The Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners are starting a Junior Master Gardener (JMG) Program in our area! The JMG Program is an innovative youth gardening project that is modeled after the adult Master Gardener Program. The JMG Program offers horticultural and environmental education as well as leadership and life skills development. The program also emphasizes community service. The activities are fun and creative with many opportunities for hands-on learning. There are two levels for the JMG Program – one for grades 3 through 5 and another for grades 6 through 8.
The initial focus of our JMG Program will be the Health and Nutrition module that is for grades 3-5 and incorporates healthy nutrition principles with vegetable gardening. The goal of this program is to encourage kids to eat more vegetables and fruits that they are able to grow for themselves. We plan to partner with interested schools to help teachers, parents and students establish school gardens. Master Gardeners will help with the planning and implementation of the gardens as well as providing educational activities for the classroom.
If you are interested in helping with this exciting new project, please contact Grace Peterson at gpeterson@agcenter.lsu.edu or 318/741-7435 ext. 1.
JMG Mission Statement: To grow good kids by igniting a passion for learning, success and service through a unique gardening education.