INDUSTRY NEWS professionals in green industries has never been greater. Green Career Week bridges the gap between students and industry leaders, cultivating a future workforce prepared to address these challenges with innovative solutions.
“ Horticulture lies at the intersection of science, art and sustainability,” said Jazmin Albarran, executive director of Seed Your Future.“ Through Green Career Week, we aim to spark curiosity and passion in young people, showing them how green careers empower them to make a lasting impact on the world.”
Throughout the week, participating businesses, organizations and educational institutions collaborated to showcase horticulture’ s vital role in daily life. Activities highlighted career paths ranging from landscaping and plant science to sustainable agriculture and urban forestry. Students, educators and industry professionals came together for hands-on demonstrations, facility tours, mentoring sessions and more.
Since its launch in 2022, Green Career Week has reached more than 15,000 students, connected them with more than 500 companies, and fostered countless relationships that have led to meaningful career opportunities in the green industry.
How to get involved with Green Career Week in the future:
For educators: Host classroom discussions, plan field trips, or invite industry professionals to speak about green careers.
For industry professionals: Partner with schools to offer hands-on demonstrations, facility tours or mentoring opportunities.
For students: Explore your interests by participating in activities, asking questions, and learning about the various roles in the green industry.
Seed Your Future offers free resources to help participants plan and execute Green Career Week activities, including lesson plans, career guides and promotional materials. These tools are designed to make it easy for everyone to join the movement and showcase the value of green careers.
2025 PGMS Green Star Awards application is open
The annual Green Star Awards Program, presented by the Professional Grounds Management Society( PGMS), brings national recognition to grounds maintained with a high degree of excellence. The program complements other national landscape award programs that recognize outstanding landscape design and construction.
This program salutes the grounds superintendent responsible for maintaining a well-manicured landscape year round. Grand, Honor and Merit Awards are offered in 16 categories, covering all types of private, public, commercial and industrial landscapes. To qualify for entry, a landscape must be at least two years old and under your continuous maintenance for at least two years.
The goals of the Green Star Award program are: To bring national recognition to grounds manicured with a high degree of excellence. To recognize individual professional efforts leading to high maintenance standards and high quality appearance of the landscape. To challenge those responsible for maintenance of grounds throughout the country to achieve a higher level of excellence.
Awards are presented during the PGMS School of Grounds Management Annual Conference held in conjunction with the Equip Expo in Louisville, Kentucky each year. Award winners are featured in the PGMS newsletter,“ the Forum,” and are featured on social media. The application for the 2025 Green Star Awards is now open. The application will close on June 15, 2025. The entry fee is $ 275 for members or $ 400 for others. For more information, visit https: / pgms. org / page / GreenStarAwards. sportsfieldmanagementonline. com April 2025 | SportsField Management
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