Katie Shamas, founder/organizer of VK Gardens, updated the Park Ridge CCSD 64 board about a volunteer-run garden initiative that now supports multiple elementary campuses. She said the program has grown from initial beds at Roosevelt into a district effort that has produced 786+ pounds of organic produce so far this year and supplied the Maine Township food pantry as its only organic supplier.

Shamas said the program is volunteer-led, will provide teacher training beginning April 1, and will roll out in phases: Phase 1 installs raised beds at each elementary school (April 1 installations at Emerson and Lincoln and a refresh at Jefferson); Phase 2 establishes outdoor classrooms and curriculum integration; Phase 3 aims to create a district ecosystem from pre-K through grade 8. "We have grown over 786 pounds of organic produce that have every single ounce been donated to the Maine Township food pantry," Shamas said.

She described partnerships with local organizations (including a compost partner and University of Illinois master gardeners for certification and training), plans for volunteer scheduling to sustain sites in off months, and metrics plans (a dashboard) to measure educational impact and community value.

Board members asked about teacher involvement and sustainability; Shamas said the gardens are parent-run and self-sustaining, with training-the-trainer features and University of Illinois partnerships to support ongoing maintenance and education.

Next steps: Teacher training in spring, installation at Emerson and Lincoln on April 1, continued partnership-building and development of an impact dashboard for board reporting.