Purdue Extension Master Gardener Program

BECOME AN EXTENSION MASTER GARDENER in Whitley county

These are the steps to follow to become an Extension Master Gardener in Whitley County. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact the Whitley County Extension Office at 260-244-7615, or email John Woodmansee, Whitley County Master Gardener Coordinator, at jwoodman@purdue.edu. Note that our Basic Training course is done in conjunction with Purdue Extension in Noble County in the fall each year. Click here for a general information brochure on the Master Gardener Basic Training program and becoming an Extension Master Gardener. Price is subject to change.

STEP 1: If you are interested in the class, please let us know! Call the number above or email John Woodmansee. We're always glad to discuss what the class will entail and what it means to be an Extension Master Gardener. If you call before class details are finalized, we'll add you to our list of prospective students and contact you directly with details, normally in early summer. Also access the recruitment letter.

STEP 2: Access and read a copy of the Purdue Extension Master Gardener Program Policy Guide and preliminary schedule.

STEP 3: Complete the Volunteer Application and Agreement Form and return it to the Extension office at 524 Branch Court, Columbia City, IN. Doing this in person is best because we need to verify your ID (look at your driver's license) before the application can be approved. It's simplest to do this when the application is submitted. DUE Aug. 21

>IF YOU PLAN TO VOLUNTEER IN WHITLEY COUNTY AFTER YOU BECOME A MASTER GARDENER, please consider applying for a scholarship sponsored by Whitley County Master Gardeners Association. Up to five people will be awarded a scholarship that covers the individual class fee. Turn in your scholarship application with your volunteer application and agreement form.  Scholarship Application   Scholarship applicants must submit both forms by Aug. 15.

STEP 4: After your application is approved, you will be sent a link to enroll in the local Master Gardener Basic Training class and make payment through a secure system called cvent. The enrollment deadline Aug. 28. If you are a scholarship recipient, you'll still need to register in cvent, but you will receive further instructions, as the fee will be taken care of by the scholarship.

STEP 5: Participate in the 15-week class (the class may be slightly more or fewer weeks in length, depending on the year), and pass the final exam with at least a 70% score. Our basic training in-person class (for Whitley and Noble Counties) is a 3-hour class once per week. Upon passing the final exam, you become an Extension Master Gardener Intern.

STEP 6: Give back to your community by volunteering at least 40 hours within the first two years to become a certified Extension Master Gardener. The local Whitley County Master Gardeners Association has many ways you can plug in and serve.

With continued volunteering, advanced Extension Master Gardener levels are available, each with a new engraved name badge and certificate awarded at a public recognition event in November. 

Come join us. We want YOU!

RELATED FILES ON UPCOMING IN-PERSON basic training CLASS in Whitley and Noble counties

NEXT class: Sept-Dec 2024

Preliminary 2024 class plans:

• All classes from 1-4 p.m. (Every few years, we do a daytime class instead of an evening class. This is the year.)
• Begins on Wed., Sept. 4 (First class only is on Wednesday)
• Continues every week thereafter on Mondays through Dec. 9
• The first half of classes will be in Albion, the last half in Columbia City
• The class fee for an individual is $175
• The class fee for two people within the same household sharing one manual is $270

Deadlines: 

• By Aug. 15 - If applying for a scholarship, the Scholarship Application and the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Application and Agreement Form are due in the Extension office. (Please deliver in person and show your ID).
• By Aug. 21 - Applicants paying their own way must submit the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Application and Agreement Form to the Extension office. (Please deliver in person and show your ID).
• By Aug. 28 - Approved applicants must register and pay for the class through cvent. Scholarship recipients must also register in cvent by this date, but will be given further instructions about how the scholarship will cover the class fee.

Files:

General Program Brochure (prices subject to change)

Recruitment Letter (for the Fall, 2024 class)

Purdue Extension Master Gardener Program Policy Guide

Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Application and Agreement Form

2024 Preliminary Schedule

Scholarship Application (sponsored by Whitley County Master Gardeners Association)