On April 26th, students from the Frizzell Committee and the UChicago Horticultural Society toured the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences. We had an incredible experience, and learned about the different agricultural career pathways that the school offers, as well as many of the projects that the students have been working on. We toured the greenhouses and the barn, where we met several new animal friends, including Ollie the baby goat and Tina the alpaca!

We put together a photo blog highlighting the various aspects of the school!

The Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences opened in 1985, and 720 students now attend.

 

Students from the Frizzell Committee and the UChicago Horticulture Club visited the school, and particularly enjoyed the greenhouses, which were full of beautiful flowers and other luscious plants. From left to right: Caitlin Piccirillo-Stosser, Sophia Wagner, and Emily Watters.

 

Many students grow plants to use for their senior projects. Our tour guide, Danny, who is in the Agricultural Finance pathway, made salsas out of some of the different crops that are being grown. Another student grew an aloe plant and made lotions and creams from its extract. It was awesome to hear about the incredible projects that the students have been working on!

 

These white boxes are beehives! Students in the Food Science pathway use the honey that the bees make in some of their recipes!

 

Students in the Food Science pathway frequently learn about a new scientific concept in the classroom and then go into the kitchens to apply what their learned to their cooking and baking. While we were there, some deliciously smelling cakes had just come out of oven!

 

Students in the Biotechnology pathway make lotions out of goat’s milk and candles from soy that are then sold at the school’s farmstand during the summer. The candles range in scents, from cake to hazelnut coffee to sweet pea to pumpkin pie. The farmstand is open generally from mid-June through the end of August or beginning of September, weather permitting. They also sell some of produce that is grown on the farm, so be sure to check it out this summer!

 

Does this tiny house look like something you would see on HGTV? If you think it does, you’re absolutely right, but it’s even more impressive, because students in the Agricultural Mechanics and Technology (“Mech Tech”) pathway BUILT this house last year, and it was just sold to a family in California! The house was the Mech Tech students’ final project, and it is fully equipped with a bedroom, kitchen, and living area. So impressive!

 

Check out the super cool Mech Tech workspace! While we were there, students were working on one of their many projects: building go-karts!

 

The school has an extensive aquaponics facility. The Biotechnology students are currently growing lots of basil, which you can see above!

 

Pictured here are seven of the 13 piglets for which the Ag School cares. In fact, the students in the Animal Science pathway recently helped castrate each of these piglets! The Ag School also has chickens, goats, a cow, and an alpaca, amongst other animals!

 

Caitlin bonded with this cutie, Ollie the baby goat, who is just weeks old! It was incredible to befriend so many animals!

To learn more about the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, check out this article which was recently published in the Washington Post!