Rev. 8/23
New Castle County Master Gardeners
Junior Gardener Program FAQs
Note: a “course” or “program” is a Master Gardener presentation. A “class” is one group or classroom of students at your school.
1. I am not in New Castle County. Can I still request a course?
Our charter requires us to limit our programming to New Castle County. You may wish to contact the Master Gardeners in your state/county to find out if they offer a similar program.
2. Are the same courses offered every spring and fall?
We generally are able to offer most of our courses every spring and fall. In addition, occasionally a program may be temporarily unavailable due to the presenter’s schedule or other commitments.
3. How do I sign up for courses?
There is a request form on the website which needs to be filled out and faxed or mailed to the extension office. You will need a separate request for each course you
request. The request form can be found on the same webpage as these FAQs.
4. How much time will it take to schedule a program?
After you submit a request form, allow one to two weeks for a Master Gardener
instructor to contact you. If more than two weeks pass, contact the NCC
Extension office at 831-2506.
5. What do I need to do with the students to prepare for the course?
The presenters may contact you ahead of time for preparation of hand out materials that need to be ready by the time of the class. It may be helpful to speak with the presenter about how the Master Gardener course fits with science material that you are covering in your regular classroom curriculum.
6. Do I need to be in the classroom during the presentation?
Yes. Teachers, not Master Gardener presenters, are responsible for the children’s discipline and the presenters may comment on follow up to be done after the
presentation.
7. What equipment will you need?
Equipment needs will vary depending on the course. You will need to speak with the presenter about what she/he needs for each course.
8. Can we plan on several classes meeting together?
Our experience is that more than one class is very difficult to manage for interactive courses. You will need to discuss this with the individual presenter as you agree on the timing for the presentation.
Rev. 8/23
9. The grade level I teach is not shown for the program I would like my children to see. Can I still request it?
The presentations are designed for the class levels shown. If your grade level is not shown you will need to talk with the Master Gardener presenter about the difference and if the program can be used with your grade level.
10. We are a small home school group that would like to request a Junior Gardener program; can we use Extension’s facilities for the program?
Yes. Once your instructor contacts you, you can discuss this possibility, as well as room availability, with the instructor.
11. Are the courses free?
Yes, all courses are free except where the brochure indicates a fee. A fee is only charged to cover materials for a particular program (e.g., “Taming the Wild Ivy”).
12. Why does “Taming the Wild Ivy” require a payment?
In this program each child plants ivy in a pot, and starts a topiary which he/she can take home. The fee covers the cost for these supplies.
13. Do Master Gardeners have any other programs for youth?
Yes, we support outdoor classrooms with technical assistance in planning and execution and have a small grant program. The Grant Request forms are on our website. You may also contact the NCC Extension office at 831-2506 for additional information.