Are you interested in gardening? Would you like to learn more? Do you enjoy sharing your gardening expertise with others? Then the Master Gardener Program is for you! Master Gardeners are adult volunteers who have an interest in gardening. You do not have to be an expert or have an educational background in horticulture to participate. Master Gardener training consists of 10-12 classes on a wide variety of gardening topics taught by University of Illinois Extension Educators and Specialists. Those who wish to become Certified Master Gardeners then volunteer 60 hours through approved Extension projects back to the Will County community. There is also a non-volunteer option for those who wish to take the Master Gardener Training for personal interest (without certification).
Will County offers Illinois Master Gardener Training three times per year online: Winter, Summer and Fall. Training is offered online via Moodle -all sessions are presented online, and trainees are expected to complete each module within a 2 week period on their own. Each session has a quiz (open book/open note) and there is a final (open book, open note) at the end of the course.
All Extension Volunteers are required to pass a background check before acceptance into the program. Forms will be sent to you within a week of completing this registration.
After local approval, when the state opens registration for the next session (Winter, Spring, Fall), you will be sent a link to register and pay. The registration fee which includes the Illinois Master Gardener Manual is $300. If you have limited financial resources, please contact the coordinator Nancy Kuhajda for other options.
If you have any questions about the Master Gardener Program, feel free to contact the Will County Master Gardener Program Coordinator, Nancy Kuhajda, at kuhajda@illinois.eduor call the Will County Unit Office at: 815-727-9296.