The Green Teacher Gathering seeks to bolster the environmental and sustainability education movement in the Chicagoland area. Our mission is to expand participants' knowledge through engaging workshops and networking opportunities.
The theme for this year’s Gathering is Guided by Nature: Reconnect, Restore, Revolutionize, advancing nature-centered teaching for a sustainable future.
This theme reflects our vision of a future where schools and communities are interconnected, sharing knowledge and resources for a sustainable tomorrow. Our aim is for attendees to feel empowered, motivated, and inspired.
Hosted by the Green Teacher Network, a collaboration among Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago Grows Food, Chicago Wilderness Alliance, Cultivate Collective, Forest Preserves of Cook County, and Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, this event welcomes all people interested in environmental education and sustainability including community members, gardeners, teachers, parents, school facilitators, artists, and more!
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Time: 8:30am - 4:00pm CST
Cost: $35 per person; includes plant-based light breakfast and lunch
If you are unable to afford the registration fee, click here to complete a form requesting a no-questions-asked scholarship and receive a promo code. Register below; as the last step in your checkout, enter your promo code.
Schedule
8:30-9:30am Registration and Light Breakfast
9:10-9:30am Guided Music Circle
9:30-10:30am Welcome and Panel Conversation
10:30-10:40am Break
10:40-11:40am Workshop Session #1
11:40am-12:40pm Lunch
12:40-1:55pm Workshop Session #2
1:50-2:05pm Break
2:05-3:20pm Workshop Session #3
3:20-3:45pm Closing Remarks
Guided Music Circle (9:10-9:30am)
Gymnasium, 1st floor
Join Light of Loving Kindness for this interactive experience that will bring us together through music, movement, and sound healing. Participants will be invited into a guided music circle using drums and other instruments, with opportunities for everyone to play, vocalize, and move together. Call-and-response activities will energize the room and support the tone and message of the day. Movement is adaptable to different mobility needs. The experience concludes with a moment of reflection and calm.
Light of Loving Kindness curates arts, nature, and wellness experiences that activate Hope, Health, Healing, and Wholeness.
Welcome and Panel Conversation (9:30-10:30am)
Gymnasium, 1st Floor
Join a panel of experts and listen in on a discussion about the successes and challenges of using nature to Reconnect, Restore and Revolutionize young people. Our panel will consist of non-formal and formal educators working with students of all ages.
Workshops: Session 1 (10:40-11:40am)
Peaks and Valleys of Native Gardens in Schools (Science Ecotone room, 2nd floor)
Running a school garden is not easy, especially with native plants. This session is to encourage those who are interested in, or in the process of starting a school native garden, and to offer advice and suggestions on how to do so successfully. I will talk about my experience of running a native garden at Kenwood Academy HS, which involves the Dual-Credit Horticulture class, the Garden Club, and the After School Matters program, all of which I am in charge of. It's important for others to understand all the stakeholders of a school garden, obstacles they may face, and the mindset that the process is more important than the outcome. I hope attendees will leave the session knowing how to put students at the center, and how to make progress on their school gardens, celebrating the wins along the way, and not being discouraged by setbacks.
Workshop Level: All Levels
Intended Ages: Early Childhood (0-8 year olds), Primary (9-12 year olds), Middle School/High School (13-18 year olds)
Language: English
Learning Track(s): Gardening and Growing, Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): John Dugan
John Dugan (he/him), Teacher, Kenwood Academy High School - My name is John Dugan and this is my 5th year teaching at Kenwood Academy HS. I teach Physics and Dual-Credit Horticulture. I also run the school's Garden Club, and the Kenwood Academy Landscape Design Program through After School Matters. I enjoy sharing experiences of nature with youth, including growing native plants for habitat. I want the youth to grow up surrounded by the beauties and joys of the natural world, like I did.
Growing Climate Action Through Habitat, Art, and Partnerships (Flex Ecotone room, 2nd floor)
In this interactive workshop, participants will learn how one high school garden club grew beyond a traditional focus on vegetables and ornamentals to include native gardens, tree stewardship, art, and community partnerships. This session will honestly explore the process of rethinking what a school garden can be: a space for climate action, connection, and care for place. We’ll learn how to start small, grow over time, involve students with different interests, and navigate the challenges of sustaining a program. We’ll also consider how to build support among those who may be unfamiliar with gardens that serve purposes beyond beauty or food production. Participants will leave with practical ideas for launching or expanding a school-based climate resilience effort, from native planting projects to creative, cross-curricular projects.
