The Greenhouse Effect prepares special needs students at Ridge High School for horticultural and other occupational fields and provides important life skills  needed for safe and productive experiences after graduation.  General education students interested in gardening and small business development will be paired with special needs students as peer mentors in this program. The key feature of this program is a fully operational greenhouse on the Ridge High School campus.

The focus of the Greenhouse Effect is to develop employment readiness through functional academics, purposeful vocational assessments and appropriate horticulture work experiences on the high school campus as well as in the local community.  Other significant benefits include the development of business and mentoring skills; increased knowledge and training relating to biology, horticulture and the environment; better financial literacy and the opportunity to collaborate with community organizations.