Youth Programs
VCE Virginia Beach Master Gardeners offer six programs for elementary school students that are designed to correlate with specific SOL objectives. All programs are presented by Virginia Beach Master Gardener volunteers who have received training specific to the programs. All volunteers are subject to background screening through Virginia Cooperative Extension.
If you have a school or youth program event at which you would like Master Gardener involvement, please submit your request from our generic Request a Program form. But for the Ready ,Set, Grow program, please use this form.
Please allow sufficient time for scheduling. Some programs may require additional supplies.
Arbor Day Program
The Meaning of Arbor Day skit involves Tree Stewards relating the history of J. Sterling Morton’s rise to prominence as an environmentalist championing the national landscape of trees in our nation and ultimately changing the way the citizenry regards the national forests, including the urban forests around us. At this level of their education, the students have an opportunity to interact within the skit, shouting answers from their own experiences about the trees around them.
SOL Correlation: 2.5, 2.8, 3.6, 3.10, 4.5, 4.8
Grade Level: 3rd & 4th
Time of Year Offered: Spring
Location: At Your School
Request This Program
The Meaning of Arbor Day skit involves Tree Stewards relating the history of J. Sterling Morton’s rise to prominence as an environmentalist championing the national landscape of trees in our nation and ultimately changing the way the citizenry regards the national forests, including the urban forests around us. At this level of their education, the students have an opportunity to interact within the skit, shouting answers from their own experiences about the trees around them.
SOL Correlation: 2.5, 2.8, 3.6, 3.10, 4.5, 4.8
Grade Level: 3rd & 4th
Time of Year Offered: Spring
Location: At Your School
Request This Program
Children's Garden and Fun on the Farm Tours
Fun on the Farm is a 2-hour interactive field trip at the VB Farmers Market where children Pre-K thru 5th grade learn about agriculture. Our introduction illustrates the story of our connection and dependence to agriculture, farming and farmers. Hands-on activities include milking a fiberglass Holstein cow, washing clothes on a washboard, churning cream into butter, grinding corn and more. All guests plant seeds in recycled newspaper pots (for later growing at home) while learning the function of the plant parts, and most importantly, the parts of the plants we eat. We tour the Children’s Educational Garden where children see firsthand the importance of pollination, the variety of butterfly host plants, lessons about good and bad bugs, habitat, vermiculture, composting and we just might pull up a carrot, potato or snap some sugar snap peas off the vine. We’ll also visit our chicken coop and our laying hens. The second half of the tour is focused on seasonal curricula, a craft, story time and an ice cream treat.
SOL information is available upon request.
Tours are by reservation. Contact the VB Farmers Market - 757-385-4388, [email protected]
Fee is $8 Per child. No charge for teacher and chaperones.
SOL Correlation: K.1, K.2, K.4, K.6, K.8, K.9, K.10, 1.1, 1.4, 1.5, 1.7, 1.8, 2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, 2.8, 3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 3.8, 3.10, 4.1, 4.4, 4.5, 4.8
Grade Level: K-4
Time of Year Offered: All year
Location: Virginia Beach Farmers Market
Fun on the Farm is a 2-hour interactive field trip at the VB Farmers Market where children Pre-K thru 5th grade learn about agriculture. Our introduction illustrates the story of our connection and dependence to agriculture, farming and farmers. Hands-on activities include milking a fiberglass Holstein cow, washing clothes on a washboard, churning cream into butter, grinding corn and more. All guests plant seeds in recycled newspaper pots (for later growing at home) while learning the function of the plant parts, and most importantly, the parts of the plants we eat. We tour the Children’s Educational Garden where children see firsthand the importance of pollination, the variety of butterfly host plants, lessons about good and bad bugs, habitat, vermiculture, composting and we just might pull up a carrot, potato or snap some sugar snap peas off the vine. We’ll also visit our chicken coop and our laying hens. The second half of the tour is focused on seasonal curricula, a craft, story time and an ice cream treat.
SOL information is available upon request.
Tours are by reservation. Contact the VB Farmers Market - 757-385-4388, [email protected]
Fee is $8 Per child. No charge for teacher and chaperones.
SOL Correlation: K.1, K.2, K.4, K.6, K.8, K.9, K.10, 1.1, 1.4, 1.5, 1.7, 1.8, 2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, 2.8, 3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 3.8, 3.10, 4.1, 4.4, 4.5, 4.8
Grade Level: K-4
Time of Year Offered: All year
Location: Virginia Beach Farmers Market
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HR AREC Garden School Tours
Students take a guided tour through the Arboretum and Theme Gardens at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center. The tour focuses on living systems, processes, and earth resources. Highlighted topics include composting, pollination, metamorphosis, and useful products from plants.
SOL Correlation: 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, 2.8
Grade Level: 2nd
Time of Year Offered: Spring
Location: Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center
Students take a guided tour through the Arboretum and Theme Gardens at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center. The tour focuses on living systems, processes, and earth resources. Highlighted topics include composting, pollination, metamorphosis, and useful products from plants.
SOL Correlation: 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, 2.8
Grade Level: 2nd
Time of Year Offered: Spring
Location: Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center
Ready, Set, Grow!
The goal of this program is to create enthusiasm for gardening among the students by utilizing interactive educational tools. We teach that plants have basic requirements in order to thrive, that not all insects are harmful, and how to be a good steward to the environment.
SOL Correlation: 1.1, 1.4, 1.7, 1.8, 2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, 2.8
Grade Level: 1st & 2nd
Time of Year Offered: Spring
Location: At Your School
Request This Program
The goal of this program is to create enthusiasm for gardening among the students by utilizing interactive educational tools. We teach that plants have basic requirements in order to thrive, that not all insects are harmful, and how to be a good steward to the environment.
SOL Correlation: 1.1, 1.4, 1.7, 1.8, 2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, 2.8
Grade Level: 1st & 2nd
Time of Year Offered: Spring
Location: At Your School
Request This Program
The Tree Dormancy Program
Description: Tree Stewards relate the children’s understanding of biology at this level to what happens in trees to cause the changes observed in autumn. Utilizing “actors”, props and a Power Point presentation, the students gain a practical sense of dormancy in both deciduous and coniferous trees, as well as adding to their sense of environmental citizenry with a review of the state and city trees, including the city champion tree.
SOL Correlation: 3.6, 3.10, 3.11, 4.4
Grade Level: 3rd & 4th
Time of Year Offered: Fall
Location: At Your School
Request This Program
Description: Tree Stewards relate the children’s understanding of biology at this level to what happens in trees to cause the changes observed in autumn. Utilizing “actors”, props and a Power Point presentation, the students gain a practical sense of dormancy in both deciduous and coniferous trees, as well as adding to their sense of environmental citizenry with a review of the state and city trees, including the city champion tree.
SOL Correlation: 3.6, 3.10, 3.11, 4.4
Grade Level: 3rd & 4th
Time of Year Offered: Fall
Location: At Your School
Request This Program