Workshop Level: Level 2
Intended Ages: Middle School/High School (13-18 year olds), Adults
Language: English
Learning Track(s): Gardening and Growing, Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change, Health and Wellness, Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Andrew Breen
Andrew Breen (he/him), Teacher and Club Co-sponsor, Amundsen High School's Seeds of Change Club - Andrew Breen teaches Graphic Arts and Film at Amundsen High School and previously taught at Goode STEM Academy. He has taught for 16 years, including 11 years in CPS. He earned a BFA in Fine Art Photography from Columbia College Chicago and an MA in Digital Communications and Media Arts from DePaul University. Before teaching, he worked in the photo industry. He is passionate about interdisciplinary, creative learning and co-sponsors Amundsen’s Seeds of Change Garden Club. Outside of school, he enjoys tending native plants and raised beds, listening to electronic music, and working on art projects.
Evidence from the Field: Making the Case for Garden Education (Gymnasium, 1st floor)
We know how important garden education is—but does the rest of the world? This workshop explores scientific studies and research that support the case for garden education, particularly for youth but with benefits for learners of all ages. Participants will gain access to key findings and resources that can be useful in grant writing, conversations with administrators, and other communications that help demonstrate the value of garden-based learning. This session will also draw on the deep experience in the room. Through storytelling and collaborative activities, participants will share moments from their own work that reveal the impact of garden education. Together we’ll map the outcomes educators are seeing in their programs and connect those observations to current research. Participants will leave with practical language, evidence, and shared insights they can use to advocate for garden education in their own communities.
Workshop Level: All Levels
Intended Ages: All Ages
Language: English
Learning Track(s): Gardening and Growing, Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change, Health and Wellness, Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Margo Sikora
Margo Sikora (she/her). Community Partnerships and Development, Rainbow City Gardens – Margo Mejia Sikora has been leading garden education programs since 2014, when she returned to her hometown of Chicago after studying abroad. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organic Agriculture and Food Systems from the University of Hohenheim in Germany, where her thesis offered recommendations for successful school garden-to-cafeteria program implementation. Since returning to Chicago, Margo has collaborated with stakeholders including Gardeneers, Talking Farm, and Urban Growers Collective. From 2021–2023, she served as Garden Programs Coordinator on the CPS Garden Team, co-writing the CPS School Garden Toolkit. In 2022, she founded Rainbow City Gardens, offering programs for youth in underserved communities and dementia care programs for seniors.
Rediscovering Our Connection with Nature (Greenhouse, 1st floor)
In this powerful and relatable talk, Nicole Rojas invites audiences to rethink their relationship with nature — not as something separate from us, but as the very system that sustains us. Drawing from her background as a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Nicole shares how studying the human body revealed a fundamental truth: everything is interconnected. A dysfunction in one area affects the whole. She then bridges that insight to the natural world — where forests, oceans, freshwater, wildlife, and climate operate in the same interconnected way. Nicole illustrates how environmental challenges are not distant issues — they are deeply human ones. Water scarcity, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem imbalance ultimately shape our health, our communities, and our future. Rather than focusing on fear, Nicole offers clarity and empowerment. She helps audiences understand how small shifts — in awareness, habits, and civic engagement — can ripple outward in meaningful ways. This talk is both grounding and motivating, reminding us that when we protect nature, we are ultimately protecting ourselves.
Workshop Level: Level 1: for those who are new to the topic
Intended Ages: Middle School/High School (13-18 year olds), Adults
Language: English
Learning Track(s): Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change, Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Nicole Rojas
Nicole Rojas (she/her), Founder, Wild For Change - Nicole Rojas is a former Doctor of Physical Therapy turned wildlife advocate and founder of Wild For Change. In 2015, she began volunteering with the Humane Society of the United States to help pass Illinois legislation banning the sale of elephant ivory and rhino horn, and ultimately, all endangered species parts. After three years of advocacy and meetings with legislators, the bill became law. In 2018, she founded Wild For Change to raise awareness of nature’s intrinsic value through policy advocacy, public speaking, writing, and podcasting. Nicole now works to reconnect people to nature and inspire action to protect wildlife and our planet.
Cultivating Community: Activating Gardens as Cultural Green Spaces (Pre-K Classroom, 1st floor)
Community gardens act as culturally diverse third spaces, offering a unique platform for hands-on learning and cultural enrichment. Unfortunately, many are underutilized by their own community, avoided as semi-private spaces. The workshop will equip teachers to successfully navigate access to and partnerships with community gardens and to engage students in those spaces. By leveraging the garden as an educational tool, educators can promote deeper connections between school communities and their environment.
Key Benefits:
- Navigating Local Politics: Teachers will obtain real life tips on how to navigate the nuances of community garden leadership and build mutually beneficial partnerships.
- Deeper Knowledge: Teaching in the garden allows educators and students to explore local culture, history, and sustainable practices.
- Social Cohesion: Engaging activities in community gardens foster deeper relationships between schools and the broader community, enhancing mutual respect and cultural exchange.
- Curriculum Integration: Gardens serve as dynamic learning environments, integrating science, art, and social studies through hands-on gardening activities.
