Do you…
Love gardening?
Appreciate the environment?
Enjoy helping others?
And most importantly, are you someone who can’t stop talking about (or to) your plants all day?
If you said yes to at least one of these questions, we invite you to join the local class session for the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) Extension Master Gardener (EMG) Program!
Class of 2027 Now Forming
The Northern Shenandoah Valley Extension Master Gardener Class of 2027 will be held in
person in Woodstock, Virginia.
- Location: Shenandoah County Government Center, 600 North Main St., Woodstock,
Virginia; several hands-on workshops or field trips will be held in the counties of Clarke,
Frederick, Page, and Warren - Days and Times: Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.; some hands-on
workshops or field trips will be held on Saturday mornings or afternoons - Duration: February 15, 2027 through May 12, 2027
Please e-mail Associate Extension Agent Candace DeLong, dcand13@vt.edu if you have
questions about the information below.
Want to Learn More?
Join us on Tuesday, October 13, 6-7 p.m. at the Shenandoah Government Center, 600 North Main St., Woodstock, VA for an information session (optional) to learn more about what it
means to be an Extension Master Gardener and what is involved in the training.
How to Apply
- Read all the information on this webpage.
- Watch the overview video
- Set up an account on the My Impact system and fill out an application
NOTE: Remember this username and password. You will need it
again if accepted into the program. - Ask two people (friends, co-workers, fellow volunteers with other organizations, but not
family members or someone living with you) to complete and submit a Reference Form
for you. - Attend the mandatory interview session to be held on January 11, 2027, from 6-8 p.m.
in the Shenandoah County Government Building, 600 N. Main St., Woodstock, Virginia. - Complete the background screening (to be initiated after the interview session).
Course Cost, Fees, and Scholarships
- The course registration cost for the Class of 2027 is $200 payable by check or money order.
- Additional costs for the course include purchase of the Virginia Gardener Handbook (approximately $30-35 through Amazon) The course handbook is also available online (PDF) at no cost.
- The non-refundable background screening fee is $12.50 payable by check or money order on the day of the interviews (January 11, 2027).
- Scholarships are available to assist with the course registration cost. Submitting an application is optional and based on the applicant’s perceived financial need. Scholarship application forms are available here.
- Please note that in order to be considered, prospective class members must be prepared to pay the class registration fee ($200) and the background screening fee ($12.50), both payable by two separate checks or money orders, at the information/interview session on January 11, 2027.
Application Timeline
October 13, 2026
Optional information session at the Shenandoah County Government Center,
600 North Main St., Woodstock, Virginia.
January 8, 2027
Deadline for submitting online applications and receipt of
two character references
Deadline to apply for scholarship assistance (optional)
January 11, 2027, 6-8 p.m.
Mandatory interview session at the Shenandoah County
Government Center, 600 North Main St., Woodstock, Virginia
January 12-15, 2027
Respond to BOTH the VCE and Sterling Volunteers emails with background screening questions.
January 31, 2027 (or before)
Applicants will be notified of their admission status.
February 15, 2027
Class of 2027 officially begins!
Registration ($200) and Background screening fees ($12.50) are due at that
session. Both payable by separate checks or money orders.
Depending on the format, classes either meet in-person twice per week during the afternoon or evening or offered with a mix of on-line and in-person classes and labs (“hybrid”). In-person sessions alternate around the five counties in the Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener unit: Clarke, Frederick, Warren, Page and Shenandoah.
More about the VCE Master Gardener Program
After an interview and a background check, each Certified VCE Master Gardener Volunteer begins as a trainee tasked to complete a course of a minimum of 50 hours of education. Training covers various topics, including landscape design, botany, pruning, pest management, soils, insects, and types of plants. After training, trainees graduate to become interns.
Interns must complete 50 hours of hands-on training (service hours) during their first year by putting in volunteer time to the community and participating in educational activities and programs available throughout the valley. A host of projects is available for students to meet their hands-on training commitment. Upon completion of the course and the hands-on training, students become Northern Shenandoah Valley-VCE Master Gardener Volunteers, with an annual requirement of 20 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of continuing education.
Note: The registration fee for each year’s class is announced on the class flyer. There are additional costs for the course handbook and a background screening. Scholarships are available to assist with the registration cost.
To learn more, watch our overview video, see our brochure, check out information from the Virginia State EMG Office, and read the details below.
Continuing Education
All VCE Master Gardener Volunteers are required to complete 8 hours of yearly continuing education. This can be done through approved talks, webinars, and courses. In addition, all active VCE Master Gardener Volunteers are invited to participate in Master Gardener College, an annual advanced training program. Additional training to become certified Tree Stewards, Water Stewards and Land Care Stewards are periodically available as well.
If you are interested in becoming certified as an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer, sign up for our email list or check back here for details. You can also contact the Virginia Cooperative Extension, Frederick office, at 540-665-5699
Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and local governments, and is an equal opportunity employer. For the full non-discrimination statement, please visit ext.vt.edu/accessibility.
About Association Membership
Enrollment in the Master Gardener class includes the first year’s membership in the Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association, or NSVMGA. The Association supports its members in the counties of Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah, and Warren. NSVMGA provides additional opportunities for camaraderie, volunteering, and continuing education.
To continue membership into the following year, the annual dues as of 2026 are a modest $20 per person. Social time, business meetings, and educational sessions are held 8 – 12 times per year. Additional educational offerings are sponsored by NSVMGA.