The Urban Gardening Program is part of the STEM Center’s STEM Meets Humanities Program, in collaboration with the Madison County Housing Authority (MCHA) and the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities (MJCH). Urban Gardening is an interactive after-school urban gardening program for students ages 7-14 in the Alton, Collinsville, Madison, and Venice areas. The program builds on the MCHA’s Powered by Girls program. Through urban gardening, we emphasize plant science and give girls the opportunity to learn the science behind gardening techniques in an urban context, such as composting and hydroponics, as well as a chance to beautify their communities and create a sustainable food source.
This type of after-school program is known to increase student engagement and lifelong interest in STEM topics while helping these student develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills that will be beneficial to them regardless of their future career choices.
For more information about the program, contact the STEM Center at stemcenter@siue.edu or 618-650-3065.