Mentoring/Partnering

Purpose

Assist Trainees and Interns in understanding the workings of the Master Gardener program.
Provide guidance to any Master Gardener on how to be a better Master Gardener.

Participants

Any Master Gardener who has been certified as Active can be a mentor.
Any Trainee, Intern or Active Master Gardener can be a protégé.
You can volunteer by contacting the committee lead and advising them you would like to be part of the program.

Procedures

Communication between the mentor and protégé is confidential unless there is mutual agreement to discuss with a third party.
Weekly contact between the mentor and protégé to discuss any questions about the Master Gardener program or gardening questions.
Successful mentoring means sharing the responsibility for learning.
Both parties should discuss and agree on their expectations.
Master Gardener Trainees are required to be mentored while in Level 1 training.
Master Gardener Trainees will be asked to complete a confidential evaluation of the process to determine how it can be improved.

Mentor Responsibilities

Protégé Responsibilities
• Be willing to learn.

• Raise questions about how the Master Gardener program works.

• Desire to improve gardening skills.

Mentor Benefits
• Motivation

• Challenge

• New insights and perspectives

• Opportunity for self-development

• Increase self-esteem and enjoyment

• Opportunity to positively influence the next generation of Master Gardeners

• Increase peer recognition

• Opportunity to improve communication

Protégé Benefits
• A nonthreatening learning environment

• Improve self-confidence

• Develop gardening expertise & technical knowledge

• Set Goals

• Acquire support and reassurance

• Develop networking/partnership opportunities

• Encouragement

• Attention and reassurance

Committee:
Currently no members

Adopted February, 2010

St Charles County Master Gardeners