Meet Felicia, a new Garden Educator at CitySprouts! Felicia brings her experience as a public school teacher and love for gardening to nurture her students’ curiosity for the outdoors! She aspires to nurture spaces where students can learn the science of gardening, cultivate meaningful relationships, and develop confidence in their abilities.

Meet Dani, one of CitySprouts’ newest Garden Educators! Dani is passionate about creating spaces where students can explore, learn, and grow outside the traditional classroom. She brings her love for gardening, curiosity, and connection to help youth develop responsibility, gentleness, and confidence in the garden.

Meet Emaline, CitySprouts’ 2025–2026 Youth Education Coordinator through TerraCorps! Emaline will be supporting CitySprouts’ Garden Educators and programs across Cambridge and Boston. She’s excited to bring her passion for environmental education to CitySprouts’ mission of connecting young people to food, nature, and each other.

Susan is the Executive Director of CitySprouts, working alongside dedicated educators, staff, and students. She believes gardens can be powerful spaces where young people explore, belong, and see themselves as scientists. In this spotlight, Susan reflects on what inspires her and shares her hopes for the future of youth garden education.

We are excited to welcome members of Northeastern University's iGEM Club this summer, who are lending their time and care for our Boston school gardens! Our summer volunteers are essential to keeping our gardens and our mission thriving. We are deeply grateful for their generous support.

Melissa Wender joined CitySprouts as a Garden Educator in 2021 and now leads as Program Director, shaping the garden science curriculum used across our partner schools. With a deep belief in joyful, curiosity-driven learning, she brings creativity and care to everything from lesson design to Canva layouts. Outside the garden, Melissa is a Scrabble enthusiast, nature wanderer, and devoted fan of The Golden Compass universe. Find out more about Melissa in the blog!

Maddie brings heart, humor, and a hands-on spirit to every garden they support. As our Garden Operations Manager, they make sure every space has what it needs to thrive—tools, plants, and a whole lot of love. From welcoming new volunteers to dreaming up artful signs, Maddie helps turn our gardens into places where students and community members alike can grow, explore, and feel at home in the natural world.

Hazel brings a love of the outdoors and a passion for growing food to every garden lesson. Now in her second year with CitySprouts, she finds joy in watching students grow more confident in the garden—from recognizing plants they planted as kindergarteners to high-fiving bumblebees. Whether she’s connecting cafeteria food to farms or encouraging students to notice nature in their neighborhoods, Hazel makes the garden a place of wonder, learning, and fun.

Meet Jordan Finkelstein, our Senior Garden Educator at Peabody Elementary, Orchard Gardens, and Samuel Mason. He finds joy in watching kids recognize the plants they grew, make cultural connections through food, and embrace patience as they learn how things grow. Whether he’s debunking gardening myths, encouraging hands-on exploration, or advocating for more cargo pockets, Jordan makes every moment in the garden engaging and meaningful.

Meet Stella Dzialas, our Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator serving through TerraCorps! Since joining CitySprouts in September, Stella has been a key part of keeping our gardens thriving. With a passion for urban green space and outdoor education, she brings her love for hands-on learning into everything she does. Learn more about Stella’s journey, her favorite foods, and her hopes for the future of garden education on the blog!