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Teen work study program flourishes in return to Garfield Park Conservatory

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Published  August 14, 2023 11:44am CDT
West Garfield Park
FOX 32 Chicago

Teen work study program flourishes in return to Garfield Park Conservatory

Jayveon Edmonds, teen leader for The Urban Roots Program, talks about his experience in the Garfield Park Conservatory and how the program has allowed him to explore his interests heading into college.

CHICAGO - It has to be one of the best ways to spend the summer: Soaking in nature at the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance’s Urban Roots Program.

Chicago high school students learned about plants and gained important life skills.

Tomatoes and peppers are thriving in the Urban Roots Garden, which is behind the scenes at the Garfield Park Conservatory greenhouse. 

Urban Roots Program Teen Leader Jayveon Edmonds in his third year there. He will be a senior at Al Raby High School. He gives tours, trains new interns, works with bees and said this paid internship experience has helped him cultivate confidence. 

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He is comfortable with public speaking, can adapt to his audience and said people are eager to learn. 

His favorite room, the Fern Room, represents how Chicago might have looked in prehistoric times, complete with fish and turtles, which also inspire nurturing.

Edmonds said he plans to further his studies in college. Spending time in this environment planted the seeds of growth through sharing.