How Medians Are Making A Difference

An innovative program in Chicago combines job training with city beautification.

1 minute read

October 5, 2003, 11:00 AM PDT

For 10 years, the Chicago Christian Industrial League "has been steadily expanding an innovative program to provide training in landscaping to those it serves in its homeless shelter and rehabilitation facility....the league's landscape services department now maintains the growths of nature on 20 of the city's 62 major medians. It also keeps tabs on several hundred traffic circles and other planting areas." Recently, the group led a tour of "the city's greatest medians....Billed as a 'City of Gardens Bus Tour,' the excursion was built around what its tour guides called 'the challenges of urban landscaping, the secrets of city horticulture and the beautification of Chicago.'" The program's general manager commented:"This program is about beautifying Chicago, but it is also about developing people'....The training includes classes in personal organization, financial planning and on-the-job smarts."

Thanks to Connie Chung

FULL STORY: Growing flowers---and lives

Thursday, October 2, 2003 in The Chicago Tribune

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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