Applications are now being accepted for the 2023 Master Gardener Volunteer training offered by UF/IFAS Extension Clay County.
UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener Volunteers are educators who work alongside agents to deliver workshops, answer client questions, develop educational displays and demonstration gardens, and help our community be successful with their gardening endeavors. As the outreach component of the University of Florida, volunteers utilize research-based information and strive for community impact, where clients implement proven practices to protect the environment and increase their gardening skill.
The course this year will be intensive, taking place over 3 weeks in July. Meeting dates will by July 11th, July 14th, July 18th, July 21st, July 25th, and July 28th. Each class will be held from approximately 9am to 4pm. This is a hybrid course which will include online lectures and activities that will need to be completed at home and in-person activities will focus on the application of concepts learned online through hands-on activities, experiences, field trips, and group discussion. This online component should be an additional 6 hours of work per week.
Seating for the program is limited and placement is selective. However, prior gardening experience is not required as the course will aim to give you general horticultural knowledge for Florida to assist clients as well as the required skills to deliver that information and succeed in our program. Applications are online this year and available at https://app.betterimpact.com/Application?OrganizationGuid=7f4fe582-5525-462e-bdc8-914879c157c2&ApplicationFormNumber=1
Applications are due by April 15th, 2023 and all applicants will be asked to schedule a time to meet with the Master Gardener Volunteer coordinator and other volunteers. Following acceptance into the program, there is a one time fee of $150 to cover training material costs. All applicants will also undergo a background screening before being able to volunteer. After completing the course, participants will have until November 15th, 2024 to complete their first 75 hours of volunteer service to become a Master Gardener Volunteer and will need to provide 35 hours of service and attend 10 hours of continuing education training per year to recertify as a volunteer after that.
For a short overview of our Master Gardener Volunteer Program, you can view our promotional video at https://youtu.be/Pymii45PDWY .
If you have any questions, contact Wayne Hobbs at whhobbs@ufl.edu.
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