North Lawndale's CCA Academy cultivates change through urban agriculture program

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A charter school on Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood is planting the seeds of change in the lives of its students.

For the entire month of March, CCA Academy is hosting a virtual fundraiser to support its innovative urban agriculture program.

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The program gives students hands-on experience nurturing plants, chickens, and aquaponics systems. This fundraiser will help ensure students can continue to earn their high school diplomas and realize a future filled with hope and opportunity.

In 2017, CCA Academy began planning a food forest to cover six city lots in North Lawndale.

Now, the program is part of a broader community mission, showcasing how urban farming is not just about growing food, but also about cultivating hope, resilience, and community transformation.

In 2024, CCA gardens provided the community with 1,080 pounds of fresh produce, 400 plants, 300 eggs, and honey. The students gained academic knowledge and confidence through nurturing plants and animals.

Chief Education Officer Myra Sampson visited ABC7, along with urban farmer Isaiah Alexander, to talk more about this mission to transform lives though agriculture.