Helping High School Students Get Green
 Big business likes to align itself with higher education. In Waterloo Region there is almost an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the support that successful companies gives to the universities and colleges. From 23-year-old entrepreneurs donating $1 million to the University of Waterloo or global engineering firms supplying $4 million worth of electronic courseware to Conestoga College, it seems almost quaint when a small business chooses to throw its money and support behind high school students. Especially since the support is intended to help these high school students get out of class and into digging dirt, creating gardens, pruning orchards and tending to goats. But that's exactly what Rob Tester of TNT Property Maintenance is doing as his companyassistshigh school students learn about horticulture and environmental stewardship.

For the last 10 years, Tester has made it part of his business philosophy to bring horticultural expertise to the secondary school curriculum and create opportunities for young people to excel in this industry. From founding the Annual Regional Landscape Skills Competition for Secondary Students to chairing the Waterloo Region District School Board's landscape/horticulture advisory council or organizing Skills Ontario competitions for landscape students, Tester thrives on seeing young men and women blossom into avid horticulturists as they immerse themselves into the hands-on world of landscaping.

"Helping to give these kids an opportunity to learn about environmental stewardship and about creating living, growing spaces and knowing that some of them will continue this as a career or as a life long hobby, is very fulfilling," says Tester, who employees 12 highly trained landscape specialists in his property maintenance business, including two apprentices straight from high school.
 
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