Therapeutic Horticulture 2: Program Development

Coming Fall of 2023

Get on the waitlist to register for the course here

NC State University Department of Horticultural Science and the North Carolina Botanical Garden at UNC Chapel Hill have partnered to create an exciting online learning program. Therapeutic Horticulture: Program Development is the second in a series of online courses that teach the theory, practice, and profession of Therapeutic Horticulture.

This course will equip students with the ability to design therapeutic horticulture treatment interventions for a wide variety of sites and participant populations. Students will learn how to perform foundational participant and site assessments that inform the subsequent stages of a therapeutic horticulture program’s development and management. We will explore the concept of “form follows function” and discover how to use client-centered assessment data to let the program ‘write itself.’ Students will practice developing overarching program and client treatment goals that target specific outcomes. Using dynamic interactive forums with real-world examples, students will research, discuss, and reflect on the multiple facets of TH program development, and will be provided with references and resources for further study.

Students can watch lectures and fulfill assignments when their schedule permits during the six-week period the class is in session, with a new module opening up every Monday morning. Despite the asynchronous nature of this course, it is highly recommended that students keep up with lectures and assignments before the next module is introduced since it is possible to fall behind quickly.

While having achieved a record of completion in the Introduction to Therapeutic Horticulture class is highly recommended for this class and previously required, registration is now possible for those with a passion for the field of Therapeutic Horticulture who would benefit from this advanced training. Contact us if you have taken a different Introduction to TH type course or if you have other relevant experience that may qualify as a prerequisite. Taking the Intro class in the future will be required for participants wanting to achieve the Certificate of Mastery in Therapeutic Horticulture  – achieved by completing all 4 courses in the online Therapeutic Horticulture series. Our ultimate goal is to bring this dynamic treatment method to as many people as possible in a timely manner. If you fit the description above, contact gtplace@ncsu.edu.

We are thrilled to have Emilee Weaver join us as an instructor for this course. Emilee Weaver has been a professional horticulturist for 23 years in five different states/climates in the U.S. Thirteen of those years have been spent as a full-time horticultural therapist and consultant. Stemming from a formalized education in social work, years of in-field horticulture experience, and a horticultural therapy certificate from the Horticultural Therapy Institute of Denver, she has developed and managed numerous HT programs involving a variety of populations and settings. Most notably, she developed a therapeutic/vocational horticultural therapy program at a high-security treatment facility for adolescent girls, a military veteran reintegration program at Denver Botanic Gardens, and managed an HT program at a 400 bed, state-managed psychiatric hospital in North Carolina. She currently serves as the Therapeutic Horticulture Program Manager at the NC Botanical Garden. Emilee has spoken at national conferences and symposiums in efforts to spread the importance of sound program development practices that support the longevity and efficacy of HT programs. She co-authored the HT textbook, “The Profession and Practice of Horticultural Therapy” which was published in 2019. Her contribution to the book focused on the principles of HT program development and management.

If you have any questions or concerns about registration or the course in general, please see our Frequently Asked Questions page contact gtplace@ncsu.edu

Fees:

• Early Bird (3 weeks before course start date): $399
• Regular Tuition: $409
• Volunteer, Member & Professional Discount: $379
  • For members of the NCBG or JCRA, contact gtplace@ncsu.edu for code
  • For extension Master Gardener volunteers (regardless of location), JCRA or NCBG volunteers, or extension professionals.  To obtain the discount code, send an email to gtplace@ncsu.edu. If you haven’t previously received the discount code, please have your extension agent or organization e-mail to request it.

Below are links to other courses offered by NCSU Extension Gardener Online Learning:

• Introduction to Therapeutic Horticulture
• Houseplants, Succulents and Cacti
• Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits and Nuts
• Understanding Plants
• Annuals, Perennials, Vines and Groundcovers
• Trees, Shrubs and Conifers 

Additional Information

• Request an Invitation to Upcoming Classes
• Back to Main Page for Online Non-Credit Courses

Please contact gtplace@ncsu.edu with any questions. We’re looking forward to sharing our classroom with you!