Junior Docents will be trained to lead interactive tours of Lotusland to students in the Fourth Grade Outreach Program. The garden is used as a teaching tool to explore basic botanical concepts and the important role plants play in sustaining life on earth.

Training for Junior Docents takes place in the summer and winter and consists of five two-hour sessions that include "shadow tours" of Outreach docents leading fourth grade students on garden tours. Students will learn about Lotusland's plant collections, the history of the estate, and learn to give tours to fourth grade students. Training concludes with an evaluation tour given to their families with a senior docent present. Regular tours for fourth grade students are conducted throughout the year. Each Junior Docent will give several tours and will be supported by senior docents who evaluate and coach students to perfect their touring skills.

Students who sign up for the Junior Docent program must be able to commit to the following responsibilities to successfully complete the program:

• Students need to act professionally at all times and work with Lotusland docents and staff toward the goal of becoming a proficient Junior Docent.
• Students must attend all training sessions.
• Parents, working with the school administration, are responsible for arranging transportation with authorized drivers to and from training sessions and scheduled tours.
• Students need to arrive on time and be picked up promptly after classes or tours are completed. Car-pooling is encouraged.
• It is required that all students entering the Junior Docent Program, along with their parents or guardian, sign a contract to acknowledge their understanding of both the time commitment and basic responsibilities involved in participating in the program.

Lotusland staff will strive to make certain that every student has a rewarding and positive experience as a Junior Docent. Classes will be designed to be both educational and fun. For more information, please call Dorothy Shaner, Lotusland Public Programs Manager, at 805-969-3767, ext. 107, or e-mail dshaner@lotusland.org.