Like to dabble in your community, church, or school gardens? Like giving your neighbor a helping hand on how to grow herbs, vegetables, and fruit? Interested in urban sustainable food systems, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, and water conservation?
Then the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Master Gardener Volunteer (MGV) program at Extension Broward County is the place for you.
Applications for one of the most popular Master Gardener Volunteer training programs in the state is now available online. Deadline to apply is Friday, December 18, 2020, with interviews taking place in January and classes for the 2021 MGV training program starting in February. For the first time, a scholarship program has been designed for interested participants who might not otherwise be able to financially pay the complete cost of the training fee.
UF/IFAS Extension, Broward County MGV program fees are $475 with $200 being refunded once participants complete the training and have provided 75 hours of MGV work in the first year. While the scholarship provides $275 toward the total fee, the scholarship recipient is required to provide a good faith deposit of $200. Once the scholarship participant completes the training and meets the 75-hour volunteer requirement during the first year, scholarship recipients are refunded their $200 deposit resulting in the class being zero cost.
For the second year in a row, the program will be conducted virtually with two classes a week for 16 weeks. Hands-on projects, reading assignments and demonstrations are held online making the program easy for participants to engage.
MGV members play a vital role in the community alongside UF/IFAS Extension.
“By joining the UF/IFAS Extension Broward County MGV program you will be participating in urban horticulture, as well as learning about commercial horticulture, food and consumer sciences, and 4-H programs,” said Lorna Bravo.
For more information and questions about the Master Gardener Volunteer training, contact Anthony Gross at Anthony.Gross@ufl.edu at 954-756-8525.
