“Transforming North Lawndale, Chicago through CCA Academy’s Urban Agriculture Program”

CHICAGO (WLS) — A charter school on Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood is planting the seeds of change in the lives of its students.

For the entire month of March, CCA Academy is hosting a virtual fundraiser to support its innovative urban agriculture program.

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The initiative allows students to gain practical experience in caring for plants, chickens, and aquaponics systems. This initiative aims to support students in their journey towards obtaining high school diplomas and embracing a future brimming with possibilities.

In 2017, CCA Academy began planning a food forest to cover six city lots in North Lawndale.

Furthermore, the program has become an integral part of a wider community endeavor, illustrating that urban agriculture goes beyond just producing food. It also plays a crucial role in fostering optimism, strength, and communal metamorphosis.

By 2024, the CCA gardens had distributed 1,080 pounds of fresh vegetables, 400 plants, 300 eggs, and honey to the community. In addition to the tangible contributions, students have enriched their academic knowledge and self-assurance by tending to flora and fauna.

Chief Education Officer Myra Sampson visited ABC7, along with urban farmer Isaiah Alexander, to talk more about this mission to transform lives though agriculture.