The Greenhouse Academy - Educating the Next Generation to Create a Greener Tomorrow
The Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign is honoured to be able to, not only plant trees to pay tribute to our service members, but also seed the horticultural industry for tomorrow by engaging with our youth in the process. Since 2019, we have been purchasing tree stock from Greenhouse Academy, a company committed to teaching students about the importance of environmental stewardship and community.
Despite the unprecedented times caused by COVID-19, 2020 was an impactful year of growth and development at the Greenhouse Academy. Here are some of the amazing things they have been able to do over the last 12 months:
1. The Planter’s Barn officially registered the Greenhouse Academy as a not-for-profit organization:
For the last 5 years, The Planter’s Barn corporation has provided educational programming to students through a pilot program called the Greenhouse Academy. To start the 2020 year, Greenhouse Academy was officially registered as a not-for-profit organization. With this new designation and 3 passionate board members, the Greenhouse Academy is now ready to mark its place in the community.
2. Certificate Training Program Participants:
One imminent goal of the Greenhouse Academy this year was to provide workplace certificate programs that could help connect youth to employment in green industries. Greenhouse Academy has now established a 6-week job training certificate program designed for participants to build valuable experiences and workplace knowledge, taking on responsibility and leadership roles in a greenhouse setting. Within the last 12 months, Greenhouse Academy has seen 20 individuals complete this training program and gain direct access to employment!
3. Co-Operative Education Placements:
Greenhouse Academy is now offering co-operative education placements to both high-school and university level students. In 2020, Greenhouse Academy was able to host 3 co-op placement learning opportunities.
4. Virtual GreenKit Program:
Due to the many restrictions and uncertainties of COVID-19, Greenhouse Academy was unable to host their usual hands-on education programs. Instead, they created the GREENKIT PROGRAM, a 12” x 12” x 6” box delivered to your classroom or straight to your home, full of environmental materials to engage youth in hands-on activities, case studies and research that aims to introduce students to careers in green industries. Through accessing online resources provided by LANDSCAPE ONTARIO, participants were tasked with exploring a vast variety of careers they may have never considered before, creating a greater understanding of all of the opportunities that exist throughout this industry.
5. Vegetable Garden Project
Greenhouse Academy is not only passionate about introducing youth to careers in green industries, they are also very committed to educating youth about the environment and food sustainability. This year, they were able to create an incredibly unique learning space for youth to enjoy the process of growing food outdoors. NOVA CRAFT CANOE generously donated 12 canoes, that have now been transformed into planters that will be used for growing produce for the community.
6. Food Sustainability - Grow Your Own Vegetable Kit
In Spring 2020, at the early stages of COVID-19, Greenhouse Academy experienced many concerning questions regarding food security and sustainability. They wanted to use the opportunity to engage youth in this discussion and created the Greenhouse Academy GROW-KIT. Purchasers of the GROW-KIT received a large compostable pot, complete with the materials to grow their own Pizza Kit, Spaghetti Kit, or Garden Salad Kit. Kits were distributed throughout London, ON, providing a great growing opportunity for small patios, porches, apartment balconies, etc.
7. Plant Production
What makes the Greenhouse Academy so unique is that they use plant material as their main resource for learning about all kinds of life and workplace skills. Through the production, growth, sale, and shipment of plants, Greenhouse Academy is able to emphasize transferable workplace skills such as teamwork, leadership, commitment, production, sales, marketing, and so much more to the youth that they work with.
This year, the Greenhouse Academy provided over 1,500 trees to the Highway Of Heroes Tree Campaign. The Greenhouse Academy has supported the campaign for a couple of years now, allowing the GHA to connect youth to even greater learning experiences and establish an even greater purpose behind the work that happens inside their facility.
We are so inspired by the work of the Greenhouse Academy to encourage today’s youth to work in green industries, as this will create a healthier and more harmonious tomorrow.
Great job, Greenhouse Academy! Here’s to an even better 2021!
If you missed our last post about GHA, make sure that you check it our here.