Green & Grow Apprentices Bundle Up for The White Mountains

The Green & Grow apprentices can climb mountains – literally!  Our ten teens recently returned from the White Mountains where they had the opportunity to get outside the city – and outside their daily routines and stresses – to explore a different kind of nature.  For many of our apprentices, this trip marked not only their first time summiting a mountain but also their first time outside of Boston.  As one apprentice described, “This was a once in a lifetime experience for me…being able to see myself and my peers on top of the mountain.  I felt like we were standing on top of the world.”

In addition to providing young people with the opportunity to work and learn in an urban park, the Green & Grow program seeks to cultivate in teens a sense of connection to the natural world and a responsibility to take care of the environment.  It can be hard to capture the “value” of direct experiences in nature, but we believe that these experiences plant seeds of motivation in teens to actively contribute to building a greener world.  Check out the joy and inspiration in these captured moments!

“I never went out hiking before and with the elevation, I was scared because I don’t like hills. But I loved it when I was at the top. I felt unstoppable and felt like I accomplished a lot, standing up at 2815 feet. I really felt unbeatable at the time.” – Shanese

“The hike to the top of the mountain was an unforgettable moment for me. At one point, everyone felt like giving up but when we got to the top, it was like everybody’s problems went away. I can see myself hiking up a few more mountains and enjoying these views of the outdoors.” – Raynel

“This is something I enjoy doing. I wish I could do this more. I wish I could have a job doing what we did today. I never got tired while we were walking.” – Remy