Local Programs
The Arlington County office of Virginia Cooperative Extension is your local connection to Virginia's land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University. Through educational programs based on research and developed with input from local stakeholders, we help the people of Arlington County improve their lives. We provide education through programs in Agriculture and Natural Resources, Family and Consumer Sciences, 4-H Youth Development, and Community Viability.
- Agriculture & Natural Resources
- 4-H Youth Development
- Family & Consumer Sciences
- Community Viability
ANR programs have something for everyone interested in urban agriculture, horticulture and sustainable landscape management. We host an in-house help desk to answer your plant, insect or gardening questions and offer programs year round on various topics.
- Kirsten Conrad - Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources
Related Extension Publications
Extension Master Gardener Help Desk
Let our Master Gardeners help with your plant, insect and other gardening / horticulture questions. Follow the help desk link to find out more about our help desk and what to bring to help us answer your questions.
Public Education Programs
We offer a variety of programs on various topics. Please visit our public education page to see our regularly offered courses. In addition, if we have volunteers available, we can tailor a program for your group or event. If you don’t see what you are interested listed here, please contact us.
Between the Rows Garden Guide
Need a list of “to-dos” for your vegetable and herb gardens?
Information in this publication covers general garden design, planning, maintenance, and pest and disease detection.
Volunteer Opportunities
Affiliated Organizations
4-H is a community of young people across America who are learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills.
Arlington County 4-H is a rapidly growing program providing youth ages 5-18 with opportunities to engage in hands-on learning experiences through community-based clubs, afterschool programming, camps, 4-H Military Partneship and more! These programs are made possible by trained, caring adult volunteers under the guidance of the Arlington 4-H Agent.
- Deborah Madden - Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development
- Become a 4-H Volunteer
- Virginia 4-H Youth Development
- Visit Arlington 4-H on Facebook
Many people associate 4-H with farms and livestock. While the program has its roots in rural development, it has evolved along with our nation to meet the needs of urban communities, too! Arlington 4-H specializes in the following focus areas:
Enviromental Education, STEM & Agriculture
Gardening
Financial Literacy
Cooking & Nutrition -Healthy Living
Career Skills
Civic Engagement & Leadership
Communication
Interested in something else? With volunteer support, we are happy to create new programs to meet all youth's interests!
Join the Revolution of Responsibility
Family and Consumer Sciences programs focus on finance, nutrition and family and human development needs of Arlington and Alexandria residents through classes offered at various public venues. Consistent with VCE's mission, our educational programs utilize research-based curricula from public university or federal government sources.
- Aisha Salazar - Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences
Volunteer Opportunities
Financial Education
We provide financial education to more than 6,000 Arlington and Alexandria residents each year. Our diverse programming ranges from financial simulations for school aged children to financial coaching sessions for adults.
Nutrition Education
Our various programs help children, youth, and adults establish and maintain healthy diets to prevent chronic diseases and obesity.
Energy Efficiency Education
This award winning program trains volunteers in energy and water efficiency and conservation techniques, specifically focusing on skills for weatherizing apartment building units.
Engaging with Communities
Virginia Cooperative Extension specialists in community viability work with Extension agents, campus-based faculty, organizational partners, communities, and individuals to further opportunity and build capacity in five program areas:
- Leadership & Planning
- Community Enterprise and Resiliency
- Community Food System and Enterprises
- Community Planning
- Emerging Community Issues
Examples of our work include training county elected officials, educating entrepreneurs, facilitating collaborative projects, supporting the growth of community food systems and local economies, enhancing agent skills and community capacity in facilitation and leadership, conducting problem-driven research, and creating publications and tools that address critical community needs.
Do you have a question about Community Viability?
Perhaps one of the Community Viability specialists below can help you. Contact a Community Viability specialist or direct a question to them using our Ask an Expert system.