Orange County Master Gardener Volunteer Program WAITLIST FOR CLASS OF 2019

Thank you for your interest in the Orange County Master Gardener Volunteer Program. The next Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program will start in September 2018. We have a free “Introduction to Master Gardener Volunteer Program” event in April of 2018. Joining this waitlist will allow us to notify you when the event is scheduled and when the Application period for the Master Gardener Program will open.

The Orange County Master Gardener Volunteer Program is a program for training volunteers to answer homeowner garden and landscape questions and provide other volunteer services to the Orange County Extension Education Center. Having advance horticultural knowledge is a plus but not a requirement for the volunteer program. You must be an orange county resident to be accepted into the program.

This program is taught on Tuesdays from 8:30am - 4:30pm with few breaks that requires all agents to be out of their offices. You may not miss more than one weekly class day to complete the 12-14 week program. Class days will be held at the Orange County Extension Education Center in Southeast Orange County and Osceola County Extension Education Center in Kissimmee. One day of training will be at the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center. Tuesdays were selected to ensure the trainees could be present during the normal work day when the majority of homeowners bring their problems to the Plant Clinic or call the office for assistance. There are not enough opportunities during the week end or after normal work days to earn enough volunteer hours to become certified as a Florida Master Gardener.

You will be expected to make one 10-minute presentation to your classmates during the program about a topic we will agree upon. You will be required to complete a 10-hour internship in the Clinic at the Orange County Extension Education Center on Conway Rd. during the training period on days other than class days. This is usually a two-hour shift with five different MGs as mentors. Upon completion of the training program, you will be required to return 75 hours of volunteer service and earn 10 hours of continuing education during the next calendar year to become "Certified" as a Florida Master Gardener.

Registration fee for this class is $175 (subject to change). Payment is required with the application. After the interview process, if you are not accepted into the program, you will receive your money back.

There are many other opportunities for gardening education for your Florida landscape and gardens. Visit our website: http://orange.ifas.ufl.edu look in the right hand column for a box that is labeled “Upcoming Classes and Workshops”. To pre-register for classes that are currently scheduled visit this site: http://gardenflorida.eventbrite.com

We are located at 6021 S. Conway Rd., Orlando, FL 32812.

"The Foundation for the Gator Nation” an Equal Opportunity Institution.