To mark its tenth anniversary and the start of a new school year, the Maryville Jen School will host its second annual “Jammin’ with Jen” event on Friday, September 9, 2016. Featuring a farm-to-table dinner created with fresh produce from the Jen School garden, the celebration will also showcase the students’ commitment to healthy eating, good nutrition and grass-roots environmentalism.
The Maryville Jen School provides specialized academic and vocational opportunities for young men ages 12-21, who are experiencing academic, emotional, behavioral or cognitive challenges. The garden serves as a cornerstone of the Jen School’s vocational program.
The “Jammin’ with Jen” festivities will take place from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Maryville’s Des Plaines Campus, 1150 N. River Road. Along with beer and wine, hors d’oeuvres and sumptuous buffet dining under the big tent, “Jammin’ with Jen” will feature live classic rock and Chicago-style blues from The Poker Night Band.
“Jammin’ with Jen” will also include tours of the Jen School’s garden and greenhouse. The latter was completed in 2015 with support from Hilton Worldwide and The Rivers Foundation Des Plaines Community Giving Program. The Jen School garden, which was started in 2008 with six vegetable beds, now contains 28 raised garden beds, a dozen flower boxes and a dozen fruit trees. The garden and greenhouse provide students with hands-on learning experiences designed to increase academic performance and vocational skills.
“When students are in the garden or working in the greenhouse, they are learning math, science, nutrition, social skills, as well as vocational skills,” said Jen School Principal Ann Craig. “Nearly every curriculum area is intergraded in a hands-on experiential approach to learning. The garden and the greenhouse are utilized as extended classrooms.”
Tickets for “Jammin’ with Jen” are $70 per person. This is an event for adults 21 and older. All proceeds benefit the Maryville Jen School and its students. To buy tickets, please click here.
For more information about “Jammin’ with Jen,” or to learn how you can support the Jen School as a donor or a sponsor, please contact Tina Restivo-Hock at restivo-hockt@maryvilleacademy.org or 847-294-1982.
