Spring 2025 at The Common|Wealth was a time of growth, laying the foundation for an abundant summer season. Cooler spring weather delayed planting on the farm, while warm, indoor spaces like the Hoop Houses, Shelves of Life, Smart Pod, and Healing Garden Teahouse were bursting with seedlings ready to transplant as soon as the temperature warmed. Before long, the Community Farm and Gardens were bountiful with produce and seedlings ready for the launch of Well-ness Wednesdays & Neighborhood Markets and our peak summer season. Sweet Water Communiversity programming also thrived, with the RND [Re]Search Internship, Seeding the Future, and Neighborhood Academy programs in full swing throughout the Spring. As vital components of our practice, carpentry and Civic Arts were continually integrated throughout the season as we continued to cultivate The Common|Wealth and GROW the neighborhood.

Fall 2024 at The Commonwealth has been a period of recalibration and renewal of our routines, rituals, and reflections in preparation for the close of 2024 and the year ahead. Weekly Farmer’s Markets have continued in full swing with vibrant produce, featuring music by Human-in-Residence, Charles Pryor, and new Civic Arts activities such making smudge sticks and designing Prop Blocks. The SWF team has also been working hard to ready the land, spaces, and structures at The Commonwealth for the impending winter ahead by reconstructing and repairing hoop house infrastructure and organizing indoor spaces to accommodate work and programming over winter. 

The fall season of Sweet Water Communiversity programming was jam-packed as we welcomed a new cohort of RND Research Interns, launching Community Building Wednesdays, are co-leading a college course on Artificial Intelligence and urban design, and delivering hands-on arts, cultural, and Urban Ecology programming to more than 100 students from across the Chicagoland area and the world. 

Summer 2024 was jam-packed with weekly rituals, special events, visitors from across the globe, and a lot of hard work amidst a hot Chicago summer. Sweet Water Communiversity was in full swing, welcoming neighbors, youth, a new cohort of Urban Ecology Global Fellows, and Values-Based Partners to The Commonwealth and engaging the community in the weekly rituals of Wellness Wednesdays, Friday Market, and Civic Arts programming. 

This spring has brought varied temperature swings, which has meant plenty of time to balance indoor and outdoor activities. In March, Sweet Water Communiversity welcomed its first groups of the year from near and far to The Commonwealth for immersions, ranging from a few hours to a few days with the SWF team. Students from Howard University, Lake Forest College, and Chicago Public Schools spent part of their spring break cultivating life alongside the SWF team and Community. We invite you to read more about the immersions at The Commonwealth.