In 2013, our founders, May Tsupros and Adam Zmick teamed up to create Gardeneers after witnessing the impact of food within the schools they taught. Their mission was to give students access to healthy foods in schools in food-insecure neighborhoods throughout Chicago.
Since our founding, our sense of mission has evolved. We see our work as social and racial justice work in the form of school garden education. You might notice we don’t use “food desert”. The food inequity we see in our city, and across the country, isn’t a result of natural, ecological conditions, but rather deeply rooted racism.
This is why our talented and passionate Garden Educators ground their lessons in the fact that growing one’s own food is a form of power, and a powerful way indeed to support one’s own community.
Our hope is that one day every human has easy access to fresh, nourishing foods and all communities are healthy and sustainable.
Students
Volunteers
Schools
I am a Gardeneer because I want to be the change in the food system I
I am a Gardeneer because I envision a healthier, more sustainable, and more just future that
I am a Gardeneer because accumulating knowledge is useless if it isn’t shared with the youth.
I am a Gardeneer because I believe in the importance of reconnecting youth with nature.
I am a Gardeneer because it gives me life to watch people and plants grow together.
I am a Gardeneer because growing food is the ultimate connection to the earth, your body,
I am a Gardeneer because I want to empower our youth to be agents of change in their
I am a Gardeneer because gardening is the most political act of defiance against the racist US food system
I am a Gardeneer because I love growing and eating food, and I think there’s no better place to do it than right here in Chicago.
I am a Gardeneer because gardening is the most political act of defiance against the racist US food system
I am a Gardeneer because I deeply believe in spaces which connect a multitude of people, passions, equity, and food.
I am a Gardeneer because it gives me life to watch people and plants grow together.