The Kentucky Extension Master Gardener Program began in the late 1980’s and was initially active in a few urban counties. Fifty Kentucky counties have an active master garden program who have contributed 11,300 volunteer hours across those fifty counties. With the national hourly volunteer rate of $24.69, Kentucky Extension Master Gardener volunteers have contributed over $279,900 in annual service to the state! This amount was reached due to the 735 existing Kentucky Master Garden volunteers with additional 376 new volunteers (https://mastergardener.extension.org/impacts/). These volunteers play a vital role in assisting local Extension offices in providing information to citizens on lawn and garden issues by phone, email, and/or at extension offices, public meetings, demonstration gardens, and in partnerships with civic organizations and schools in the community. 

Master Gardeners directly teach over 300 classes each year in county extension offices and in the community.  When Master Gardeners were surveyed from around the state about their experience with the program, over 657 believe the Master Gardener Program improves the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service's connection and outreach to the local community and 651 indicated they developed skills they can use in other areas of their lives (https://kers.ca.uky.edu/core/reports/MajorProgram/program/604).

In Northern Kentucky, Boone, Campbell, and Kenton counties collaborate and work together to educate, guide, and mentor volunteers to become educators and leaders in our communities. Each year, a new class is offered in one of the three NKY counties to host the class and then rotates following each class. The 15-week program meets weekly for a total of 40 hours, which includes college level instruction from Extension Specialists, agents, and staff and community professionals followed by hands-on lab. 

For the first time, the tri-counties hosted a hybrid virtual program where Campbell County hosted and zoomed with Kenton and Boone. With a few challenges along the way, 54 individuals completed the program. Completing in April 2022, 30 interns passed the final exam and currently are working towards their required intern 40 hour commitment to earn their Master Gardener certificate. 

As a result, here in Campbell County alone, we have had 12 dedicate interns from this class report hours back to approved sites such as: Farmers Markets, Extension Environmental Center, Lakeside Commons Educational Gardens, and a few local library programs. With a 40% return on investment, we are pleased with the new training method to attract new educators who are working to provide outreach education out in our communities! 

With our continued support and collaboration in NKY, we will continue to grow knowledgeable volunteers to implement programming to better the lives of Kentuckians.