By Meaghan Flaherty, Trustees Staff
On a crisp October day, eight students from the Greater Lawrence Technical School (GLTS) gathered with Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens Horticulturist Kaela Robinson to launch the 2025-26 Landscape & Sustainable Horticulture Program in Residence. In what is now the second year of the program, juniors and seniors from GLTS visit Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens in North Andover every other week to work side-by-side with Kaela and Horticulture Assistant Jan Wirth to tend, nourish, and learn from the property’s gardens, plants, trees, and more.
“The majority of GLTS students will go right into the work force after school and this program provides them with on-the-ground horticulture experience, in everything from planting bulbs to practicing winter pruning,” says Kaela. Additionally, she notes, “These students are our neighbors and visiting Stevens-Coolidge doesn’t always feel accessible or welcoming to them. It’s really important to help them feel comfortable and welcomed—which is something we want to see much more of in general.”
The GLTS group gathered at the vibrant Garden Gateway building, surrounded by late season wildflowers, to hear from property staff and discuss what is expected of this student cohort this year. They then began a tour of the gardens with a visit to a hedgerow planted by this group last spring, which had been funded through a Future Farmers of America Grant. Kaela noted how proud the students were of the progress the shrubs had made.
Next, the students visited the various garden “rooms” that Stevens-Coolidge is so well known for, including a parade of herbs to taste in the French Garden, along with mustard greens and some “Purple Perfume” Brazilian peppers that packed a nice punch. At the end of their tour, the budding horticulture professionals were able to harvest radishes and pumpkins to take home.
Origin Story
Kaela has served on the advisory board of GLTS’s horticulture program for two years and, in this capacity, provides insights and industry trends to help guide the students. The program at Stevens-Coolidge grew out of her advisory board work, as well as from her understanding of the importance of real-world experience in the horticulture field.
After starting with a trial program at the end of the last school year, Kaela is excited to run the program as a full-year program for the first time this year. Just seeing the pride of ownership these students exhibited as they checked in on the hedgerow the seniors had planted as juniors last year brings home the need for this program to continue to grow. “We are excited about this program for many different reasons but certainly one of them is that horticulture can be very difficult to break into as a career, and this gives the students a great head start,” says Kaela.
Having hands-on job experience in high school not only sets these students up with specific skills but also helps them form soft skills like working as a team, problem solving, time management, and more. And, Kaela notes, “Working outside every day is a healthy lifestyle that I feel very passionately about, as well.”
Noting that the group is comprised entirely of young women, Kaela eagerly adds, “There has been more interest in this program from women. They may not be as interested in program schoolwork or opportunities that are focused on masonry or turf management but they are drawn to the chance to learn more about horticulture in a public garden setting.”
Expanding Access for All
As part of the For Everyone, Forever strategic plan, The Trustees is working to expand access for visitors of all needs and backgrounds. Programs like the Claire Saltonstall Education Program on Martha’s Vineyard, partnering with Outdoor Afro to run outdoor hiking and engagement programs at a variety of properties in the Greater Boston area, and the MGH Lurie Center for Autism hosting ASPIRE campers at Powisset Farm in Dover are examples and models of Trustees work that strengthens relationships and provides deeper connections to nature for under-resourced communities throughout the Commonwealth.
