Virginia Cooperative Extension relies on volunteers to accomplish its mission. We believe that active citizen involvement in our programs makes a difference in our success. The work of volunteers at the local level helps us leverage our paid faculty and staff resources into a much greater impact for the people of Virginia.
There are many ways you can get involved with us. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss available opportunities.
Extension Master Gardener Volunteers
Extension Master Gardeners are trained volunteer educators. They work within their local communities to encourage and promote environmentally sound horticulture practices through sustainable landscape management education and training. As an educational outreach component of Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Master Gardener program brings the resources of Virginia’s land-grant universities – Virginia Tech and Virginia State University – to the people of the commonwealth. All volunteers are trained and have at least 50 hours of horticultural classes and return at least 50 hours of volunteer community service through their local Extension office.
Training runs January-April, meeting 2 days (or evenings a week). If you are a current Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in good standing who has recently moved to the county, you are more than welcome to transfer to our city.
For more information on becoming a Chesapeake Master Gardener, contact our Sr. Horticulture Extension Agent, Mike Andruczyk, or visit their website: www.cmgv.org
4-H Volunteers
The youth development education program of Virginia Cooperative Extension, 4-H is rich with learning experiences in which young people partner with caring adults and volunteers in a fellowship unlike any other program available to youth today. Through 4-H, young people are encouraged to participate in a variety of activities that emphasize 4-H's "learning by doing" philosophy of youth development.
Developing Confident Leaders
Standing for head, heart, hands, and health, 4-H uses more than a century of experience in youth development programming to build strong, confident leaders. Young people in the 4-H community learn leadership, citizenship, and a vast array of life skills that benefit them for the rest of their lives. Through school-based, after-school, and community clubs as well as camp settings, 4-H members pledge to build a better community, country, and world.
Ready for the Future
4-H participants are youth, ages 5 to 19, taking part in programs provided as the result of actions planned and initiated by Extension personnel in cooperation with volunteers. With a direct connection to research at Virginia's land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, 4-H is the first experience many young people have with higher education. 4-H is characterized as being community-centered, volunteer-led, Extension-staff supervised, research-based, home- and family-oriented, publicly and privately funded, and responsive to change.
4-H SPECIAL INTEREST CLUB
A 4-H SPIN Club is a special interest club where five or more young people learn about a topic of interest. Topics vary and include interests such as nature, heritage arts, science, photography, gardening, shooting sports, and more. SPIN clubs are led by volunteers who have a passion and want to share their knowledge with young people. Be the spark that inspires the next generation!
For more information on how to become a 4-H Volunteer please contact our 4-H Youth Development Extension Agent, Jocelyn Pearson, at (757) 382-6348.
Extension Leadership Council
An Extension Leadership Council (ELC) is a local volunteer and staff partnership group established through the Virginia Cooperative Extension to guide community-focused programming. Local VCE operations in Chesapeake coordinate community programs like 4-H and Master Gardener initiatives via the Chesapeake Extension Office.
Core Functions of Extension Leadership Councils
Program Guidance: Partner with local extension agents to identify, plan, and prioritize community issues in agriculture, 4-H youth development, and family sciences.
Community Advocacy: Serve as local advocates for extension funding, resources, and community engagement.
Advisory Support: Act as an informal sounding board and collaborative bridge between city officials, residents, and university educators.
Let Us Hear From You!
Virginia Cooperative Extension is interested in listening to your ideas on local issues and needs that VCE could address. Your input is valuable to us, as it helps us stay in touch with the residents of our community. We are always striving to keep our educational programs relevant to the needs of our citizens. We invite you to contact any of our Extension Agents to share your ideas.