WEB-BASED TOOL FOR MANAGING MASTER GARDENER PROGRAMS

With increasing demands matched with decreasing budgets, Cooperative Extension relies more and more heavily on volunteer Master Gardeners to extend consumer horticulture outreach. However, many extension agents find that managing the volunteer program consumes more time than they can spare. The more volunteers they recruit to help, the more time they are required to spend on administrative tasks. To streamline the management process, facilitate the delegation of administrative tasks to volunteers, and to increase communication with and between volunteers, we created a web-based interactive management tool. This tool enables volunteers to manage their own contact information and profile, register for volunteer opportunities, log their hours, and connect with other volunteers. In North Carolina, 41 counties are using the system with a total of 2,043 Master Gardeners enrolled. This system has transformed the way they operate.