Master Gardener Mondays: A Virtual Learning Series for SC Master Gardeners
Situation: South Carolina Master Gardeners play a vital role in assisting Extension Agents with meeting the public’s demand for reliable horticulture/gardening information. Master Gardeners must complete ten hours of continuing education annually to stay current with the latest gardening topics and research. As a result of precautions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, traditional in-person continuing opportunities were non-existent.
Response: In response to the lack of continuing education opportunities, the South Carolina Master Gardener Program created a virtual series. Coined “Master Gardener Mondays,” the series provided weekly one-hour presentations delivered by Extension staff utilizing Zoom. A total of 1,135 Master Gardeners participated in the twelve sessions, which took place from August through October. Participants received a follow-up email after each session that contained the session’s recording, evaluation, and additional resources.
Impact: 578 of the 1,135 participants completed the evaluations with an average weekly response rate of 53%. 97% of survey respondents indicated gaining knowledge. 88% indicated plans to take action as a result of participating in Master Gardener Mondays. Implementing practices is evidence of behavior change, but even more powerful is sharing that information with others. 79% of survey respondents indicated feeling more comfortable with assisting others concerning a particular topic. This quote from a participant in the “How To Diagnose Turf” session exemplifies how a Master Gardener can apply the information learned in a way that will assist those seeking assistance from Clemson Extension, “I’m impressed with how much information I gained from this webinar. I have a concrete list of techniques I can use to potentially diagnose turf problems.”
Submitted by: Terasa Lott, State Coordinator SC Master Gardener Program and Cory Tanner, Horticulture Program Team Director