By participating in this workshop, educators will gain valuable insights and strategies that not only enrich their teaching practices but also strengthen community ties and foster a collaborative spirit among residents of all ages. Together, we can transform community gardens into vital educational resources.
Workshop Level: Level 1: for those who are new to the topic
Intended Ages: All Ages
Language: English
Learning Track(s): Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Natalie Perkins
Natalie Perkins (she/her), Senior Steward, NeighborSpace - Natalie Perkins is a vibrant community advocate committed to helping neighborhoods discover the beauty and potential of built community through enhanced green and public programming. She has worked diligently in the last eight years as the volunteer Education Coordinator at the South Merrill Community garden, providing inclusive, experiential and exciting programmatic activation for the garden. Currently Natalie is working as a Senior Steward for NeighborSpace urban land trust.
Proactive Play: Reclaiming Unstructured Outdoor Time as Essential Learning (Pergola, outside)
In a post-pandemic, technology-saturated world, students’ attention spans are shrinking, mental health needs are rising, and conflict resolution skills are strained. What if one of the most powerful interventions is also the most natural? This interactive workshop explores how intentionally planned, unstructured outdoor play—grounded in loose parts, nature-based exploration, and developmentally appropriate risk—strengthens focus, resilience, creativity, autonomy, and community connection. Participants will examine current research on risky play, executive functioning, and social-emotional development while experiencing hands-on engagement with loose parts design, play provocations, and simple systems for safe implementation. We will share practical strategies for embedding proactive unstructured outdoor play into the school day—not as a reward, but as a foundational practice that enhances classroom learning.
Workshop Level: All Levels
Intended Ages: All Ages
Language: English
Learning Track(s): Health and Wellness, Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Kelly Brinson and Liz Fyffe
Kelly Brinson (she/her), MTSS Coordinator, Academy for Global Citizenship - Kelly Brinson is an educator with 15 years of experience as a third grade teacher and currently serves as her school’s MTSS Coordinator. She believes a strong education can change the trajectory of a child’s life and is deeply committed to whole-child development. Kelly’s work centers on building responsive systems of support that nurture academic growth, social-emotional skills, and student confidence. She is passionate about empowering student voice, strengthening literacy foundations, and ensuring every learner feels seen and included. Kelly prioritizes travel with her husband and three young children whenever possible, intentionally raising open-minded, resilient humans who approach the world with courage and compassion.
Liz Fyffe (she/her), 2/3 Dual Language Village Teacher, Academy for Global Citizenship - Liz Fyffe is an educator with 15 years of experience and a deep commitment to creative, student-centered learning. Since joining the AGC community in 2011, she has taught with a focus on inquiry, inclusion, and real-world connection. Liz believes schools should cultivate curiosity, autonomy, and courageous thinking—creating space for students to explore, collaborate, and take meaningful risks. Her work includes interdisciplinary curriculum design and partnerships that connect students to sustainability, science, and global learning. Known for thoughtful leadership and clear communication, Liz is passionate about empowering both students and educators through innovative, open-minded approaches to teaching and learning.
Lunch: (11:40am-12:40pm)
Community Hall, 1st floor
Workshops: Session 2 (12:40-1:55pm)
Teaching Through Plants: African American Herbal Traditions (Science Ecotone room, 2nd floor)
This hands-on workshop will introduce educators to the rich traditions, practical skills, and cultural significance of African American herbalism. Participants will explore how Black communities have long used plant knowledge for healing, resilience, and cultural continuity. Through discussion of plant identification and foraging basics, attendees will learn how to recognize several common medicinal plants found in local environments and understand their traditional uses.
Workshop Level: All Levels
Intended Ages: Middle School/High School (13-18 year olds), Adults
Language: English
Learning Track(s): Health and Wellness, Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Leilah Siegel and Kyla Muhammad
Leilah Siegel (she/her), Extension Educator, Community Health, University of Illinois Cook County - Dr. Leilah Siegel serves as an Extension Educator in Community Health for the University of Illinois Extension. In this role, she develops, delivers, and evaluates health and wellness programming and provides training and leadership in these areas. Her programs focus on nutrition, mindfulness, and nature & health. Previously, Dr. Siegel worked in higher education and community settings, including University of Illinois Chicago, and Harvard Medical School. She holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacological Sciences from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s Degree in Human Nutrition from University of Illinois Chicago. She is certified in Bioregional Herbalism and Forest Therapy.
Kyla Muhammad (she/her), Will County Program Director, The Conservation Foundation - Kyla Muhammad is the Will County Program Director at The Conservation Foundation. She supports existing TCF programs, creates tailored, community-centered programs with local partners, and leads youth and adult educational programs. She is a wild edible plant enthusiast who has given foraging-related presentations and workshops for libraries, colleges, garden clubs, and other community groups. Kyla is also an Illinois Master Naturalist and has studied wild edible plants, urban agriculture, permaculture, and lawn-free design. Kyla earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Northwestern University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Roosevelt University.
