Our GreenSkills program creates an opportunity to solve two of New Haven’s pressing needs: the decline in street tree canopy across the city with more trees removed than planted, and the underemployment of teenage youth.

GreenSkills is a career development program that brings together graduate student and high school interns. The program utilizes both classroom-based and hands-on training delivered by URI staff and Yale graduate student interns to support inner city high school students who wish to learn job skills in urban forestry.

The program was kicked off in the fall of 2007, when the New Haven Department of Parks, Recreation and Trees carried a backlog of citizens’ requests for street trees. Because of our successful partnership with this city agency through the Community Greenspace program, we were the natural partners to plant the backlog of requested trees.

The GreenSkills program recruits high school interns from Common Ground High School, the Foundation School in Milford, and Solar Youth, Inc. GreenSkills aims to monitor and increase New Haven’s street tree canopy by engaging urban high school students in inventory and planting efforts, thereby providing them job skills, experience, and opportunities for mentorship in environmental careers. Planting is done planting is done in the spring months of April and May, and again in the fall months of September through November.

To request a new street tree in front of your house, contact URI at 203-432-6189 or uri@yale.edu.