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Dear Gardening Friend: 

Thank you for your interest in the Master Gardener program.  The Winter/Spring 2010 training will begin on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 and run through early June.  You can find a tentative list of topics in the Master Gardener calendar.

Classes will be held Wednesday mornings from 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM at the Anderson Learning Center at 21 Bradeen Street, Springvale unless otherwise noted.  There will be 2 scheduled Saturday dates including Maine Garden Day, and our York County Master Gardener Volunteers Annual meeting and 2-3 field trips to farm and garden sites. The training will be interactive with lecture and hands on learning.

The cost of the training is on a sliding scale and will include all training materials, an extensive Master Gardener manual, and many other handouts and resources, as well as registration for the 2010 Maine Garden Day. Scholarships are available and arrangements can be made for spreading out payment of the fee. Please see program fee policy below.

The fee is due on the first day of class following acceptance in the program (if necessary, other payment arrangements can be made).  If the fee is a barrier to an individual, he or she may contact the county Master Gardener Coordinator.  Arrangements can be made for a payment schedule and limited scholarships are available. Please do not send any payment with your application. 

Participants in the 2010 Master Gardener Program will receive more than 60 hours of in depth training on horticulture and being a community Master Gardener Volunteer. The focus on the training this year will be on Fruits and Vegetables (next year the focus will be on Ornamental Horticulture). After successful completion of the training program, each Master Gardener Trainee is required to serve a 40 hour volunteer internship in order to complete the program and become a "certified" Master Gardener Volunteer. Becoming a "certified" Master Gardener Volunteer entitles you to continue to participate in advanced learning and to sit in on next year's ornamental horticulture topics that won't be covered this year.

The 40-hours of volunteer time outside the training internship is really the most important aspect of the program. This is why University of Maine Cooperative Extension invests so much in volunteers. We have reached thousands of people in York County with educational information through the outreach efforts of trained Master Gardener volunteers. This is a big commitment, so if you think your life this year may be too busy to volunteer, please consider applying another time.

Class is limited to 30 participants.  We do have an application screening process.  This is not a first come first serve application process. What we primarily look for in successful applicants is enthusiasm and experience in gardening and volunteer community service.  Please give serious consideration to your application. You will hear back from us as to whether or not you have been accepted into the 2010 Master Gardener Volunteer Program within a week after the application deadline.

Sliding Scale Program Fee

The Master Gardener Volunteers program is one of the most popular and valued programs offered by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.  The dedication of Master Gardener Volunteers to addressing local social issues through volunteerism is a model used by other organizations throughout the country.

The Master Gardener Volunteers program is committed to offering high quality horticultural education to all interested Maine citizens.  To meet this goal, we offer a sliding tuition scale based on a Total Household Annual Gross Income and ability to pay as an equitable way to keep the program affordable for all.  Tuition fees are listed as three values with the suggested household income listed below each category; you will self-select your category:

                           $160                                            $270                                       $380

                     $40,000 or less                         $40,000 - $70,000                      $70,000 or more

We recognize that some individuals may not be able to pay the tuition in the suggested category.  These people are encouraged to choose a lower-income category or to apply for financial aid with the Master Gardener coordinator in your county.

Note:  Please do not send in a check with this application.  Once accepted into the program, we will provide you with the payment procedures.

Deadline for receiving applications is January 4, 2010, No Exceptions.

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Last Modified: 09/28/09
These pages are currently being maintained from the York County Office, University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
Send comments, suggestions or inquiries to Jon Prichard
Email: jonp@umext.maine.edu

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