On June 10 – 12, the HLA department hosted 16 high school students for the 4-H Academy. They participated in several activities: Landscape Architecture, student farm tour, Ross-Ade tour, baseball stadium tour, turf center activities, Exploring Plant Natural Product Chemistry, extraction of pigments from leaves, and a tour of the HLA greenhouses. These activities were…Read more about HLA Hosts 4-H Academy “Living Landscapes”[Read More]
Last week, Purdue Meigs farm hosted 8 classes of 3rd graders from West Lafayette Elementary School. Peter Hirst, Jay Young, Brian Shilling and Wil Brown-Grimm led the field tours and the kids had so much fun they didn’t realize they were learning about agriculture, photosynthesis, and genetics. Hopefully some of them will be back in…Read more about Third graders Learn about Agriculture at Meigs[Read More]
This week marked the second session of Grandparents University, where 44 enthusiastic grandparents and grandchildren joined Karen Mitchell and Vicki Stirm for a hands-on floral experience. The session began with an introduction to the HLA, highlighting exciting career paths and programs like Consumer Horticulture and the Master Gardener initiative. Participants then dove into the ever-popular…Read more about Vicki Stirm and Karen Mitchell Hosts Second Week of Grandparents University[Read More]
On July 17, 2025, Karen Mitchell, Karen Sullivan, and Vicki Stirm led a fun and engaging session as part of Grandparents University. They welcomed about 35 grandparents and their grandchildren, ages 7 to 14, for a special experience on campus. As part of the Grandparents University program, families come to campus, select a “major,” attend…Read more about HLA Welcomes Grandparents University[Read More]
This summer, students at the Felege Hiywot Center in Indianapolis are diving into hands-on learning, thanks to innovative programming led by Dr. Kathryn Orvis and supported by a grant from North Central SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education). One of the highlights? Pickle making! Students are learning the science and technique behind food preservation while…Read more about Dr. Kathryn Orvis Brings Pickle-Making and More to Felege Hiywot Center[Read More]
On Friday, June 27th, the College of Agriculture’s Office of Academic Programming partnered with Vicki Stirm to host an exciting hands-on experience for 42 Juntos 4-H students from across Indiana. These junior high and middle school students rotated through 40-minute sessions designed to introduce them to the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture (HLA) and…Read more about Juntos 4-H Students Explore HLA Careers and Plant Propagation at Purdue[Read More]
Purdue University’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture welcomed ten students for the 4-H Plant Science Academy, Living Landscapes, led by Dr. Kathryn Orvis. Students explored Vegetative Propagation and participated in activities including tours of the Purdue Sports Turf Facilities, Student Farm, and Meigs Farm. They also explored essential oils and plant chemistry with Dr….Read more about HLA Hosts 4-H Living Landscapes Academy[Read More]
On Friday, July 12, Vicki Stirm and Karen Mitchell hosted the C-PASA (Cargill- Purdue Agribusiness and Science Academy) High School students. Participants toured the student farm, led by two summer interns. After that, they returned to campus and learned how an orchardist knows when to harvest apples, as well as did a blind taste test…Read more about HLA’s Youth Outreach in July[Read More]
