Gardeneers

Maxwell Street Community Garden is proud to partner with Gardeneers, an organization dedicated to transforming Chicago’s South and West Side communities through youth-led gardening and food education. Gardeneers empowers students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to grow their own food, make healthy choices, and take ownership of their future — one garden bed at a time.

Since its founding, Gardeneers has worked with over 1,800 students, 19 schools, and 200 volunteers, building a movement rooted in self-sufficiency and food justice.

Our collaboration centers around Smyth Elementary’s Madison’s Farmstand, a student-run produce stand that teaches kids entrepreneurship, nutrition, and community service. To support this inspiring effort, Maxwell Garden dedicates 10 garden plots to grow fresh, organic vegetables exclusively for donation to the Farmstand. In addition, our gardeners contribute surplus produce throughout the season to help ensure the stand is fully stocked with a colorful variety of healthy, homegrown options.

Together, Maxwell Street Community Garden and Gardeneers are cultivating a new generation of growers, leaders, and changemakers — with every seed planted and every harvest shared.