GROW WITH US!
Click on each step below to learn more about becoming a Colorado State Extension Master Gardener®.
STEP 1: Learn about our program We’re looking for volunteers interested in education and outreach using research-based horticulture information. As a Colorado State Extension Master Gardener®, you’ll be a CSU Extension volunteer giving back in your local community. Each year in August we invite all Colorado gardeners to apply online to join the Colorado Master Gardener volunteer program. >> Check out our Mission & Vision, History & Annual Reports. Newly accepted volunteers begin as Apprentices. This means you’re in-training to become a Colorado State Extension Master Gardener®. We provide 60 hours of core training through hybrid instruction: online, live review sessions (also recorded) and in-person labs in some locations. The Green School Full Course is also know as our Master Gardener training. Following training, apprentices are encouraged to engage in volunteer projects coordinated through the local CSU Extension office. The volunteer commitment is 50 hours your first year after completing Green School. There is also a two-year Apprentice option that allows 60-hours to be completed over 2 years. If you’re simply interested in hobby gardening (hey, we love it too!), we have other great avenues for you to consider including: GREEN SCHOOL SHORT COURSES Colorado Gardening Foundation Landscape Management Basics Plant Diagnostics Growing Food STEP 2: Find a program near you Colorado Master Gardener volunteers serve 46 counties across the state. Contact your local Master Gardener program for more information. You’re encouraged to connect with a program in the county where you live and apply online during the application period. The application period to apply to become a Colorado State Extension Master Gardener® Apprentice is in August each year. Most, but not all counties accept applications each year. Some counties receive more applications than they are able to accept. Applying does not guarantee admittance into the Colorado State Extension Master Gardener® program. If you’re moving here from another state where you served as an Extension Master Gardener, we welcome you to our program but do require that you complete our application process and training. Colorado can be a tough place to garden – we think you’ll appreciate the education you receive through our Colorado-specific training. STEP 3: Apply to become an Extension Master Gardener Apprentice If you’ve decided you’re interested in plant education and outreach and you’d like to volunteer in your local community then it’s time to apply! Follow these steps: STEP 4: Complete training courses After applying, passing a background screening, and being accepted into a Colorado State Extension Master Gardener® volunteer program in your home county, Colorado State Extension Master Gardener® Apprentices must complete CSU Extension’s Green School Full Course. Regardless of your location, all Colorado State Extension Master Gardener® volunteers receive in-depth horticulture training provided by University faculty, staff, and specialists. Training is critical to ensure that all volunteers have access to the information necessary to support our mission. Green School offers flexible, remote and hybrid training options. This includes self-paced online classes and online review sessions with subject matter experts from CSU. Combined with optional in-person activities and hands-on labs (varies by local county programs), you’ll have the flexibility to learn at home and practice with fellow volunteers. Courses are specific to Colorado’s climate, soil, environment, insects, wildlife, and plants. Training is a big commitment and includes reading (online, no text required), homework, quizzes, in-class activities, lectures, and a final exam. Register for Green School: We’ll send you a registration link if accepted into the program. If you are not accepted and still want to completed Green School, we’ll send you a link for the early-bird registration rate. STEP 5: Engage in local projects Colorado State Extension Master Gardeners® support gardening success and provide home gardeners with information/education on topics including landscape plants, turfgrass, and trees as well as soils, pests, house plants, growing fruits and vegetable gardens and backyard greenhouses. Colorado State Extension Master Gardener® Volunteer’s audience is exclusively home gardeners. Types of volunteer service can include answering phone calls and emails through a Master Gardener Helpdesk, diagnosing plant problems, teaching gardening classes, writing newspaper and website articles, and supporting demonstration gardens, community gardens and farmers markets. CSU Extension strives to provide meaningful volunteer opportunities that positively impact people and communities. STEP 6: Report & Renew annually Colorado State Extension Master Gardeners® are active across the state and their impacts are impressive. We have a user-friendly reporting system so that logging hours, reporting outreach and signing up for projects is simple. We’re required to report our efforts locally and to the state annually – we want to show off the good work our volunteers are doing! Check out our Annual Reports to read more. After we’ve put our outdoor gardens to bed, we start our annual renewal process for all Master Gardeners. After completing CSU’s Green School and fulfilling the CMG Apprentice volunteer commitment of 50 or 60 hours, continuing CMGs must contribute at least 24 hours of volunteer service annually and complete 12 continuing education hours (often provided by CSU in your local county or online). CMGs in good standing complete renewal forms and contribute annual dues to recommit for the upcoming volunteer year. The Colorado State Extension Master Gardener® program is a unique intersection between University Horticulture expertise and community volunteers interested in educating locally. Who are Colorado State Extension Master Gardeners®? We have a passion for learning, gardening, and giving back to our communities. We’re hands-on in educational school gardens, we’re helping grow food for local communities, and we’re passionate about pollinators. Some of us are tree-huggers, most of us are plant (and insect) lovers. Most importantly, we are volunteer educators who support gardening success in Colorado. We all get that gardening here takes grit. Which is why we’re providing local expertise for Colorado’s diverse plants and people. We are Colorado State Extension Master Gardeners®. Powered by Colorado State University. Available to All Colorado State University Extension is an equal opportunity provider. | Colorado State University Extension es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades. Colorado State University does not discriminate on the basis of disability and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations. | Colorado State University no discrimina por motivos de discapacidad y se compromete a proporcionar adaptaciones razonables. CSU’s Office of Engagement and Extension ensures meaningful access and equal opportunities to participate to individuals whose first language is not English. | Office of Engagement and Extension de CSU garantiza acceso significativo e igualdad de oportunidades para participar a las personas quienes su primer idioma no es el inglés. We are an equal access and equal opportunity University. Learn more: https://col.st/ll0t3
Green School Full Course, the same training provided to Colorado Master Gardener Apprentices, is offered without the volunteer commitment. Students completing Green School Full Course, but not entering the Master Gardener volunteer program, earn a Colorado Gardener Certificate. Registration is open once per year, typically in September-October.
Green School Short Courses are bundles of 5 self-paced, online classes. A certificate of completion will be provided to participants upon completion of all Green School Short Courses. Registration is open year-round. Students have access to course materials for one year after registration.
Soils, Entomology, Tree Care & Planting, Colorado Gardening Challenges, Irrigation
Soils, Lawn Care, Weed Management, Irrigation, Tree Care & Planting
Soils, Botany, Integrated Pest Management & Plant Diagnosis, Entomology, Plant Pathology
Soils, Vegetables, Small Fruits, Tree Fruits, Entomology
Certified Gardener is offered exclusively through CSU Online. You can earn a digital badge or simply take one of 17 self-paced courses without an ongoing training commitment. Course content is not Colorado Specific.
Growing Plants. Growing People.
