After 22 years as CitySprouts’ leader, I will be stepping down from my position as executive director. It’s been more than 22 years, if I count the couple of years when Joe Petner, Maria Rader, Jen James, Jamillah Bakr and I were hatching this audacious plan to integrate garden-based learning in a handful of the Cambridge elementary schools. Our vision was to extend and deepen children’s knowledge about and relationship with the natural world through garden-based learning. And we did. CitySprouts’ garden educators now work with teachers and their students in 24 public elementary schools to bring hands-on science learning through the garden to thousands of Boston and Cambridge students each year. CitySprouts’ Young Leaders Program continues garden-based learning and environmental stewardship for middle school-aged youth in our summer and after school program, where kids continue to explore the natural world through growing gardens and connecting with their community as environmental stewards. 

CitySprouts has a strong board of directors and excellent senior staff in Therecia, Solomon and Jessica. I am confident in a successful executive director transition and new era for CitySprouts. I have mixed feelings about not being CitySprouts’ executive director forever. But mostly I feel excitement about the opportunities that will be available to CitySprouts with new leadership. 

As I take this personal step away from an organization I love and believe in with my whole being, I ask if you will support CitySprouts as much as you can as it moves through this transition. I am departing just as CitySprouts is once again growing into a bigger shell. We’ve just brought on 3 new Boston school partners, increasing our Early Start in Science program reach by 25%. We’re giving more kids in more neighborhoods  the chance to learn important new skills and explore what it means to them to be an environmental steward through our Young Leaders Program. I am leaving my role of CitySprouts’ executive director but of course I will always be CitySprouts’ founding director, and do all that I can from a different seat to help bring this amazing vision to fruition. I hope you will too.