Long on a desire to learn, but short on time? No worries. Educational opportunities abound for aspiring turfgrass managers or those who just want to bone up on their skills in a non-traditional learning setting.
Short courses at the University of Massachusetts and the University of Kentucky offer ongoing learning opportunities designed to meet the schedules of today’s working professionals.
The six-week UMass Winter School for Turf Managers is a compressed certificate program that covers all the concepts essential to maintaining high quality turf, with emphasis on environmental stewardship and fiscal responsibility. This comprehensive, dynamic short course is ideal for experienced professionals associated with the management of golf courses, athletic fields, parks, municipal and private grounds, fine lawns and landscapes.
Scheduled for Jan. 6-Feb. 14 at the UMass campus in Amherst, in an updated, time-efficient, six-week format, the UMass winter school is certificate program designed to help experienced turf professionals brush up on their skills or provide aspiring managers who can’t squeeze a traditional academic schedule into their calendar with the skills necessary to succeed.
Classes meet 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-noon on Fridays to accommodate weekend commuters. Some area hotels offer special packages for UMass Winter School students.
UMass Amherst faculty and guests instructors lead a combination of classroom, laboratory, group project and discussion activities. Close-knit classes offer an opportunity to learn from the experiences of fellow students and to form relationships that will last a lifetime.
A certificate of completion will be awarded to those who satisfactorily complete the program requirements. A high school diploma or GED is required for admission.
The Kentucky Certified Professional Turf Managers Level 2 Workshop is a three-day event scheduled for Jan. 8-10 offers advanced instruction, labs and field work designed to supplement the Level 1 course. Completion of the Level 1 curriculum is not a prerequisite to registering for this program.
A $225 registration fee includes tuition, all course work, a notebook filled with information from the instructors, lunch and a certificate of completion.
The three-day event is limited to 30 people and will be conducted at the university’s E.S. Good Barn.