwellfarms.