Herbalism Apprenticeship
Engage with plants, build a relationship with plants, and learn to use plants for personal, family, and community healing
The Urban Growers Collective Community Herbalism Apprenticeship offers the opportunity for participants to engage with plants; to build a relationship with plants; and, ultimately, to use plants for personal, family, and community healing.
The program is for: People interested in the practice and field of herbalism from seed to remedy
Program goal: Gaining herbalism knowledge focused on self healing, family healing and communal healing
Curriculum includes: Seeding, planting and transplanting, nurturing, harvesting, processing, preserving, and collecting seeds. Participants also learn to identify and observe the wild plants “volunteering” alongside those intentionally planted.
Program length: 100 hours. This hybrid, in-person and virtual program includes opportunities to engage with herbs on UGC farms and in-person and virtual workshops.
Annual tuition: Sliding scale from $500 to $1,500, with a $100 materials fee
Together, we will learn to :
Identify wild and cultivated plants in all stages of growth
Tend plants for healthy propagation and appropriate maintenance
Harvest plants for use; understand best practices in harvesting wild and cultivated plants
Make herbal preparations
Learn core concepts of herbalism
Track current and past herbal trends
Create a materia medica based on observation and reputable resources
Learn herbal actions
Build a community committed to using herbs
Understand body systems
Explore non-Western herbal traditions
Examine political impact and roots of herbalism
Explore spiritual herbalism
Learn cultural roots of herbalism
Explore spiritual dimensions of herbalism
If you have further questions, please contact programming@urbangrowerscollective.org
Applications for the 2024 Herbalism Apprenticeship Program are now closed. Submit the form below to join our waiting list and be the first to know when applications open in 2025.
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We give priority to applicants who have been involved with UGC in some way — such as visiting our South Chicago Farm, attending a tour or herb walk, or volunteering.