Breathren (Gymnasium, 1st floor)
This interactive workshop introduces educators to arts-based methods for teaching environmental justice through embodied learning. Grounded in Chicago’s environmental realities and the legacy of the Hazel M. Johnson Cumulative Impacts Ordinance, the session explores how zoning, pollution, and infrastructure shape disproportionate environmental burdens in specific neighborhoods. Participants will engage in a guided experiential exercise using breath, sound, and movement to understand air as both a biological necessity and a contested environmental resource. Through simple breath-driven sound exercises and collaborative mapping activities, educators will explore how to translate environmental data and local case studies into classroom-ready, sensory learning experiences. The workshop will provide practical tools for integrating climate justice into education programs for local impact. Participants will leave with adaptable lesson structures that connect environmental science, social-emotional learning, and civic awareness, centering marginalized community voices while fostering empowerment and collective inquiry.
Workshop Level: All Levels
Intended Ages: Primary (9-12 year olds), Middle School/High School (13-18 year olds), Adults
Language: English
Learning Track(s): Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change, Health and Wellness, Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Nootan Bharani and Raji Venkat
Nootan Bharani (she/her) - Nootan Bharani is Associate Director of Design and University Partnerships at Arts + Public Life at the University of Chicago. An architect with a deep background in environmental sustainability, she has spent much of her career in non-traditional practice, working directly with community partners on design, building and infrastructure projects. Nootan is impassioned about redress of the swiftly increasing chasm between the most affluent and most impoverished, and the ways in which climate change are exacerbating the inequity, globally. Previously, Nootan was Lead Design Manager for Place Lab at the University of Chicago where she was a thought and practice leader for design and construction, and part of the team that developed the Ethical Redevelopment principles and salon series.
Prior to coming to the University of Chicago, Nootan was Managing Director for CB&I Sustainable Design Solutions of Illinois. She was named the Dubin Family Chicago Young Architect of the Year in 2014 and she co-founded the Community Interface Committee at the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Nootan received her Bachelor of Architecture professional degree from Carnegie Mellon University.
Raji Venkat (she/her) - Indian-American soprano, Raji Venkat, is a graduate of New England Conservatory, where she studied with Carole Haber. Her stage performance includes opera, concert works, Indian classical dance, Ballet and lyrical, Jazz, and Carnatic music.
Leveraging Outdoor Classrooms to Enhance Academic and Social Emotional Learning (Greenhouse, 1st floor)
Join experienced educators from Prairie Crossing Charter School to discover outdoor learning activities that engage students, increase academic achievement and foster social emotional growth. After reviewing the benefits of learning in and from nature, teachers will participate in two easily replicable activities that can be repeated throughout the year with students of varying age levels. Solo spots -- dedicated nature-journaling sessions -- help students to develop their senses of place, hone their observation/writing/drawing skills, and experience the calming effects of nature. Solo spots are followed by sharing circles in line with restorative practices, which foster community, connectedness, and belonging. Phenology observations -- tracking natural phenomena through the seasons -- connect students to nature while increasing engagement in science and other subjects. Participating in citizen science empowers students to serve their community. Teachers will reflect on the impact of these activities on their own emotional state (e.g., calm, anxious, joyful, focused, creative), and will consider the potential impact on their students. They will further determine relevant connections to their academic curriculum across multiple subject areas. Additional, age-specific outdoor activity ideas will be shared, along with tips for increasing efficiency, safety, and classroom management in the outdoor setting.
Workshop Level: All Levels
Intended Ages: All Ages
Language: English
Learning Track(s): Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Naomi Hershiser and Annie Gernady
Naomi Hershiser (she/her), Dean of Sustainability, Prairie Crossing Charter School - Naomi Dietzel Hershiser is the Dean of Sustainability at Prairie Crossing Charter School, where she works with students and teachers to incorporate sustainability and environmental learning into the daily school experience. Before starting at PCCS in 2003, Naomi taught environmental education in informal settings at nature centers and museums. Naomi earned a MAT from Dominican University, an Environmental Education certification from UMD, and a BA from Carleton College. When she’s not working, Naomi enjoys gardening, reading, and walking/running.
Annie Gernady (she/her), MTSS Coordinator, Prairie Crossing Charter School - Annie Gernady is the MTSS Coordinator at Prairie Crossing Charter School, where she has worked for 14 years with a focus on helping children grow socially-emotionally and academically on their way to becoming natural leaders. She is honored to support the mission of PCCS, as a staff member and parent of two children who have thrived there. Annie earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan, and her Ed.S. in School Psychology from Indiana University. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, walking, yoga, and taking care of her indoor plants.
