JOLIET, Ill. — After 27 weeks of planting, watering, learning, and preparing, students at Union School District 81 welcomed community members to their annual plant sale on Friday, May 15, the end-of-year showcase of the University of Illinois Extension and Union School Greenhouse Class program. At the event, students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade who had previously spent the school year learning showed community members around and assisted volunteers.
“You can’t walk into this gymnasium and not have a smile on your face as you're welcomed by a six-year-old excited to show you some plants,” said Nancy Kuhajda, Illinois Extension horticulture educator. “The Greenhouse Class program holds a special place in my heart. These young people have spent months growing plants, learning about horticulture, and building confidence. They are so excited to show people what they have accomplished.”
For students, the event represented an opportunity to share the results of months of work with family members, teachers, and the broader community.
Throughout the 27-week program, Illinois Extension and Union School staff, along with Master Gardener volunteers, worked with students four days each week. The program combines horticulture education and real-world STEM learning through hands-on experiences. Students developed skills in communication, teamwork, and entrepreneurship.
“The plant sale gives students the chance to take pride in something they’ve grown from the very beginning,” said Kuhajda. “They learn responsibility and patience, but they also learn how to interact with people, answer questions, and feel confident in what they can accomplish.”
One such student was Cecilia, who has participated in the program since kindergarten and spent the sale helping community members select and carry plants.
“A lot!” Cecilia said when asked how many plants were available for purchase, adding, “The plants are super cheap, and the kids grow them, and it’s all for a good cause … My favorite part is when my parents come.”
According to Kuhajda, Cecilia is one example of the confidence and growth the program helps foster in students.
“Cecilia is absolutely stellar,” Kuhajda said. “She is incredibly bright, and this program gives her an outlet to build confidence and really let her personality shine. Watching students like Cecilia grow over the years is one of the most rewarding parts of this program.”
Another fourth-grade student, Isabella, had some advice to give on growing plants: “Don’t overwater it and make sure the roots aren’t sticking out.”
A joint effort between Illinois Extension and Union School, the program reflects a broader focus on developing students not only academically, but also personally.
“We are teaching our children, first and foremost, kindness and compassion,” said Tim Baldermann, the district’s superintendent, at the start of the plant sale speaking inside the gymnasium where walls were painted with inspirational quotes, including one from former professional basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar that read, “One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.”
Baldermann continued:
“Those are the things that matter first, before we even sit down at a computer or begin a lesson. It’s about helping students become good people.”
An hour later, at the end of the sale, many of the tables that once held rows of flowers and vegetable plants had begun to empty. For Kuhajda, the end of the plant sale marks the start, not the end:
The sale is coming to a close, but for the students who spent months planting, watering, and learning together, the lessons cultivated throughout the year will likely last much longer than the growing season.”
For more information about Illinois Extension, visit extension.illinois.edu/gkw.
SOURCE: Nancy Kuhajda, Horticulture Educator, Illinois Extension.
WRITER: Anthony Warmack, Communications and Marketing Program Coordinator, Illinois Extension.
INTERVIEWS: Contact Anthony Warmack, warmacka@illinois.edu, to request specialist interviews on this topic.
MEDIA ACCESS: Images in this story can be downloaded for media use.
About Illinois Master Gardener: University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners are rooted in community and grow through connection, studying and sharing research-based horticulture topics, including vegetable gardening, insects, tree and small fruits, introductory botany, integrated pest management, turfgrass care, plant diseases, tree and shrub care, soils and fertilizer, and flower gardening. Over 2,000 active volunteers invest their time and talents cultivating collaborative gardens that feed and support healthy communities, foster hands-on learning, enhance neighborhood beauty, and support the environment. Help Master Gardeners grow.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 500 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through five program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, health and community wellness, and natural resources, environment, and energy.