Local Programs
Are you planning a community event or a grand opening, sponsoring a field day, conference or symposium? The VCE Master Gardener volunteers will take their show on the road! Comfortable manning an information booth or strolling among crowds, these highly trained volunteers are eager to answer questions and problem solve on any number of horticulture topics: houseplants, vegetable gardens, erosion control, healthy landscapes, insects and bugs, and everything in between! You can also find VCE Newport News Master Gardeners at many local events like the Children’s Festival and the Fall Festival of Folklore.
Please visit the Master Gardener webpage for more details
The Newport News Master Gardener Association sponsors two plant sales during the year: one in the Spring and one in the Fall. For more information visit the Newport News Master Gardeners webpage: https://www.nnmastergardeners.org and follow us on Facebook: VCE/Newport News Master Gardeners Association - Home | Facebook
Our training classes are held in the fall. Training is a combination of weekly Zoom classes and in-person events that begin in mid-August and run through mid-November. There are minimum attendance requirements, open-book tests and assigned reading and video watching each week. After finishing training successfully, interns are required to give 50 volunteer hours of educational programming in our Newport News programs and activities. Reach out to us through our Contact Us page if you’d like someone to contact you with more information about becoming a Newport News Extension Master Gardener.
Designed in the shape of a clown’s face, this garden located in Riverview Farm Park at 105 City Farm Rd, Newport News, VA 23602, provides a unique educational opportunity for families to have fun while learning about nature and the environment.
Visit http://www.nnmastergardeners.org/ to download 5 garden activities. Master Gardener Yvonne Tung developed and designed this garden since 2002. Yvonne has since passed but the joy and peacefulness of the Grin & Grow Garden continues.
School-aged children learn about plants and how they grow with programs that are tailored to the age group. After a short lesson on the life cycle of a plant, kids roll up their sleeves and get their hands in the dirt potting soil and planting seeds. This “make and take” activity is a hit since each child takes his/her planting home.
Visit the Newport News Master Gardener website for more details
Follow us on Facebook or Instagram to stay up to date on our events and horticulture tips
Do you need a speaker or a presenter at your event?
We have Extension Master Gardeners who can give presentations or lectures on gardening techniques, plants, general horticulture, tree stewardship, water stewardship, and land stewardship to your organization.
Give us a call at 757-591-4838 for more information.
Schools, hospitals, parks, places of worship, private businesses, and individual communities are just a few examples of where a community garden can be found. The Extension Master Gardeners have information which will help your dreams of a community garden come true. We can also assist with planning or designing your garden or in the education of those working your garden, steering you down the path to a successful bounty. Just remember, when you plant your veggies you will need flowers for the pollinators!
Visit the Newport News Master Gardener website for more details
Follow us on Facebook or Instagram to stay up to date on our events and horticulture tips
This popular program began in 2009 as a partnership between Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Newport News Master Gardener Water Stewards, and the City of Newport News Waterworks. Since its inception, over 1,000 rain barrels have been built. Workshops are offered throughout the year. Space is limited, so register early.
Learn how to make rain barrel for your garden. It's great for the environment and it saves municipal water. The current barrel cost is $65 a piece. The class itself is free, but you need to register ahead of time.
Reduce your food scraps and create a great nitrogen-rich fertilizer made from worm casings with a Vermiculture bin. Register on our website: nnmastergardeners.org/registration or link in our bio. Vermiculture kits are $30 and include the worm bin, material for the worms to live-in, red wriggler worms, as well as hands-on expertise from our Master Gardeners.
Virginia Cooperative Extension Expands Healthy Living Program with Gift from the Walmart Foundation
Volunteers Needed for Family & Consumer Science Program
The Newport News office of Virginia Cooperative Extension, Family & Consumer Sciences is interested in obtaining passionate individuals that want to hone their skills while working with the diverse residents of Newport News and Hampton. Volunteers are needed in the area of family financial management, youth nutrition and money smart, campaign coordinator support, volunteer coordinator support, senior educators (older adults), GED tutors for adult and youth.
Comprehensive training takes candidates from entry level to experienced educators, mentors, budget counselors, and other dynamic positions. Volunteers will have the opportunity to attend various training, join networking groups, build community partnerships, attend resource fairs, conduct community and internal trainings, and much more.
- Master Financial Education Volunteers
- Master Food Volunteers
- Marketing and Administrative support volunteers/p>
- Spanish Speaking Volunteers
- Registration: Please contact Sonja Mitchell at sonjatm@vt.edu or 757-591-4838 if interested.
