In the southwest corner of Chicago, something beautiful was born....
In fact, a new three-hole golf course was the creation of many students at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences.
"We did actually make good use of the land," said Dr. Robert Bush, a teacher at the school.
The land near the school was in bad shape two years ago.
"I started out when it was just weeds and car parts all over the place, basically." said Minor. And fallen trees, boulders and trash. "It was an area that was not used for anything productive and actually that because of was unsafe," said Dr. Bush.
With help from an architect, the students themselves designed the golf course, and then went to work.
They used heavy equipment to clear the land and put down sod. "I remember putting a special attachment on the Bobcat to lift an entire tree off the ground, to put it on one of the piles," said Mark Taylor, 17.
It was a lesson they could not have learned just sitting in a classroom.
"I looked at that as an opportunity to actually allow them to use earth-moving equipment and surveying equipment, and things that would have just been theory in a classroom," said Bush.
At a time when we've hear so much bad news about students at Chicago Public Schools, the agriculture high school students did something extraordinary with their minds and their hands.
"It feels amazing just to see the before and after," said Jasmine Lucas, 17. "It just makes you feel emotional cause you started when all this was just dead land."
The golf course, near 111th Street and Pulaski Road, is free; anyone can play there.
And it was designed to make special needs students feel welcome.
From CBS News...
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22 comments:
We need more room at mt greenwood school not a three hole golf course. But what do I know
What does the golf course at the AG school have to do with needing space at Mt. Greenwood School? The golf course was built with sweat equity.
I walk my dogs there twice a day. Those kids have been out there for the past two years working their asses off. I say good for them.
The school is an AG school - what better way to learn landscape architecture, green maitenance, and other a slew of other things then to do it first hand. Learning by doing - great concept!
So, I do not find what these HIGH SCHOOL kids working hard has anything to do with the overcrowding at an elementary school - any monies use to help complete this project would have never been utilized to add classrooms etc at the elementary school
I would suggest that a fence be put up around the 3 hole course or it will be tore up by snow-mobiles or ATV's over the winter. If you all remember it was tore up when it was first started a year or so ago, even a snow fence would help. Also put a snow fence around Mt. Greenwood Park to kind of hinder access to the park and course plus help the residents that border the park from drifting snow that blocks the streets and driveways. Ginger used to do it years ago but now it cost too much so now you only get the fence on election years. Lets wake up people and vote the democrats out and put people in office that care about us not their own political futures. Sometimes I think if a chimpanzee would run for office I would be inclined to vote for it. I think we would be better off with a monkey than a democrat. More common sense would prevail....
mt. greenwood school will be worse next year as more parents take kids out of the private schools,golf course looks good.
The principal at Mt Greenwood says that the school is not overcrowded. Is it or isn't it?
Anyone remember marmaduke? Im just wondering b/c there seems to be so many kennels lately. Theres no room for them any more.
Hey anyone know of a good place around here. places that really get moving you know? Its like I need to know before thingss get out of hand - and before they don't come back.
Return the comments above, please. Thanks for listining.
WOOOOHOOOO!!! cant' wait to try it.
Why stop there. Add a football field or two. These projects can provide valuable job training for future groundskeepers. Maybe get the sod-father, Roger Bossard, out for a special class or talk. When this school started they couldn't even grow grass, now things look like they are coming together. FWIW my kids will probably be going to Marist, but who knows, they are under 4.
What they should be teaching these kids is how to have respect for the community they go to school in...
I heard a rumor that a member of our neighbors most prominent political family was recently married to the daughter of a boxing legend. Is this true? Does anyone know?
Great Job Over at the Ag school. We have to appreciate any improvements made in our neighborhood.
The issue over at Mt. greenwood School is over crowding. How can the principal say it's not if the Kindergarten children can not even attend a full day? The upper grades may not be but the primary grades are over filled and what happens over the next few years as the primary grades move up? We need another grammer school to be built or a addition put on. Yes I have written countless letters to the board of Ed of course with no response. Also never understood why Mt. Greenwood students have such a short day compared to other CPS schools.
October 23, 2009 8:40 PM
Mt. Greenwood school's day is just as long as any other Chicago Public School's day. They just start earlier therefore they get out earlier!
I heard a rumor that a member of our neighbors most prominent political family was recently married to the daughter of a boxing legend. Is this true? Does anyone know?
October 23, 2009 4:05 PM
It is, but what the hell does that have to do with anything? Especially a golf course at the Ag school.
So who's the boxer and who married him? Public record, so you are not spreading rumors. Why not just say?
I'll bet that they believe that the kindergartners at Mt. Greenwood will move into the Catholic school system and hence won't need to be accommodated at Mt Greenwood school. Wouldn't mobile units ease the situation which the principal says doesn't exist? But, the Alderman opposes mobile units.....why? Campaign contributors who live in close proximity to the school don't want to look at the "unsightly" units. Who cares what the lower grade class size is? They'll move out of the school anyway....when the economy recovers.....won't they?
The boxer is Mick Jones, featherwight champion, 1999. Married Joyce Schultz whose family is one of most prominent political families of the area.
Now that that's over, can we move on with agg school?
The reason school are hesitant to install mobile classrooms has nothing to do with neighbors nor polictal contributors... rather it has everything with school enrollement.
If you bring in mobile classrooms as a quick fix you do increase seating capacity and solve the problem. If in the next year or two class size dwindles you still have that larger capacity for students - so, class sizes do not get smaller because those vacant seats will be availble for students in "troubled" schools under the No Child Left Behind Act.
So, be very careful in wishing for the mobile units as it may adversley affect the school in the long run.
Thinking about sending my son to the AG school because of the economy What have you herd or seen? Please tell Catholic schools are getting more expensive
You should talk to neighborhood kids about ag. My neighbor's kid started a fishing club and one of the teachers agreed to be the sponsor. There's lots of good stuff there. My kids have already graduated but if I had more I'd try and get in there.
I like the ag school...like everything else it has its good points and bad. education is awesome, so much more than I would have thought. If the wanted to put a golf course in so what it didn't cost the tax payers. ps I do have a daughter that goes there and helped on the golf course during the summer.
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