As interest increases for online education, Mt. Cuba Center, a leader in gardening with native plants and conserving natural areas, is launching a Classes On Demand program featuring some of its most popular gardening courses.
Virtual learning is an entirely new tool for Mt. Cuba that builds on the organization’s mission to inspire an appreciation for the beauty and value of native plants and conservation of natural habitats. The first step was to move Mt. Cuba’s in-person classes online to support instructors and students during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now, select classes can be accessed at a time that’s convenient to students.
“After demand for online classes soared in spring of 2020, we found that many people were unable to attend our online classes at the time they were happening,” said Duncan Himmelman, education manager. “To offer these classes to a wider audience, we selected some of our most popular classes to be offered on demand so students can learn whenever and wherever they want.”
On-demand programming creates a realistic class experience, immersing students in a remote learning environment where gardeners are presented with practical and conceptual skills. Featuring several of Mt. Cuba Center’s most popular courses, each class lasts about 90 minutes. Once purchased, students are able to watch the pre-recorded videos more than once, or stop at any point and re-start it again later within 60 days of the purchase date. Please call if this is a gift that will need a specific start date. The first six classes to be offered on demand include:
- Get the “Dirt” on Soil
- Instant Butterfly Garden
- Milkweeds for Monarchs
- Native Groundcovers: Living Mulch
- Weeds 101: Summer
- Best Native Plans for Containers
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown a need for powerful online courses that are affordable, easy to use, and accessible,” Himmelman said. “We want all classes to benefit our students and are innovating everyday based on course feedback.”
On-demand classes are intended for one student and should not be shared. These courses do not offer teacher interaction and are available for a limited time only. Students will be notified via email one week before a class becomes unavailable.
Mt. Cuba’s classes won editor’s pick for Best Creative Workshops in Delaware Today’s annual “Best of Delaware” awards. Find these programs and more at mtcubacenter.org/programs.
CEU credits are not available for Classes on Demand.