Registration

2026 South Suburban Cook County - School Garden Assistance

Supporting your school garden is important to us, and Illinois Extension’s horticulture team will do our best to serve you in 2026. We will be able to consult with you remotely and provide you with invaluable resources via our School Garden Resources website. However, staff time for on-site visits is limited.

When considering a school garden, Illinois Extension recommends educating yourself, securing/preparing your sponsors, and recruiting volunteers and students to participate in nurturing the garden. Before implementing a school garden, we recommend having at least five dedicated garden supporters (may include parents, teachers, school garden coordinators, administrators) who are willing to assist with the garden program.

There are many benefits to be obtained in a school garden project, and University of Illinois Extension is here to help! Please complete the following form to help us understand the scope of the project and make proper recommendations for the site. We can then attempt to recruit Master Gardener volunteers to guide your specific garden project.

On-site visits will be prioritized for those organizations that attend our virtual garden training sessions in March 2026. Contact Nancy Kreith at kreith@illinois.edu for further information on the School and Community Garden Training.

Already have an Extension User Account?

Optional: This will automatically fill in your contact details for a faster registration.

Contact Information

First Name

Last Name

Street Address

Street Address 2

City

State

ZIP

Daytime Phone

Evening Phone

E-mail Address

School Garden Name

School Garden Address

What is your goal or purpose for this project? learning, edibles, ornamental, production, conservation

What is the age group or grade level to be served?

K through 2nd grade

3rd grade through 6th grade

7th grade through 8th grade

High School

How many teachers and/or administrators are involved in this project?

1-2

3-5

6-10

10+

How many parents and/or community members are involved in this project?

1-3

4-6

6-10

10+

How many students are involved in this project?

1-5

6-10

11-20

20+

Level of experience in gardening 1 thru 10 1 being new to gardening 10 being advanced

What type of garden do you have or are you considering? May choose more than one option.

Planting in soil

Raised beds

Containers

Edibles (like vegetables and herbs)

Ornamentals (like flowers)

Native garden

Greenhouse

What are the dimensions?

What is the available sunlight?

1 to 3 hours

4 to 5 hours

6 to 9 hours

Is there vegetation on site? weeds or plants that should be removed

Yes

If you intend to grow edibles directly in soil, have you had the soil tested?

Yes

How far is your water source from the garden? Examples- within the garden or 20 feet away

Estimated installation date?

How many years has this garden existed? Please note if pre-dates your involvement.

new garden

2-4 years

5-10 years

unsure

Do you have written permission from the property owner to locate the garden on the site? Please provide written permission to Extension Staff.

Yes

No, but I can obtain permission.

Who will fund the garden? Select all that apply.

Administration

Parents

Community Sponsorship

Grants

Other

If "other" please describe sources of funding.

Who will install and maintain the garden? Select all that apply.

Administration

Teachers

Students

Parents

Other

If "other" please detail.

Do you plan to have a garden growing during the summer and if so, who will maintain the garden over the summer months? Example- scheduled parent or community groups; summer school

What is needed from Extension?

Getting started - a garden plan

Knowledge about gardening

Resources/Grants

Plant and insect identification

Master Gardener volunteer support

Implementing curriculum

In partnership with Forest Preserves of Cook County, Illinois Extension offers a Conservation@Home certification program in which Master Gardeners and Naturalists provide mentorship for school and community gardens. If interested in mentorship on native vegetation, water and wildlife conservation and environmental curriculum, please click 'yes' below.

Yes

Please share any additional notes or comments about the project or site.

If you attended our school garden training, please list the date: (If not, type "none")

How did you hear about our programming?

Civil Rights Compliance - Participant Info

As part of our commitment to providing equal opportunities in our programming, University of Illinois Extension is required to collect and report overall statistics about the race, ethnicity, and gender of program participants. Your responses are voluntary and appreciated.

Gender

Ethnicity

Race

Illinois Extension

Registration

101 Mumford Hall (MC-710)

1301 W. Gregory Dr.

Urbana, IL 61801

Phone: 217-333-5900