Extension Master Gardener College 2024:
Plan now to Join VCE’s 2024 Virtual Master Gardener College June 5 - 9
EMGC 2024 is coming! This year’s virtual event will keep the education and fun of an on-campus conference while improving accessibility for the 5,000+ volunteers in the VCE MG program. This year you can…
Learn from interesting keynote speakers:
- Doug Tallamy talks about restoring ecosystem function at home, work, and play;
- Debra Freeman explores traditional African-American crops that you can find today; and-
- Heather Holm discusses some of the specialist bees that visit our native plants.
Participate in more than a dozen concurrent sessions on a range of topics, including:
- Trees and shrubs in small gardens;
- Indoor vegetable gardening; and
- Gardening as we age.
And enjoy optional add-on tours and social time with fellow volunteers at locations throughout the state, like:
- Some of Virginia Tech’s Agricultural Research Centers,
- Oak Spring Garden,
- Maymont’s Gardens, or
- Enjoy a “Virtual Tour” from home at the National Arboretum, Desopo House, and other spots.
You’ll even have the opportunity to network and learn from one another by joining round-table discussions and visit social spaces to:
- View unit brag boards;
- Talk about projects, like seed libraries, garden tours, or public workshops; or
- Learn more about the Advanced EMG Steward programs.
For those new to hybrid continuing-ed events, they have unique benefits, like keeping costs lower, saving hours on the road, and removing some of the accessibility concerns that come with setting up on campus for a few days. They also give you increased continuing-education opportunities; in addition to the 3+ hours of online sessions per day and optional tours in June, you can see any breakout sessions you missed (or rewatch a favorite) because you'll have access to recordings for six months. Prior Zoom educational conferences allowed more volunteers to attend than the traditional in-person format, but if hybrid learning isn't for you, EMGC will be back on campus at a future conference.
More information on keynotes, breakouts, and tours will follow soon, with early registration beginning mid April. You’ll also have the opportunity before June to see this Zoom conference platform in action through a short training webinar. If you have questions, you can reach the state office at [email protected].
VMGA’s mission includes fostering communication, education, and fellowship among VCE MG volunteers. It is happy to support EMGC and the state program office in this year’s conference as part of that mission. If you’d like more information on VMGA, contact me at [email protected].
Stacey Morgan Smith
VCE Master Gardener Volunteer, Suffolk
Treasurer, Virginia Master Gardener Association
Plan now to Join VCE’s 2024 Virtual Master Gardener College June 5 - 9
EMGC 2024 is coming! This year’s virtual event will keep the education and fun of an on-campus conference while improving accessibility for the 5,000+ volunteers in the VCE MG program. This year you can…
Learn from interesting keynote speakers:
- Doug Tallamy talks about restoring ecosystem function at home, work, and play;
- Debra Freeman explores traditional African-American crops that you can find today; and-
- Heather Holm discusses some of the specialist bees that visit our native plants.
Participate in more than a dozen concurrent sessions on a range of topics, including:
- Trees and shrubs in small gardens;
- Indoor vegetable gardening; and
- Gardening as we age.
And enjoy optional add-on tours and social time with fellow volunteers at locations throughout the state, like:
- Some of Virginia Tech’s Agricultural Research Centers,
- Oak Spring Garden,
- Maymont’s Gardens, or
- Enjoy a “Virtual Tour” from home at the National Arboretum, Desopo House, and other spots.
You’ll even have the opportunity to network and learn from one another by joining round-table discussions and visit social spaces to:
- View unit brag boards;
- Talk about projects, like seed libraries, garden tours, or public workshops; or
- Learn more about the Advanced EMG Steward programs.
For those new to hybrid continuing-ed events, they have unique benefits, like keeping costs lower, saving hours on the road, and removing some of the accessibility concerns that come with setting up on campus for a few days. They also give you increased continuing-education opportunities; in addition to the 3+ hours of online sessions per day and optional tours in June, you can see any breakout sessions you missed (or rewatch a favorite) because you'll have access to recordings for six months. Prior Zoom educational conferences allowed more volunteers to attend than the traditional in-person format, but if hybrid learning isn't for you, EMGC will be back on campus at a future conference.
More information on keynotes, breakouts, and tours will follow soon, with early registration beginning mid April. You’ll also have the opportunity before June to see this Zoom conference platform in action through a short training webinar. If you have questions, you can reach the state office at [email protected].
VMGA’s mission includes fostering communication, education, and fellowship among VCE MG volunteers. It is happy to support EMGC and the state program office in this year’s conference as part of that mission. If you’d like more information on VMGA, contact me at [email protected].
Stacey Morgan Smith
VCE Master Gardener Volunteer, Suffolk
Treasurer, Virginia Master Gardener Association
Master Gardener College Scholarships (available to current Master gardeners)
For more information contact - Samantha Ragon
| 2023_mg_college_scholarship_application.pdf |
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Program now available!
EMGC is our annual continuing education event. It is an opportunity for Extension Master Gardeners across the commonwealth to learn from VCE experts, make connections with other EMGs, and experience the Virginia Tech campus! |