Cultivate Collective

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Cultivate Collective

Growing Resilient, Equitable and Vibrant Communities from Within

04/20/2026

Here’s your chance to honor Earth Week alongside our Southwest Chicago community! 🌱

At our One Earth Film Festival screening, we’ll spend the afternoon viewing a selection of short films created by the next generation of environmental activists, followed by a community Q&A and a tour of AGC’s sustainable campus led by AGC Green Team students.

This FREE event is open to everyone interested in making a difference. Whether you’re a longtime supporter or just getting started with grassroots advocacy, your participation helps strengthen the movement to protect our One Earth 🌎

RSVP to join us this Saturday, April 25 at 1 p.m. here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/young-filmmakers-contest-shorts-academy-for-global-citizenship-tickets-1983830350983?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

04/10/2026

🛠️ PAID Training & Career Opportunity in Chicago 🛠️

If you’re between the ages of 18-24, U.S. work eligible, and looking for a career in a growing industry, you can get paid while you receive comprehensive training through our Summer 2026 Solar Training Program in partnership with Elevate and Sesenergi!

☀️ This special 10-week program will prepare Chicago-area students for careers in the solar industry for roles like Photovoltaic Installers, Site Surveyors, Sales, Design, and more while supporting the electrification of homes in LeClaire Courts and across Southwest Chicago.

Register for one of our April info sessions, then apply for the program before the April 27, 2026 deadline:

https://forms.gle/BUuHa5zZa8i5ckpv7

For questions, contact the Elevate Workforce & Contractor Development Department at [email protected].

03/10/2026

Meet the newest member of the Cultivate crew: Dylan Hayworth-Weste, our Farm Manager!

💚 Dylan developed a passion for agriculture after volunteering at Roots and Rays community garden in Pilsen, where he learned how to grow food and flowers 🌻
🧑‍🌾 Before joining Cultivate, he completed an apprenticeship in sustainable urban horticulture at Windy City Harvest and managed Big Delicious Planet’s caterer-operated urban farm 🚜
🫶 Dylan got married at the Oak Park Conservatory during Halloween season, dressing up as Frankenstein's monster and Bride of Frankenstein with his wife 🎃

He says his favorite way to Cultivate is with a standard collinear hoe with a fixed blade from the Eliot Coleman collection 🌱

Here are Dylan’s other favorite ways to Cultivate…

Wellness: Walking, running, and biking outdoors with his dog 🐶
Community: Sharing delicious meals with family, friends, and neighbors 🍲
Joy: Immersing himself in horror movies and literature, including rewatching his favorite movie about spooky guerrilla gardening in Chicago 🧟

02/23/2026

Love comes in many forms. Our friends at Strewn in Pilsen graciously arranged this beautiful bouquet to honor the recent loss of a local LeClaire resident 💐

We talk about cultivating resilience for a vibrant life, but resilience requires being able to sit with discomfort. Small, thoughtful moments like this give us the strength to move forward.

Whatever season of life, our Southwest Chicago community continues to show up and help us navigate life’s hardships with dignity and hope. Muchas gracias 💚

01/22/2026

Starting 2026 with some good energy in Chicago ⚡

Young adults from the city's Southwest side are feeling more optimistic about their futures thanks to our Solar Training Program and the pathways its creating during an uncertain job market.

The paid, 10-week program, hosted on Cultivate’s sustainable campus in partnership with Elevate and Sesenergi Eco Solutions Enterprise, provides training, mentorship, and support to kickstart entry-level careers in the growing clean energy industry.

Everyone deserves stability, security, and success. We at Cultivate Collective will continue to make sure economic vitality is a guarantee for the next generation through initiatives that build towards a sustainable future.

Thank you to Kari Lydersen and Canary Media for covering this important local development. Read the full article here:

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/illinois-young-people-jobs-renewable-energy

01/13/2026

Meet Rojas (they, them), our newest Little Leaf Market Team Member!

