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, or $75 a piece for an assembed barrel for pick up. 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.
Family & Consumer Science Program
We are dedicated to helping Virginians build strong foundations for lifelong wellness and financial security by fostering healthy, informed choices at every stage of life. Our educational programs empower individuals and families with practical knowledge, valuable skills, and evidence-based strategies that support healthier, more secure futures.
Our offerings encompass a broad range of topics tailored to meet the diverse needs of the communities we serve. We warmly welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss an evidence-based, customized session designed to address your unique interests, priorities, and objectives.
We are also committed to supporting your organization's professional growth through staff and volunteer development opportunities. These learning experiences are thoughtfully designed to strengthen skills, expand knowledge, enhance leadership capacity, and foster continued success for individuals and organizations alike. We look forward to partnering with you to create meaningful educational experiences that inspire growth, well-being, and lasting positive impact.
Volunteers Needed For Family & Consumer Science Program
Virginia Cooperative Extension, Family & Consumer Sciences, is seeking dedicated volunteers to support educational programs serving local residents. Opportunities are available in financial education, nutrition, youth development, and other support services.
Volunteers receive comprehensive training and can develop valuable skills while making a meaningful impact within the community. Opportunities include networking, community outreach, educational programming, and leadership development.
Volunteer Opportunities
- Master Financial Education Volunteers
- Master Food Volunteers
- Marketing and Administrative Support Volunteers
- Spanish-Speaking Volunteers
Interested and want to host a class?
Contact Sarah Anthony at sarahant@vt.edu or by calling the Newport News Virginia Cooperative Extension office 757-591-4838.
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.
For more information please contact Leanne Allen at leallen@vt.edu or call the Newport News Extension office 757-591-4838.
2027 4-H Jr. Summer Camp Information and Registration Coming Soon
The Virginia Family Nutrition Program is a program within Virginia Cooperative Extension that extends the land-grant education and outreach mission 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 positively impact community health.
Want to host a class or to see if you qualify for any programs?
Contact: Amarja McCormick, Nutrition Education Facilitator, 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 includes hands-on learner-centered education on food budgeting, healthy eating, and physical activity
- In the Kitchen for young adults ages 18-25 includes hands-on food preparation education to gain key skills to prepare low-cost, easy, and nutritious meals and snacks at home
These free programs provide participants with engaging nutrition and wellness education, along with free giveaways and resources to reinforce learning beyond the classroom. Through hands-on experiences, individuals and families gain practical skills to make healthy choices related to nutrition, budgeting, and physical activity, supporting overall wellness and long-term health.
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.