Community Education Center

The Community Education Center (CEC) is an indoor space on the Green Era Campus to encourage learning, growth, collaboration, and community. It will include a teaching kitchen, classrooms, and operational space for both Green Era and Urban Growers Collective.

We’re cultivating the seeds of change and inspiring the next generation of green leaders.

Community Workshops

CEC will be home to learning opportunities across a variety of topics led by community practitioners to educate and engage participants both virtually and in-person. We will host workshops and trainings on food waste, renewable energy, farm production, and more.

Program Space

The CEC will be home to Green Era and Urban Growers Collective operations on campus, as well as UGC’s South Side operations. The building will house our offices, meeting space, training space, and related facilities.

Folks with fresh tomatos

Fuel for the future

Food waste is the largest solid waste stream still going to landfills; Chicago alone creates 451,500 tons per year. Food waste in landfills generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas leading to climate disaster. Using food waste sourced from mission-aligned partnerships with local municipal agencies, local restaurants, food companies and manufacturers, and residents, we can begin to divert some of this food waste away from the landfills and give it a second life. The large volumes of organic, nutrient-rich compost produced by Green Era’s process will be provided at low-cost to farmers throughout the city and used on our seven-acre urban farm, which is expected to grow 26,000+ pounds of food annually.

Research

Within the research  components of the Campus,  Urban Growers Collective will  include laboratory space for  students, community members,  and researchers to explore  storm water management and  climate change mitigation  solutions. We will incorporate  practical applications of  wetland management using  indigenous plants grown with  innovative methods,  incorporating Campus digestate  for fertility as a non-petroleum  alternative. 

Together we have the power to meet and exceed our goals.

Let's solve Chicago's most complex issues.

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