Cooke's Greenhouse Rehabilitation Project:

The Andrew Cooke Magnet School Greenhouse has been sitting idle and used as storage since the early 1990's.  Since the 2008 - 2009 school year, Andrew Cooke Magnet School has aggressively started fundraising in order to rehabilitate our greenhouse.  It has taken a team approach, but we have raised over $16,000 so far thanks to the Pepsi Refresh Challenge, our wonderful PTO, Carson Pirie Scott Community Days, a school walk-a-thon, selling environmental picture books, and private donations.

To date we have replaced our roof and installed a new irrigation system.  Next on our list is the replacement of our venting system to control the heating and cooling of the greenhouse.

We are currently using our greenhouse; yet to be fully operational, additional support is needed.  Donations of seeds, plants, pots, childrens' gardening gloves, gardening tools and financial assistance would be greatly appreciated.

I can be reached at:

Mr. Todd Freer

Andrew Cooke Magnet School, Science Teacher

Greenhouse Rehabilitation Project

522 Belvidere

Waukegan, IL 60085

847-360-5463 (Work)

To see our progress BEFORE and AFTER pictures, please click on these links and also enjoy videos of students working from the growing Green Curriculum.

The following link is to a commercial that aired on NBC 5 starting November 3, 2010.  It speaks about our Greenhouse Rehabilitation Project.  It was created by the Pepsi Refresh Challenge program after Andrew Cooke Magnet School was awarded a Pepsi Refresh grant during the 2009 - 2010 school year.  Take a look!!

This blog shows some of the national recognition our Greenhouse Rehabilitation Project has gotten.  Please read what has been going on and what lies ahead for the students at Andrew Cooke!

Cooke's Greenhouse progress has been been featured in a nation-wide commercial airing on ABC 7.  When watching tv, look out for the spot!  You can see the clip here...look at the center frame about 19 seconds in.  Cooke students are highlighted working in the greenhouse.