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Angela Mason, the Chicago Botanic Garden�s Director of Community Gardening, graduated from Southern Illinois University�Carbondale with a B.S. in Plant and Soil Science in 2001 and an M.S. in Plant, Soil, and General Agriculture in 2006. While earning her degrees, she worked in the University greenhouse and served as an assistant instructor in the classroom and in the laboratory.
Ms. Mason joined the Chicago Botanic Garden in 2003 as the coordinator of school and community gardening. In this capacity she designed and installed gardens in schools throughout the Chicago area, working with students, parents, and school staff in their efforts to maintain the garden and integrate it into a curriculum. Ms. Mason also launched the first Green Youth Farm site in North Chicago. In 2005 she assumed management responsibility for the Garden�s community gardening programs, including the Green Youth Farm, a youth leadership training program for underserved high school students based in sustainable urban agriculture. Ms. Mason was key to the growth of Green Youth Farm at three different sites�two in Chicago and one in Waukegan/North Chicago. In 2009, Ms. Mason oversaw the opening of a new Green Youth Farm site on Chicago�s South side serving an additional 15 young people.
Ms. Mason is a certified NFTE instructor (National Foundation for Teaching Young Entrepreneurs) and in 2006 served as adjunct faculty at Harold Washington College in Chicago for Introduction to Horticulture and Identification of Herbaceous Ornamentals. She received a North Lawndale Spirit of Youth Development Award in 2006 and in 2007 was honored as an Environmental Hero by the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois.
Ms. Mason is manager of Windy City Harvest, overseeing all production and training aspects of the program. Since the earliest days of Windy City Harvest, Ms. Mason, who is the primary developer of the certificate curriculum, has also served as interim instructor when needed. Her background in plant and crop science together with her experience in working with younger individuals from the same community (through the Green Youth Farm) has enabled her to establish a positive and productive work and learning environment. She teaches general horticulture and urban agriculture skills and sustainable gardening techniques, leads trainees through teambuilding activities, and develops field trip experiences that expose trainees to all aspects of urban agriculture including growing, post-production, and entrepreneurship opportunities. In 2009, she oversaw the opening of a new training and production garden at the Cook County Sheriff�s Boot Camp, an alternative sentencing facility for young male offenders. She continues to work with Patsy Benveniste, Vice President of Community Education Programs, to evaluate the program, adapt the curriculum as needed, explore expanded partnerships with other community colleges, develop product marketing and new business opportunities, and work with allies in addressing food security issues on Chicago�s west side and beyond.
Publications and presentations since 2004
Mason, A., �Harvesting Opportunity: Youth as Leaders,� Longwood Graduate Symposium, (presented with Windy City Harvest graduate), University of Delaware, March 6, 2009.
Mason, A., American Pulic Garden Association Conference. St. Louis, MO 2009.
Mason, A., L. Haynor, E.P. Fournier, and M.P. Benveniste. �Youth gardening.� Community Gardening Handbook, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 2008.
Mason, A.K., Ecological Farming Association. Pacific Grove, CA, 2008 (presented with two teen participants).
Mason, A.K., Environmental Education Association of Illinois Conference. Chicago, 2007.
Mason, A.K., American Public Garden Association. Washington DC, 2007.
Mason, A.K., Benveniste, M.P., Growing Young People from the Ground Up. ROOTS Botanic Garden Conservation International Education Review (Vol. 3.1) 2006.
Mason, A.K., American Community Gardening Association Conference. Los Angeles, 2005 (presented with two teen participants).
Mason, A.K., American Community Gardening Association Conference. Minneapolis, 2004.
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