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The beginnings of a campus youth garden started this summer in the classroom of Jay Hubert, biology instructor for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center’s (ESLC) Upward Bound Program. 

“I believe in the importance of healthy eating and in connecting young people with quality food,” said Hubert, grant writer for the ESLC gardening project that received funding this year from the SIUE Meridian Society. 

“I am always excited to see new programming for the students,” said SIUE Upward Bound Program Director Javonda Quinn. “The garden project is an extremely beneficial life skill that our students can use in their futures as adults. 

“The value of the gardening class is also magnified because of the knowledge and enthusiasm of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructor Jay Hubert,” said Quinn. 

 “When I first came to the class, I had no interest in gardening,” said Zaria Wiley, 13-year-old Upward Bound EC student. “As I learned about it, I became interested. Now gardening is something I want to do. I like putting my hands in dirt, and the thought of planting your own food, because it’s healthier than getting groceries from the market or convenience stores.” 

After weeks of planting tomatoes and bell peppers in Hubert’s class, students and staff will transplant some of the plants and other new vegetable cuttings to the Campus Youth Garden once it’s complete. The garden is located on the southwest corner of the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus. 

All students in the class will be able to take home plants they grew from seeds over the summer. Garden materials were provided at a great discount by Lowe’s Home Improvement in Fairview Heights and St. Louis Composting. 

“The garden will be for ESLC students, including Head Start, to use for programming,” Hubert said. “The students will plant food of their own choosing and manage and harvest the garden. Students will also learn about meal preparation, food science and entrepreneurship, as it relates to their food products.” 

The garden will also include an outdoor learning space, which will have two sitting areas. 

“You have to have patience to be a good gardener,” said 14-year-old Tyrese Mosley, who says he believes he’s cut out for the task. “Plants can take a while to grow, but it’s worth the wait to get good, healthy food.” 

Upward Bound helps youth prepare for higher education and serves students from East St. Louis and Cahokia (EC), and Brooklyn, East St. Louis Charter and Madison (BEM) High Schools. Participants receive instruction in literature, composition and STEM subjects on college campuses after school, on Saturdays and during the summer. 

The mission of the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School is to prepare students, who are career- and college-ready, upon graduation. To achieve this mission, the school and its staff will positively impact the educational and economic lives of East St. Louis, IL youth. The SIUE Charter High School is a school-of choice for families in the East St. Louis School District 189. 

With a focus on empowering people and strengthening communities, the SIUE East St. Louis Center is dedicated to improving the lives of families and individuals - from pre-school through adult - in the Metro East. Head Start/Early Head Start and a charter high school are among the programs that offer the community renewed hope and an opportunity to reach educational, career and life goals. The Center also assigns first priority to encouraging, supporting and improving the educational success of the residents of East St. Louis and surrounding urban communities. The Center provides comprehensive programs, services and training in the areas of education, health, social services and the arts.

Photos:

Drew Williams, 13-year-old Upward Bound EC student, waters her tomato plants, with Jay Hubert, Upward Bound biology instructor observing.

Tyrese Mosley, 14-year-old Upward Bound EC student, puts in a bell pepper plant, under the guidance of Jay Hubert.