We often have participants who complete the Washington Gardener track and later wish to apply for the Extension Master Gardener Program in their local county. This is possible within one year of successfully completing the Green School. For instance, if you complete Green School in February 2026 and then apply to become a WSU Master Gardener during the 2026 open application period in your county, your Green School certificate will be valid for the 2026 and 2027 training sessions. However, you must still be accepted into the program through the review process.
Please note that we do not provide refunds for the price difference if you later choose to become an Extension Master Gardener (EMG) volunteer. However, you will have free access to retake all online training classes if desired. Additionally, we offer numerous continuing education classes to all EMG volunteers annually, both at the state and local levels.
The process for this option:
- Register for WA Green School. Registration opens August 15, 2025.
- Attend and successfully complete WA Green School. Classes start October 5, 2025 and end February 21, 2026.
- Apply to become a volunteer and complete required interview in August/September 2026
- Take local Thurston County in-person training from March to June 2027.
- Complete your internship in Thurston County from June to December 2027.
- Earn your “WSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteer” certification upon completion of Green School, local training, and internship.
>>Click here to go to the Washington Green School website to learn more.
A note from our local program coordinator: If you are interested in becoming a WSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer in Thurston County and you are able to wait to start WA Green School, then we recommend waiting until July 2026 to apply. You will then attend WA Green School starting in October 2026, take the local training in the spring of 2027, and complete your internship in 2027. Click the back button below to view the process to become a volunteer.