The Advanced Master Gardener Training Modules are designed for Master Gardeners who are interested in conducting specialized educational programming for their community. The educational programming will require them to have in-depth, specialized knowledge in a subject area. These training modules are modeled after the basic Master Gardener Training, with a similar expectation of number of training hours and a concomitant internship expectation of 30 hours volunteered in the year after the training is finished. The training sessions for the various Advanced Master Gardener modules are expected to occur on a regional basis. Regional training sessions will spread the responsibility for organizing the trains among several agents and coordinators. All the advanced modules are organized as a "train the trainer" concept. That is, the new Master Gardener Tree Stewards (or Water Stewards or Yardwaste Managers, etc.) are expected to be "trainers." They will be their community's resource and teachers. The Advanced Training Modules prepare these new teachers to manage community resources, teach others, run programs and projects in their interest area, network with existing community organizations that may wish to participate in the Advanced Master Gardener's area of expertise, and, in general, be a community resource.

Copyright Virginia Tech, OEH, Larkin Sinnott 1998