D228 EXCEL Students Visit Ted's Greenhouse

Bremen High School is home to the District 228 Vocational Skills program, EXCEL. EXCEL’s mission is to develop functional academic skills, vocational skills, independent living skills and improve social communication skills. When EXCEL teacher Mrs. Rachel Wnenk had the opportunity to bring her students to a family owned and operated business, she jumped at the opportunity! Mrs. Wnenk, along with Science Supervisor Mr. Steve Granat and Career Readiness Coordinator Mrs. Renee Mack, brought the EXCEL students to Ted’s Greenhouse in Tinley Park. At Ted’s Greenhouse, the owner’s son Dan Biernacki, gave an amazing tour of the facilities. “During our visit, Dan provided a great real world educational experience from farm to table,” Renee Mack, District 228 Career Readiness Coordinator stated, “this experience provided great exposure to the variety of agriculture careers around the south-side of Chicago and may spark a career interest for some of these students.”

This community outing was a perfect match as they are in the middle of taking over the green house that is in Bremen High School’s court yard. Students will be turning the unused gardening beds and greenhouse into a functional learning environment! “When people think of agriculture, farming immediately comes to mind. But it is so much more - food processing, landscaping, horticulture, mechanics, and much more. Our goal is to expose students to other careers that they might not know exist, giving them other options,” said District 228 Science Supervisor Mr. Steven Granat.

“We are so grateful that we were able to take the students to Ted’s Greenhouse! They have an amazing facility; it’s so nice to see a family owned business that is more than 65 years old still thriving today,” exclaimed Wnenk. To find out more about Ted’s Greenhouse, visit their web site at Tedsgreenhouse.com or give them a visit in person at 16930 84th Avenue in Tinley Park.