LOWELL — Superintendent Greg Hudon is pleased to report that more than 40 city youth participated in a riding program at Strongwater Farm in Tewksbury this month thanks to support from Lowell Public Schools and the Shannon Community Safety Initiative grant from the Office of Grants and Research, an agency that is part of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

The program was offered to youth ages 10 to 14, from July 8 to August 2 at Strongwater Farm – Therapeutic Equestrian Center, which worked in collaboration with Lowell Police. Funding was provided by the Shannon Community Safety Initiative, which seeks to support at-risk youth across the Commonwealth. Additional funding was provided by a Butler Foundation grant received by Strongwater Farm.

The program included eight groups of youth, each of whom participated in a weeklong course at the farm.

The goal of the program is to help youth build relationships with police officers, while also helping the students gain self-confidence. Youth and police officers learn to work with horses slowly over the course of the week-long program, initially learning to bond with and groom the horses, building confidence in interacting with them. Leading and eventually riding the horses comes later in the program, which builds teamwork and more.

Lowell Public Schools provided breakfast for the morning program at the farm, and lunch for the afternoon program, as well as a college intern and teacher who helped work with the children. Transportation to and from the farm was paid for with funding from the Shannon Community Safety Initiative.

Lowell Police Officers who staffed the program include Officers Korey Rudy, Emmanual Antonetty and Dominic Lessieur.

The program is one of several initiatives organized by Lowell Police Youth Services, which seeks to create opportunities for all city youth. LPYS oversees after-school activities, athletics, and other ventures that emphasize health and wellness.

“Our riding program at Strongwater Farm is a great initiative that helps city youth who may not otherwise have the opportunity to interact with and ride horses,” said Superintendent Hudon. “Youth are able to have fun, experience new things, and get to know police officers in a setting that puts everyone on even footing. This program helps us build trust with youth, which is a key focus of our department’s community policing efforts.”

“We have been thrilled to see these young people, many of whom have never had the chance to interact with a horse. The way their faces light up after that first encounter is always heartwarming,” said Kassandra Kehoe, program director at Strongwater Farm. “It has been an honor for us to teach these at-risk youth about healthy relationships, boundaries, responsibility, and partnership. Our aim is to equip these kids for success in their daily interactions, with the hope that it will positively influence their future as young adults. Horses are amazing life teachers, and we are grateful to share this experience with the community.”

“Being able to spend time with and learn from horses is a unique opportunity that provides tremendous social and emotional growth benefits and is not often available for city kids,” said Superintendent of Schools Liam Skinner. “We are eternally grateful for the time the Lowell Police spend with our students and the truly impactful programs they run, including this incredible collaboration with the generous people at Strongwater Farm.”

“The Shannon Community Safety Initiative provides opportunities for at-risk youth to thrive through prosocial programming, positive interactions with law enforcement and activities that help them grow and learn. The Lowell Police Department and other Shannon partners have done incredible work helping young people avoid violence and make positive life choices,” said Kevin Stanton, Executive Director of the Office of Grants and Research. “I’d like to thank the Healey Administration and the Legislature for their continued support of the Shannon program.”

To learn more about the Shannon Community Safety Initiative, visit https://shannoncsi.com/.

To learn more about Strongwater Farm, visit https://strongwaterfarm.org/.