Photo of a variety of vegetables

Grow More Vegetables Certificate Series

Applications due by February 10, 2023
Wednesdays, March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, & April 5 • 6–8 p.m. (virtual classes)

The Grow More Vegetables Certificate Series is an edible gardening course designed to equip community gardeners, teachers, and city residents with the best organic techniques for growing vegetables safely and effectively, particularly in an urban setting. The program consists of six virtual classes, and hands-on gardening instruction in the field. Each student will have the opportunity to design their own urban vegetable gardening project as a final component of the course.

Required for Certification:

  • Attend 6 virtual classes, 8 hours hands-on practice, dates TBD, Completion of Final Project.
  • Priority will be given to Bronx community gardeners, but others are welcome if space allows

  • Please fill out application below and answer a few questions so that we may better understand your interest in growing vegetables. It is not required that you have grown vegetables before to be selected for the course.

  • The requirements to receive a certificate for the Bronx Green-Up Grow More Vegetables Series are as follows:

    • 6 two-hour virtual classes on Wednesdays, March 1–April 5 • 6–8 p.m.
    • 2 to 4 hands-on workdays of your choice in Bronx community gardens with Bronx Green-Up for a total of 8 volunteer hours. You may choose any of the workdays offered by Bronx Green-Up in 2022, dates TBD.
    • Completion of final project passing on something you have learned in the course.
  • The Final Project

    The Final Project will bring together elements of the Grow More Vegetables Series and give you hands-on, practical experience in becoming a gardener who can confidently and effectively work with others in the area of urban food production. We hope that you will design and carry out a project that passes on organic gardening skills to members of your community. You will be required to complete your project by November 30, 2023 in order to receive your certificate.

    The Final Project consists of two required phases, the Design and the Completion.

    Phase 1: Final Project Design (during the 6-week class)

    a) Develop an idea for a specific organic gardening-related activity, program, or project. Focus on the people, activities, and areas that spark your interest.

    • What connections do you have to a particular organization, garden, institution, business or group of residents where you live, work, or go to school?
    • What type of activity, hobby, talent, or skill do you have or enjoy that could be included in an edible gardening project?
    • Which classmates or other people could you team up with for a joint project?

    The key is to develop an activity that you could actually do during this growing season. A portion of class will be spent answering your questions about the Final Project, brainstorming and sharing project ideas. The final project can be small in scale, like a seed saver’s garden plot, or greater in scale, like an after-school gardening program for children.

    b) Submit a written proposal.

    Proposals must include the relevant details as to who, what, where, why and how – target audience, type of activity, location/venue, goals and a description of the content and materials that will be included in your activity. Assistance on your proposals will be provided by other students and the teacher.

    c) Present your idea in our final class. You will share your idea and get feedback from students.

  • Phase 2: Completion of the Final Project (after the 6-week class)

    The completion of the Final Project will be the responsibility of each student to carry out on their own time. Bronx Green-Up will offer support and feedback on the project throughout the year, depending on availability. We may also be able to provide additional support, like lend tools for a workday, particularly if the project takes place at a school or community garden. There is no required amount of time one must spend on a project, and we realize that some people have more time to volunteer than others. We will be flexible, and this is why each student will design their own project.

  • Questions, contact us at (718) 817-8026 or bronxgreenup@nybg.org.