Through our programs and place-making initiatives, Experimental Station works to create tangible, positive experiences of change. Whether it’s offering children the exhilarating freedom of riding a bike, giving community members greater confidence in maintaining their own bicycle, helping families access fresh, healthy food….

Experimental Station’s mission is to build independent cultural infrastructure by providing essential resources that respond to local needs. Our programs address food insecurity, strengthen Illinois’ food system, provide youth with enriching educational opportunities, foster creativity and the arts, and enhance community wellbeing.

Let’s turn to a week in mid-May 2025. Senior Program Manager Emily Cross and her team were busy bringing food education to life with students at Carnegie Elementary School and maintaining the hoop house garden at Jackson Park Terrace—all while preparing for the first Saturday market of the outdoor season.

Growing up in Woodlawn, Chantrel Lee found more than a bike at Blackstone Bicycle Works (BBW)—she found a safe haven. 

From 2005 to 2009, Chantrel participated in BBW’s youth program. “It [BBW] became a place where we were welcomed,” she recalls. “We learned to fix bikes, earned our own, and had a place just to be ourselves.”

As a single mother, Itzel Gonzalez needed support to care for herself and her child, so she recently applied for Link (SNAP) to help stretch her food budget. When she learned that the 61st Street Farmers Market accepts Link and matches Link purchases, she was intrigued.

Link Up Illinois has seen a 50% increase in SNAP customers at partner locations statewide. In August alone, more than 25,000 SNAP users per week received Link Match and brought home over $275,000 of fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Link Up Illinois’ Link Match is now available at 28 stores across 20 neighborhoods in Illinois—including some of Chicago’s most food-insecure neighborhoods, such as South Shore, West Englewood, Garfield Park, Douglas, Gage Park, and Austin. 

This summer, BBW took the lead in organizing ‘Fly The Co-op.’ This first-ever collaborative ride brought together five nonprofit bike shops across the city to celebrate community cycling, youth programs, and shared commitment to bike equity. 

Despite being one of the nation’s agricultural powerhouses, Illinois grows little food, importing most of our food from California and other states and countries. In fact, less than 5% of the food we actually eat is produced here, making Illinois severely food insecure.