Six-week initiative combines healing, life skills, innovation, and hands-on pathways for Union County youth

ROSELLE, N.J., July 9, 2026 — Boxwood Learning Center is giving 10 young people a place to belong this summer while introducing them to two bold learning pathways: hydroponics and FAA drone pilot training.

The six-week pilot program meets Monday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and is designed to help youth heal, learn, and grow through restorative circles, life-skills development, nutritious meals, and hands-on STEM experiences.

“At first glance, hydroponics and FAA drone pilot training may seem like two completely different worlds,” said Marie Thelusma-Chase, Founder and CEO of Boxwood Learning Center. “But both experiences stretch the minds of young people. They help them think differently, solve problems, build confidence, and imagine new possibilities for their future.”

Each day begins with a restorative justice healing circle or a life skills workshop. From there, youth share a meal and settle into a welcoming space designed to feel safe, comfortable, and real. Some play pool. Others relax in bean chairs, watch a show on TV, hit the punching bag, or gather around the kitchen island — the heart of the space, where everyone naturally comes together.

Young people often describe Boxwood’s environment as feeling more like a friend’s home than an agency. That is intentional. The “Chill Spot” is designed to look and feel like an apartment — without the bedrooms — so youth can experience comfort, belonging, and community.

Right next door is Boxwood’s new 900-square-foot STEM Spot, which includes new computers, a Boxwood store where youth can showcase products and services, and a hydroponic room. Upstairs is the Learning Spot, where GED preparation and drone classes take place.

The hydroponic growing feature includes a vertical PVC lettuce wall design measuring approximately five feet across and six feet high. The structure reflects Boxwood’s goal of making green innovation visible, practical, and exciting for young people as they learn how food can be grown in fresh, modern ways.

Together, these spaces create a pathway. Youth are not simply attending a summer program. They are moving through an environment built to help them heal, relax, learn, and explore fields connected to technology, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and workforce readiness.

At Boxwood, love has many colors — healing, learning, protection, innovation, food, laughter, and second chances. The hydroponic and drone training experience gives youth room to breathe, room to develop practical skills, and room to imagine who they can become.

Whether they are learning how to grow lettuce without soil or being introduced to FAA drone pilot concepts, participants are being exposed to future pathways they may never have considered before. And as Thelusma-Chase likes to say, “Who knows — your next head of lettuce may one day come from the Boxwood hydroponic program.”

Concept image of Boxwood’s vertical PVC hydroponic lettuce wall design — approximately five feet across and six feet high, with a window on the right side of the room.

The summer program reflects Boxwood Learning Center’s larger mission to support champions on their pathway to success through alternative education, mentoring, career exploration, and restorative community spaces.

About Boxwood Learning Center

Boxwood Learning Center is a nonprofit organization serving youth and young adults through alternative education, GED preparation, tutoring, mentoring, career exploration, restorative circles, and workforce pathways. Founded in 2019, Boxwood supports champions with long-term care and opportunity so they can heal, learn, and thrive.