Suburban Teens Gain 'Green Thumbs' During Gardening Week

ORLAND PARK, IL — The Bridge Teen Center in Orland Park recently celebrated the arrival of Spring by hosting a “Gardening Week” for its 7th-12th grade students. The event took place during the week of May 17, and comes in an effort to be a positive outlet for teenagers, which the organization aimed to capitalize on during this week.

The Bridge Teen Center is a nonprofit community center, designed around the needs and interests of teens in the suburbs to provide free holistically-designed after school programs, and a safe environment for Friday night entertainment. Over 10,000+ different students from 128 different communities have been served by the center since 2010, and The Bridge is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, funded by individuals, businesses and foundations in the community.

The event was led by the organization’s Founder and Executive Director, Priscilla Steinmetz. The week focused on engaging and educating students about holistic gardening practices, according to a release from the center.

“Gardening offers so many physical, mental and emotional benefits to students, and those benefits are needed as we come out of the pandemic,” Steinmetz said. “These programs helped students get their hands dirty, pick up some valuable STEM know-how, discover new ways to reduce stress and connect with the Earth, and gain a sense of accomplishment working alongside their peers.”

Priscilla is an avid gardener in her personal time. The founder enjoys sharing how this hobby can be a stress-reliever, point of spiritual connectivity and source of healthy food. Gardening Week allowed her to merge her love of gardening with her passion for working with students, creating some unique, fun programs, the release states.

In example, during a DIY Herb Garden program, students learned about healthier eating habits while repurposing old dresser drawers to create their own seeded herb garden. In another program, students worked to plant their own veggie gardens at home.

The week finished off with students working together to plant veggies, herbs and flowers in center’s outdoor garden, where they will be able to care for it as they return to the center — located at 15555 S. 71st Ct, Orland Park — throughout the summer.

“We hope that those students who attended our “Gardening Week” programs discover a new passion and interest in gardening - maybe even bringing some of what they learned home to share with parents and siblings,” Steinmetz said.

According to the release, all Bridge Teen Center programs and events are free and open to teens currently in 7th-12th grade, with an approved student membership application on file. Students who are graduating 6th grade this year and entering 7th grade in the Fall will be eligible for membership this coming Summer.

Students that are not members can apply for a free student membership at www.thebridgeteencenter.org or by calling 708.532.0500.

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