A Walk in the Park: Outdoors Every Day in Kindergarten (Pre-K Classroom, 1st floor)
Join a veteran CPS Kindergarten teacher for an interactive session exploring how daily outdoor learning strengthens garden, nature and sustainability education while centering student wonder. Grounded in restorative practices, this workshop highlights how to intentionally build time and space for students’ wonderings through daily routines and inquiry, fostering curiosity and collaboration among young learners. Drawing on the frameworks of Learning in Places, hear how expanding classroom boundaries challenges traditional ideas about where learning happens and think together about what outdoor learning could look like in your setting. Work together to explore frameworks like Learning in Places that describe new ways of looking at learning about nature and science, expand our perceptions of what young students can do and make sense of, and push our understandings of power and agency in schools and communities. Through real-world vignettes and reflection on former student experiences, participants will analyze how different teaching lenses shape sense-making opportunities. Collaborative planning time will support educators in mapping practical, implementable pathways between classrooms, school gardens and neighborhood spaces. Participants will leave with concrete strategies, adaptable tools, new connections with sustainability-minded educators across Chicagoland, ready to bring inclusive, community rooted outdoor learning into their own settings.
Workshop Level: All Levels
Intended Ages: Early Childhood (0-8 year olds), Primary (9-12 year olds)
Language: English
Learning Track(s): Health and Wellness, Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Jackie Mattmuller and Amy Morton
Jackie Mattmuller (she/her), Kindergarten Teacher, ILT Member, Curiosity Classroom Lead, Burke Elementary - With 14 years of teaching experience, I am passionate about early childhood learning grounded in play, curiosity, and connection. I am a strong believer in the power of outdoor education, a classroom experience that blends literacy, math, science, and social-emotional learning through hands-on inquiry and exploration beyond four walls. I currently serve as the Primary Lead Teacher, a member of the Internal Leadership Team (ILT), School Garden Coordinator, and Curiosity Classroom Lead. My goals are to support schoolwide growth while cultivating joyful, meaningful learning experiences that empower young children to think deeply and engage fully with their world.
Amy Morton (she/her), STEM Educator, University of Illinois Extension - I am deeply curious about what ambitious science teaching and learning looks like - and can look like - in Chicago classrooms. After over a decade teaching middle school math and science, I joined the Nature Museum to co-develop curriculum that centers opportunities for student sensemaking around local ecosystems, support teacher implementation through innovative professional learning models, and collaborate to bring lessons to life in local K-8 classrooms. Now at Illinois Extension, I continue to work with teachers and districts to make sense of high quality open-source curriculum, ensuring alignment to the unique goals and assets of their students and teachers.
Dig In: Living Soil, Thriving Communities: Garden-Based Climate Learning (Pergola, outside)
Get your hands dirty as you dig into a soil investigation that reveals the powerful role of soil in storing carbon, sustaining ecosystems, and supporting community wellbeing. In this immersive “Life in the Soil” lesson, step into a student’s shoes observing and comparing real soil samples to define what soil is, how it varies, and how it supports climate solutions. This immersive activity models how outdoor learning can spark curiosity, understanding of climate and sustainability through curiosity, care, and place-based exploration. Participants will observe and compare real soil samples to discover how soil varies, who lives in it, and why healthy soil helps plants, food systems, and communities thrive. The session also demonstrates how concepts of fairness, shared resources, and community stewardship can be introduced in developmentally appropriate ways, honoring diverse cultural relationships with land and food. Educators will also explore how the Illinois Climate Education Hub supports inclusive, place-based teaching through free lessons and professional learning. Whether you're planning a single garden lesson or an entire sustainability unit, you'll leave with fresh ideas to facilitate accessible, inquiry-driven garden learning that connects ecological science, community knowledge, and student empowerment.
Workshop Level: All Levels: for everyone
Intended Ages: Early Childhood (0-8 year olds), Primary (9-12 year olds)
Language: English
Learning Track(s): Gardening and Growing, Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change, Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Katie Nahrwold
Katie Nahrwold (she/her/hers), Illinois State Lead, SubjectToClimate, Illinois Climate Education Hub - Katie is a K-9th grade educator who has taught in a variety of settings from public schools to non-profit organizations. Her passion for environmental education extends into local community groups as the founder of Go Green Illinois Schools, Go Green Kenilworth, and co-founder of North Shore Green Women. She has also worked as a school sustainability director and school outdoor classroom garden coordinator achieving the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School District Sustainability Award in 2020. She is also passionate about nature and mental health and has worked as a Mental Health First Aid instructor.
Fun with Sticks! (Nature Play Space outside; if raining, move to Hoop House)
Make restoration projects even more constructive by turning buckthorn and brush into tools and crafts with your students. Learn simple and safe techniques to make mallets, fairy furniture, whammydoodles, fencing, name tags, tinkertoys and whatever else you invent. We'll use simple tools from the garden shed and kitchen to enrich play outside and empower students to be creative while helping the local ecosystem.
