OUR MISSION

Cultivating customized school garden programs

Gardeneers works with Chicago’s South- and Westside schools and communities to contribute positively to the larger food system. We do this by supporting youth in our school garden and farm programs to build their own knowledge, skills, and habits to become leaders who care for themselves, their environment, and their communities.

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1800+

Students

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200+

Volunteers

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19+

Schools

OUR TEAM

Staff

Selma Sims

Chief Executive Officer

She/Her/Hers I am a Gardeneer because I want to be the change in the food system

Paris Monaghan

Director of Partnerships

She/Her/Hers I am a  Gardeneer because I believe that youth investment and education in natural settings

Leah Goldbloom

Director of AmeriCorps Program

They/She I am a Gardeneer because it gives me life to watch people and plants grow

Rebecca MacDonald

Director of Curriculum + Learning

She/Her/Hers I am a Gardeneer because growing food is the ultimate connection to the earth, your

Mikaila Davis

Garden Educator

She/Her/Hers  

Sara Desmond

Garden Educator + Americorps Program Manager

She/Her/Hers  

Marina Garcia

Garden Educator

She/Her/Hers  

Jelly Sanchez

Garden Educator

They/Them/Theirs  

Victoria Van Devere

Virtual Assistant

She/Her/Hers  

Ali Rose

Program Manager

She/Her/Hers  

Brandon Lopez Toro

Garden Educator

he/him/his  

Cassandra Rushing

Americorps Program Manager and Garden Educator

She/Her/Hers  

Massiah Hoard

Farm Manager

She/Her/Hers  

Nate Large

Operations Manager

She/Her/Hers  

Valentine Espinoza

Garden Educator

She/Her/Hers  

OUR TEAM

Board of Directors

Natashee Scott

General Counsel and Deputy Chief-of-Staff, Office of Illinois Lt. Governor

Andrew Calcutt

President and Co-Founder,
Sleeping Bear Capital

May Tsupros

Founding Collaborator, SunTree Collaboration Co-Founder, Gardeneers

Wayne Williams

Former Principal, Chicago Public Schools and District 65

Jess Zander

Founder/CEO, Propelling Good

Baba Orrin Williams

UIC, Food Systems Coordinator Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion Office of Community Engagement and Neighborhood Health Partnerships

Pastor Reshorna Fitzpatrick

Pastor, Stone Temple Baptist Church

Adam Zmick

Co-Founder

OUR TEAM

Americorps Service Members