Volunteer and Coordinator Perspectives on the Extension Master Gardener Program in Tennessee

The Extension Master Gardener (EMG) program is a vital contributor to Tennessee Extension Residential and Consumer Horticulture education and outreach. In 2014, 2,480 volunteers in 37 county or multi-county associations across the state completed volunteer service and continuing education to achieve certified EMG status. These volunteers, led by Tennessee Extension agent county coordinators, contributed over 178,800 hours of service while recording over 30,300 hours of continuing education over the course of 2014. These totals illustrate the contributions of EMG volunteers across Tennessee to education and community service but also their desire for educational programming to enhance their own knowledge and skill. What is not well known currently is the relative importance of different areas of horticultural training to support programs or the areas of knowledge that are most personally valuable for volunteers. Gaining a better understanding of the most needed areas of training for EMG volunteers as they educate the public is critical to the growth and impact of the program. Retention and recruitment is contingent upon volunteers enjoying their service and the opportunities provided by the TEMG program. Therefore, a study was undertaken to survey both EMG volunteers and coordinators to determine educational needs for volunteers were as well as the preferred training delivery methods. Open-ended questions were also included to provide EMGs an opportunity to suggest changes to the current program and their opinion on the long-term needs of the TEMG program. This was a needs assessment that included aspects of retention, so both inactive and active EMGs were included. Researchers selected 25 EMGs using a random number generator, and sent them an explanatory letter and a link to the online Qualtrics survey. This pre-test was conducted to determine if any issues were present with the survey. No concerns arose from the pre-test, so a random sample of 417 EMG volunteers (16%) along with all 38 coordinators were sent the main email survey. Over the 3-week survey period, 181 responses were received (34 agent and 147 volunteer). On a scale of 0–5, respondents consistently rated horticultural training in edible (4.67) and ornamental crops (4.61) as well as pest and disease management (4.64) as high priorities. Similarly, hands-on and in-person presentations (4.80) and printed materials (4.65) were rated as highly important training methods. Results indicate potential training priorities for the future but also suggest opportunities to strengthen training consistency and policies moving forward.