Workshop Level: All Levels
Intended Ages: All Ages
Language: English
Learning Track(s): Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change, Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Sean Shaffer
Sean Shaffer (he/him), Nature Engagement Specialist, Chicago Park District - Sean Shaffer has been working in Informal Education for over 30 years at Kohl Children's Museum, the Chicago Academy of Sciences, and the Shedd Aquarium, and 17 years at North Park Village Nature Center. He is currently the Nature Engagement Specialist for the Chicago Park District, working with communities across the city to design Nature Play Spaces in their parks. Sean works with play experts, kids, to design small scale models, drawing and full-size models of their ideal nature play spaces with fun elements like bridges, river monsters and limestone rivers as well as loose parts for the players to build to the limits of their imaginations.
Workshops: Session 3 (2:05-3:20pm)
Seeing Seeds (Flex Ecotone room, 2nd floor)
Description: A drawing and watercolor workshop focusing on the importance of seeds. While creating art, we will discuss issues regarding loss of seed diversity, seed structure, dispersal and seed banks, both natural and manmade and their vital role in ecological restoration. Participants will have a chance to see enlarged species of seeds sculpted in ceramic. These seeds were created for “Seed Rain :Seed Bank”, a large ceramic installation that was presented at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum as part of an exhibition entitled, Soils, Seeds and Sprouts, Tropical and Temperate. The piece was inspired by restoration biologist Karen Holls lecture where she mentioned the phenomena of Seed Rain. I will share a brief PowerPoint presentation about the installation and some of the expeditions in the Peruvian Amazon that inspired the tropical seeds and research at the Chicago Botanic Garden for temperate seeds. Participants will draw in pencil from my extensive collection of actual seeds, both tropical and temperate, subsequently adding watercolor washes. While working, I will share seed stories such as Methuselah, a 2000 year old extinct date palm considered the oldest seed to ever sprout found in Fort Masada, Israel. Also Native American seed stories and related TEK, Traditional Ecological Knowledge.
Workshop Level: All Levels
Intended Ages: All Ages
Language: Bilingual (Spanish and English)
Learning Track(s): Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Sharon Bladholm
Sharon Bladholm (she/her), Artist - Sharon Bladholm's art has been profoundly influenced by her participation on scientific expeditions to the Amazon and collaborations with local scientists. She uses. her art as a potent conduit to engage and educate the public regarding important issues at the intersections of nature, science, conservation, and biodiversity. She has created public art celebrating soil microorganisms for Openlands Lakeshore Preserve and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. She enjoys facilitating workshops to all ages including in the Peruvian Amazon, that combine art and science and has taught at the Sun Foundations Art and Science in the Woods program for over 25 years.
Connecting with Nature through Blueberry Award-Winning Books (Gymnasium, 1st floor)
This interactive workshop introduces the Blueberry Awards, which recognize the very best nature and climate books for children ages 3–10+. Join us to explore and discuss books that inspire wonder and collective action while reflecting the diversity of people on our Earth. Consider what climate change information is appropriate at different developmental levels. Learn how your class can participate in the Blueberry Votes program. Leave with practical strategies for integrating Blueberry books into classrooms, gardens, and outdoor learning spaces to nurture the next generation of environmental stewards.
Workshop Level: All Levels
Intended Ages: All Ages
Language: English
Learning Track(s): Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change, Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Lauren Solarski and Martha Meyer
Lauren Solarski (she/her), math WITH mama - Lauren is a part-time Professor and a full-time Mama to her adventurous, outdoor-loving 7 and 3-year-old. She is the founder of @mathWITHmama: supporting caregivers with child development knowledge + math + nature + joy. She has a PhD in Child Development from Erikson Institute/Loyola University and a Masters in Education from Northwestern. She brings experience as an award-winning teacher in PK-2 classrooms and a collaborative coach partnering with leaders and educators across Chicago. Garfield Park Conservatory is her most favorite place.
Martha Meyer (she/her), Library Assistant, Early Learning and Literacy Department and Lead, Blueberry Awards Committee, Evanston Public Library - Martha Meyer is a passionate library assistant at Evanston Public Library and the founder of the Blueberry Awards! She's shared great nature books for teachers, librarians and nature center staff at online webinars, conferences and other gatherings. Martha has a certificate in Nature Contemplation and Creation Care from Deep Green Faith as well as a Direct Marketing Certificate from DePaul. If you are interested in collaborating with the Blueberry Awards Committee through the Blueberry Votes program don't hesitate to contact her: msmeyer@cityofevanston.org
Fostering Community-Based Climate Change Resiliency: Vine Trellises and Miyawaki Mini-Forests (Greenhouse, 1st floor)
Environmental injustice can be extremely localized in the urban landscape. Within a single Chicago ward, health risks associated with climate change are greater in under-resourced areas than they are in more prosperous areas just blocks away. The Network 49 Environmental Justice Committee, elementary school faculty and students, and members of Loyola University School of Environmental Sustainability collaborate to build climate change resiliency. We develop greenspace to benefit Chicago residents facing above average summer temperatures and deficit tree canopy. These residents generally have lower-rent apartments and are less able to afford AC to reduce heat vulnerability.
