Youth Gardeners

The Garden Club of North Carolina promotes youth involvement in gardening by encouraging adult garden clubs to sponsor and mentor to youth groups, preschool through high school ages.  Currently in North Carolina, there are  36 Youth Gardener Clubs with 689 members.  These clubs promote youth knowledge and enjoyment of gardening and encourage youth involvement in environmental improvement through beautification, restoration and protection of our natural resources.  The GCNC hopes to increase interest and love of gardening in our youth through rewarding and fun experiences, programs, projects and activities.  For further information on the Youth Program, correspond with GCNC (contact information), or email the Youth Chairman, Jenene Smith

Hi, Kids!

• Have you ever made and eaten a dirt cake with worms?

• Have you ever planted your very own tree or flower?

• Have you ever planted your own garden?

• Have you ever made a plant person?

These are some of the fun activities we do in our Youth Clubs!

Come Join Us!

A variety of programs for youth clubs may be ordered from State Headquarters.  VCR, cassette tapes, and written programs on Arbor Day, birds, conservation, flower arranging, horticulture and numerous other interesting topics are available.  Please refer to The NC Gardener Yearbook.

It's so exciting for our youth to win awards!  Enter blue bird and cardinal drawings; send in your yearbooks and project descriptions!  Refer to The NC Gardener Yearbook for a listing of youth awards.  Applying for these awards can be most rewarding and the highlight of your year!

There are two awards that are not included in the NC Gardener.  These awards go on to the South Atlantic Region for judging, then National if they win at the Region level.

             Poetry Contest  - Information will be added when available.

             National Junior Youth Poster Contest  - Information will be added when available.

              For complete information about the above contests please contact State Chairman, Jenene Smith

GCNC REQUIREMENTS:

1. Must be sponsored by a senior garden club which is a member of GCNC and National Garden Clubs, Inc.

2. Maintain a minimum of FOUR MEMBERS.

3. Hold at least FIVE MEETINGS per year.

4. Pay yearly dues (Form)

5. Complete the Youth Garden Club Application (Form). 

ALL ITEMS SHOULD BE SENT TO GCNC YOUTH CHAIRMAN

Help Us Stop the Invaders

Smokey Bear / Woodsy Owl Poster Contest

The 2005-2006 Smokey & Woodsy contests are dedicated to preventing the spread of invasive plants, animals, and other organisms that are non-native and invasive in our nation's forests!  If possible, try to weave the secondary message "Help Us Stop the Invaders" into the posters

Eligibility:  1st - 5th grade

Contest Rules:

1. Posters must feature Smokey Bear or Woodsy Owl.
2. Smokey poster should be based upon fire prevention and, if possible, stopping the spread of invasive species.
3. Each entry should be 11" to 17".
4. Materials that can be used: crayons, markers, poster paints, watercolor, etc.
5. No three dimensional posters, computer scanned, or electronically generated images will be accepted!
6. Complete labels (included under Forms) and place on the back of the poster in the lower right hand corner.
7. Submit poster entries no later than January 15, 2008 to Jenene Smith, 6412 Quail Run, Wilmington NC 28409.
8. Grading Scale: Originality-20; Design-20; Slogan-20; Artwork-20; Overall-20.

National Winner will receive a free trip to Washington, DC for a recognition ceremony.  National Garden Club, Inc. will award a $100.00 Savings Bond to the national first place winner for each grade level category.

Reminder: All entries will become property of the USDA Forest Service.  Posters will not be returned to contestants. The USDA Forest Service or National Garden Clubs, Inc., may use the poster for artwork for national educational materials and outreach.

Information about winning posters may be seen at www.symbols.gov & www.smokeybear.com