🤠 From farming to mechanic work, Rojas's hands-on background and passion for helping others align naturally with our mission 🌱
🎶 Willie Colón & Rubén Blades's 1978 class-conscious salsa masterpiece “Siembra” is their favorite album to listen to while working 💃
🥤 Rojas appreciates the various spices of life, which is why their favorite Little Leaf juice is Media Naranja—for the pinch of cayenne! 🌶️

Here are Rojas’s favorite ways to Cultivate…

Wellness: Enjoying a daily morning walk before the sunrise ☀️
Community: Starting a game of sock wrestling with friends 🧦
Joy: Savoring a slow breakfast and practicing self acceptance 💚

01/02/2026

How to Cultivate more fulfillment in 2026:

⏳ Take your time
🌱 Improve your environment
🫶 Savor the season you're in

12/22/2025

Congratulations to our Fall 2025 Solar Training Program cohort of graduates—the first to be hosted at Cultivate Collective—in partnership with Elevate and Sesenergi! ⭐

After 10 weeks of hands-on training and mentorship, these talented young professionals are ready to enter the clean energy industry with the tools they need to thrive.

An ever-changing workforce means it’s our responsibility to help the next generation build and leverage their skills to succeed. We’re proud to celebrate this important milestone and expand sustainable economic opportunities for our Southwest Chicago community.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this moment possible, and to the Ward 22 office of Alderman Michael Rodriguez for their special recognition of this inaugural cohort 👏

12/02/2025

It’s Giving season, and the Little things make all the difference!

Now through December 19, you can help Cultivate Collective stock our community fridge by giving to Little Leaf Market’s Giving Tree.

Here’s how:

🎁 You make a donation of any amount to feed our Southwest Chicago families, either in-store or online (link in bio)
🎄 A Leaf ornament with your name is added to our market’s Giving Tree
🥑 Your donation amount adds the equivalent of fresh groceries to the community fridge

Visit the link in our bio to make your gift 💚

Thank you for your generosity and support of food access for our neighbors in need!

11/28/2025

⭐ PSA to southwest Chicago residents, families, and businesses ⭐

If you support economic growth and vitality for our community, join us for a public hearing about our geographic area (which includes the land where the LeClaire Courts homes once stood) and making it a part of the the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act.

Businesses in these zones can receive state and local incentives, including tax exemptions on building materials and utilities, a state income tax credit, and local property tax abatement on new or renovated construction. The program also offers regulatory relief and improved government services.

You'll have the chance to meet City Hall and Chicago ward representatives, ask them questions, and advocate for important funds and resources to be allocated to our part of the city.

When: Tuesday, December 2 at 2 p.m
Where: Community Hall at the Academy for Global Citizenship, 4942 W. 44th St., Chicago, IL 60638

For any questions, reach out to [email protected].

11/18/2025

Meet Izzy Gut, our Communications & Engagement Manager!

🎨 A pop culture professional, Izzy’s work in brand strategy and social impact stems from a deep passion for storytelling, art, and humanity 🌎
💖 She loves cities, languages, and cultures, taking any chance to learn and travel—including her most recent trip to Tokyo, Japan 🇯🇵
🎸 Izzy is currently working on her first big music project, inspired by her favorite poet and activist Audre Lorde’s quote: “Your silence will not protect you.” 🐝

Here are Izzy’s favorite ways to Cultivate more...

Wellness: Prioritizing quality time outdoors and offline 🌻
Community: Enjoying local Chicago cafes and events with friends ☕
Joy: Dancing and curating soundtracks for every season of life 🎶

11/14/2025

We are ecstatic to announce that Cultivate Collective has won the Climate Champion category at the 2025 Chicago Innovation Awards! 🎉

Founded just three years ago, this recognition is an incredible honor for our small but mighty nonprofit. We have been overjoyed to witness the invaluable impact of our mission on our southwest Chicago community.

Our environment impacts everything—and it’s our responsibility to create more vibrant, resilient, and equitable outcomes for all 💚

Congrats to our founder Sarah Elizabeth Ippel, our director Kris de la Torre, and our entire community of staff and supporters for this achievement!

Address

4942 West 44th Street
Chicago, IL
60638

Telephone

+17732345848

Website

http://www.cultivate-collective.org/

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