Meet the Crew: Greenacres Foundation, Partner

We had such a great experience partnering with Greenacres Foundation on a recent equine program (read on for more!). In case you aren't familiar, we wanted to introduce you to this longstanding local organization that focuses on conservation, education and the arts.

Greenacres traces its roots to 1949, when Louis and Louise Nippert bought Greenacres Farm, then 47 acres of land. As they purchased more property, the Indian Hill farm, which operated as a gentleman's farm in the mid-20th century, grew to nearly 600 acres. The Nipperts established the Greenacres Foundation in 1988 "to preserve the land for the education and enjoyment of future generations." Today, Greenacres offers education programs to more than 30,000 students per year while also preserving the property's woodland and farmland. Its mission also includes providing musicians and artists the opportunity to share their talents.

In partnership with Greenacres, we recently offered an awesome equine experience to a small group of Discoverer-level Crew Pathways teens. The three-part program allowed seventh- and eighth-grade students to learn something new about horses each week.

Topics included colors, markings and breeds; horses' basic needs; how to halter, lead and groom; equine anatomy; and mounting and bareback riding. 

"The Greenacres team was exceptional!" Program Director Paige said. "They showed great teamwork with our students, sharing their passion and expertise for horses. Observing them work with our kids was a joy! The feedback I received about the program was overwhelmingly positive. It was such a hit that we're already in the process of adding additional equine adventures for next school year."  

MorganOlivia, an eighth-grade student at SCPA, said she wanted to be part of the adventure because "I've never seen a horse in real life." Paige noticed that Morgan made fast friends with Maddison, an eighth grader at Spencer. "The way they were chatting and hanging out, I would have thought they had been friends for years."

We hope all of these Crew teens ride off into the sunset with new friends and happy memories of their equine experience! Thanks so much to Greenacres for helping us make this adventure possible. We're excited to work together on future programs!