Attendees will:
- learn about Miyawaki mini-forests
- interpret the Network 49 Vine Trellis Project's temperature data
- operate thermal recorders and investigate how much cooler building surfaces become when shaded by vine trellises
- use maps to correlate heat disparity, tree cover, and demographics
- access tree canopy maps, Heat Vulnerability Index findings, and studies demonstrating physical and mental health benefits of increased greenspace
Topics:
- Fostering student/resident stewards and climate activists
- Strategies to raise public awareness of and support for improved climate resiliency
- Generating specific, measurable environmental justice demands
- Building a database building engineers and architects can use to reduce heat vulnerability
- Collaborating with schools, parks, and non-profits
Workshop Level: All Levels
Intended Ages: Primary (9-12 year olds), Middle School/High School (13-18 year olds), Adults
Language: English
Learning Track(s): Gardening and Growing, Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change, Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Jimmy Kern
Jimmy Kern (he/him) - Chair of the Environmental Justice Committee, Network 49 - Jimmy Kern develops community-based projects to build climate change resiliency. Work at RefugeeOne and Centro Romero showed him firsthand the environmental stresses in under-served communities. Work in Englewood and Back of the Yards, taught him the value of greenspace for social cohesion, physical and mental health, and environmental justice. His honors include MWRD’s public education award (2024), United Nations Association of Chicago's Global Goals Award (2025), and an Awesome Foundation Grant for the Jordan School Miyawaki Mini-Forest Project (2026). His background includes an M.S. (agronomy), an M.Ed., and graduate work in rural sociology. He taught thirty-four years (US and Tanzania).
Green Literacy Now: Teach Climate Justice Through Picture Books (Pre-K Classroom, 1st floor)
Empower young minds through picture books! Teach climate justice with SEL strategies and hands-on Green Literacy activities. The climate crisis is here and young people are ready to lead. Are we giving them the tools they need? Join fellow educators and community members for a powerful, hands-on workshop where we’ll confront environmental injustice with stories, strategies, and action. Whether you teach in a classroom, library, community space, or nature center, this session offers urgent and creative ways to respond—right now!
In this workshop, we’ll dive into:
(1) Picture books that spark real conversations about climate justice and equity
(2) SEL-based practices that grow empathy, resilience, and collaborative courage
(3) Hands-on activities from The Green Literacy Handbook that connect reading to action
(4) Strategies to center student voice and community engagement
Workshop Level: All Levels
Intended Ages: All Ages
Language: English
Learning Track(s): Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change, Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Jen Cullerton Johnson
Jen Cullerton Johnson (she/her), Founder, Green Literacy - Jen Cullerton Johnson is the founder of Green Literacy and the co-author of The Green Literacy Handbook and award-winning writer and educator with 20+ years of experience teaching. Visit www.Green Literacy.org for more information.
Food Education as a Tool to Support Whole Child Development (2/3 Kitchen, 1st floor)
Join us as we seek to reframe the conversation around food education and commit teachers and leadership to classroom cooking activities that are not only fun and engaging but profoundly beneficial to the development of the whole child. Together, we will explore the hidden power of food education as a common sense tool for cultural translanguaging and building executive functioning skills that meets students where they are at.
Workshop Level: All Levels
Intended Ages: All Ages
Language: Bilingual (Spanish and English)
Learning Track(s): Health and Wellness, Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Bryan Soto and Caitlin Arens
Bryan Soto (he/him/his), Health & Wellness Teacher, Academy for Global Citizenship - Bryan Soto is an award winning Health & Wellness educator at the Academy for Global Citizenship where he has been bringing hands-on food education lessons to his students for the last 10 years. He is a part of Pilot Lights first fellowship cohort class of 19-20 and is an active member of their Fellowship Alumni Network where he continues to advocate for food education programming in schools everywhere. In 2024 he became the Emeril Lagasse Foundation's inaugural Golden Beet Award recipient and he was recently named a 2026 ISBE co-regional Teacher of the Year for the Cook County Region.
