Mayor Wu Joins President Thompson to Celebrate Youth-Built Greenhouse in Mission Hill

The Mission Hill community gathered at the Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) Tobin Community Center on Thursday to celebrate a new, youth-built community greenhouse.

Designed and constructed by local high school students through Wentworth Institute of Technology's SummerFAB program, the installation supports the ongoing neighborhood initiatives of Sociedad Latina, a Mission Hill-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering Latino youth and families through leadership development, education, workforce readiness, and civic engagement.

The community ceremony, which coincided with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's neighborhood office hours, drew a large crowd of local residents, youth groups, and city officials.

"We need every bit of people coming together in the world right now," Mayor Wu told the crowd. "We want to be the place that is safe and beautiful and welcoming and creating opportunity for every generation."

The greenhouse project first took root in May 2025, when Johanna Sena, Wentworth's Senior Director of City & Community Engagement, convened an introductory meeting between Sociedad Latina and Wentworth's Pre-College team, led by Director Andreas Armenis and Associate Director Loretta Stephens-Smith.

During that meeting, Sociedad Latina shared their resident-driven vision for the Tobin Community Garden. Local youth advocated strongly for the addition of a greenhouse to expand their ability to cultivate transplants, grow fresh vegetables, and host peer-led workshops focused on food justice and environmental sustainability.

Wentworth answered the call through SummerFAB, a four-week commuter program that introduces Boston-area high school students to architecture, design, fabrication, and construction through interdisciplinary, project-based learning. Seventeen local high school students participated in the summer cohort, gaining hands-on experience in conceptual design, model-making, and full-scale construction.

Boston Centers for Youth & Families Commissioner Marta Rivera highlighted the deep roots of the institutional alliance, praising Wentworth's willingness to consistently step up for the neighborhood.

"We are very grateful again for our partners, and Wentworth in particular in terms of an institutional partner," Rivera said. She noted that Wentworth's commitment goes far beyond building physical structures, ranging from the university's volleyball coaches training local athletic staff to lending campus space for three consecutive years for Sociedad Latina's professional development academy.

"They never say no, and they are just constantly giving," said Rivera.

Wentworth President Mark Thompson then took the microphone to emphasize how the project perfectly encapsulates the university's core educational philosophy.

"One of the things that makes Wentworth unique is our commitment to a hands-on, project-based learning approach," Thompson said. "Through SummerFAB, students did more than learn about design and construction-they applied those skills to address a community need."

Thompson emphasized that the structure does more than cultivate plants; it cultivates future professionals. "This project demonstrates that students can be both learners and contributors, creating tangible impact while developing valuable professional skills," he said.

Boston City Councilor At-Large Henry Santana also praised the collaboration, using his platform to rally support for the student builders and celebrate youth civic involvement.

"Can we clap for our young people who are here today being civically engaged?" Santana asked the crowd.

Highlighting the collective effort required to elevate neighborhoods like Mission Hill, Santana added, "There's a lot of work to be done, and we need to do it in partnership with community."

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