Students at Union School District 81 in Will County spent nearly seven months growing plants, learning science, and building confidence. On Friday, May 15, they showed off the results.
The annual plant sale, held in the school gymnasium, marked the end of the Greenhouse Class program — a partnership between Union School District and University of Illinois, Illinois Extension that combines horticulture, STEM learning, and character development.
Pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students who had spent the school year in the program welcomed community members, answered questions about the plants, and helped customers select and carry their purchases.
The event was the payoff for 27 weeks of hands-on work.
“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,” Illinois Extension horticulture educator Nancy Kuhajda said in a news release.
“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,” she said.
Throughout the program, Illinois Extension staff, Union School teachers, and master gardener volunteers worked with students four days each week. Students learned responsibility, patience, teamwork, communication, and entrepreneurship — lessons that extended beyond the greenhouse.
Cecilia, a student who has participated since kindergarten, spent the sale helping customers. When asked how many plants were available, she said,“A lot. 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.”
Kuhajda said Cecilia exemplifies the program’s impact. “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,” she said.
Fourth grader Isabella offered her own plant-growing wisdom. “Don’t overwater it and make sure the roots aren’t sticking out,” she said.
District 81 Superintendent Tim Baldermann spoke at the start of the sale, emphasizing the program’s broader mission. The gymnasium walls were painted with inspirational quotes, including one former NBA basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which says “One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.”
“We are teaching our children, first and foremost, kindness and compassion,” Baldermann said. “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.”
By the end of the sale, many tables that once held rows of flowers and vegetable plants had emptied.
For Kuhajda, the end of the plant sale marks a beginning. The lessons students cultivated throughout the year will likely last much longer than the growing season.
For more information about Illinois Extension, visit extension.illinois.edu/gkw.