Caitlin Arens (she/her/hers), Food Education Fellowship Director, Pilot Light - As Pilot Light’s Food Education Fellowships Director, Caitlin has 7 years of experience overseeing the Food Education Fellowship and Feeding Futures Fellowship, including its professional development and evaluative impact. Additionally, she works alongside Fellows to develop partnerships within their school and local communities with food professionals, community leaders, and organizations
Composting 101 with Urban Growers Collective (Hoop House, outside)
Healthy soil is the foundation of life for all beings. Join Urban Growers Collective for an informative workshop on the topics of building healthy soil, the importance of composting, and a hands-on demonstration of how to build your own vermicompost bin. Pose questions to UGC’s team regarding the implementation of composting lessons for participants of all ages, with special attention to teen and adult participants. Participants in this session will learn critical information regarding the principles of composting, receive guidance on ways to incorporate curricular material in an outdoor classroom, and practice the hands-on application of their skills through the construction of a vermicomposting bin (scalable to the individual or community level), and understanding the care required to maintain it. Participants are encouraged to critically engage with the material and will have time to ask questions at the end of the experience to generate connectivity around the science and application of composting in urban spaces. When we learn collectively, we hold a mirror up to the relationships that already exist among our mentors in the Soil Web. Collaborate with us on ways we can benefit our local soil systems through composting, and find out how to be engaged with UGC!
Workshop Level: All Levels
Intended Ages: All Ages
Language: English
Learning Track(s): Gardening and Growing, Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitator(s): Ericka Gonzalez Guzman and Darion Crawford
Erika Gonzalez Guzman (she/her), Educator, Urban Growers Collective - Born and raised in Mexico City, Ericka Gonzalez-Guzman (She/Her) is a young Latina immigrant who is passionate about the environment and food justice. As an organizer, she has worked to promote water accessibility and fight for cleaner air quality in the Southwest Suburbs. She is a lifelong learner who believes mistakes can be your most valuable lessons. Gonzalez-Guzman earned her BA in Environmental Science at Loyola University with a focus on Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture. As a student, she worked as the Lead Program Assistant for Loyola's Urban Agriculture Program. There, she guided indoor and outdoor production of vegetables, mushrooms, aquaponics/hydroponics systems, managed farmers' market logistics, and served as a passionate mentor for other students. She received Loyola's School of Environmental Sustainability's Wangari Muta Maathai Award for exceptional service and dedication to sustainability and social justice. Currently serving as a Community Educator at UGC, Gonzalez-Guzman is dedicated to sharing her knowledge of indigenous agricultural practices, building community, and advocating for social and environmental justice with the next generation of youth.
Darion Crawford (he/him) – Compost and Infrastructure Coordinator, Urban Growers Collective - Darion Crawford (he/him) has been farming since he was 16. He began his journey with agriculture at Marshall High School in Chicago, where he studied farming, and was chosen to be one of the first 15 year-round students of the Growing Power Chicago Youth Corps in 2006. After graduation, Crawford began working with Growing Power Chicago as a youth corps and adult-job training instructor. Crawford also led workshops nationally for Growing Power in hoop-house and aquaponics construction, as well as large-scale composting. Crawford left Growing Power in 2014 to manage for Home Depot in Chicago, where he picked up valuable skills in team leadership and development, as well as honing his wise-cracking wit much to the delight of the co-founders (and his original youth corps instructors) at UGC. Crawford began work with Urban Growers Collective in March, 2020. At UGC, he has taught youth at the Roosevelt Square Youth Farm, as well as assisted with the READI and Grounds for Peace program.
Closing Remarks (3:20-3:45pm)
Community Hall, 1st floor
Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)
Seven Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) are available for educators. Registering for ISBE hours DOES NOT give you an entrance to the event. You must also purchase a Green Teacher Gathering ticket.
For Illinois certified educators:
To receive ISBE clock hours (known as CPDU’s or CEU's) for this activity you must register using the ISBE PD+ system. This system replaces the paper version of clock hours. NOTE: Registering for clock hours DOES NOT provide you a ticket to the event. You must purchase tickets to attend the Gathering.
If you are familiar with the PD+ system, log into ELIS first (you must do this first, or the link won’t work) and then use this link to register for this activity.
If you are not familiar with the PD+ system, below are the step by step instructions for using this system. You can also watch a step by step video here: How To Register for a Workshop Using PD+
Please follow the steps below to register for clock hours:
- Log into your ELIS account (you must do this first, or the next steps won’t work).
- Click "Continue" to reach your HOME page.
- Register for the activity: Navigate to the top left of the screen and click the PD+ link.
- Search: for “Green Teacher Gathering” and click “Register” button.
Complete the evaluation: A week later, log into your ELIS account and return to the PD Plus page like before. Click the bell 🔔 notifications on the upper right-hand side of the PD+ page to access the evaluation. The system will automatically add your clocks hours to your ELIS account.
NOTE: No paper clock hours will be provided.
Frequently Asked Questions
We've answered the most common questions about the Green Teacher Gathering. Or email Lydia Uhler, Forest Preserve District of Cook County, with questions.
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