Additional Information
The 4-H Youth Development program in Newport News provides countless opportunities for youth, ages 5-18, to participate in dynamic and innovative, fun programs through which they can develop valuable, lifelong skills.
The mission of Virginia 4-H is to assist youth, and adults working with those youth, to gain additional knowledge, life skills, and attitudes that will further their development as self-directing, contributing, and productive members of society.
All kids can join 4-H, boys and girls, kids in grades K-12, in all counties in the U.S., on military bases all over the world, in cities, suburbs, small towns, in the country, and on Reservations. 4-H means to you being active experiental learning, learning by doing, youth are leaders, youth are volunteers, and kids pick their own projects. 4-H has lots of projects: photography, technology, leadership, animals, horticulture, health, citizenship, nutrition, clothing, rocketry, woodworking, entomology, and arts and theatre. 4-H youth are cared about and feel a sense of BELONGING, influence people and events through decision-making and action-exercising INDEPENDENCE, learn skills to make positive career and life choices - a sense of MASTERY, and learn that helping others through community service is important - experiencing GENEROSITY.
4-H
HEAD, HEART, HANDS, HEALTH
The 4-H Clover means the projects are fun, kids are actively involved, there is quality curriculum, the program is educational and the leaders care about kids.
Newport News 4-H Offers
Organized 4-H clubs
Special interest projects and workshops:
Citizenship
Cultural diversity
Environmental conservation
Character Counts
Science, Technology, Reading and Writing, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM)
4-H in-school enrichment programs
4-H Congress and 4-H Camp
Cloverbud program (ages 5-8) to enhance self-esteem, build character, and enrich STEAM
Join our Newport News 4-H Event Newsletter!
Be the first to know about camp and upcoming events.
2025 4-H Jr. Summer Camp - Click to learn more!
The Virginia Family Nutrition Program is a program within Virginia Cooperative Extension that extends the land-grant education and outreach mission of Virginia Tech by offering a comprehensive collection of resources, educational programs, and services across the Commonwealth to improve the health of families. The motto of the Virginia Family Nutrition Program is Eat Smart, Move More.
The Virginia Family Nutrition Program has a specific focus of addressing food security and the prevention of costly chronic diseases. Our commitment to finding real solutions for our communities is showcased through a variety of programs and initiatives that impact community health.
Our funding comes from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to offer the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and from the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to offer Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) in Virginia.
Want to host a class or to see if you qualify for any programs?
Contact: Amarja McCormick, Nutrition Education Facilitator, Family Nutrition Program, EFNEP & SNAP-Ed via email at amarja@vt.edu or by calling the Newport News Virginia Cooperative Extension office 757-591-4838.
We offer several different program series for individuals or groups:
- Eating Smart-Being Active for caregivers of children 12 years or younger – learner-centered education on food budgeting, healthy eating, and physical activity
- In the Kitchen for caregivers of children 12 years or younger – hands-on food preparation and cooking to gain key skills to prepare low-cost, easy, and nutritious meals and snacks at home
- Healthy Eating and Staying Active as We Age for individuals 60+ years old – learner-centered education focused on nutrient concerns of older persons, such as fiber, saturated fat, sodium, and water
- Nutrition Mini Lessons 30-minute sessions designed to be accessible and engaging, providing individuals or groups with practical information that can include, introduction to MyPlate, sodium, portion control, adding movement to your lifestyle, and more
Programs are available to adults with a limited income, receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) or who qualify for other government assistance programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Head Start, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Medicaid. There is no cost to participate in this innovative and hands-on program.
Engaging with Communities
Virginia Cooperative Extension specialists in community viability work with Extension agents, campus-based faculty, organizational partners, communities, and individuals to further opportunity and build capacity in five program areas:
- Leadership & Planning
- Community Enterprise and Resiliency
- Community Food System and Enterprises
- Community Planning
- Emerging Community Issues
Examples of our work include training county elected officials, educating entrepreneurs, facilitating collaborative projects, supporting the growth of community food systems and local economies, enhancing agent skills and community capacity in facilitation and leadership, conducting problem-driven research, and creating publications and tools that address critical community needs.
Do you have a question about Community Viability?
Perhaps one of the Community Viability specialists below can help you. Contact a Community Viability specialist or direct a question to them using our Ask an Expert system.