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Ecovillage Design Education 2021

Current Status
Not Enrolled
Price
£860
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Certified by Gaia Education and GEN

*Registration has now closed. See the bottom of this page if you are interested in a possible next cohort.*

A rare opportunity to attend a full Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) online with top facilitators and experts from around the world. This 4.5 month live course is a transformative learning journey providing knowledge and practical skills for how to design thriving communities and societies within planetary boundaries.

This course is facilitated by experienced EDE trainers: Macaco Tamerice and Taisa Mattos, with well-known guest trainers from the Ecovillage Movement: Ina Meyer-Stoll, Achim Ecker, Sarah Queblatin, Ross Jackson, Daniel Christian Wahl, Daniel Greenberg, Kosha Joubert, John Croft, Anna Kovasna, Albert Bates, May East, Andre Soares, and Mugove Nyika. *Scroll down to ‘Meet your facilitators’ to read their bios.*

The Ecovillage Design Education programme (EDE) was born out of the experiences of long existing communities and cutting edge educators or transformative and particpatory learning in order to share how to create a new way of living with low environmental impact and high quality of life, bringing together the four areas of regeneration: social, ecological, economic, and culture/worldview. 

The EDE programmes are well known to be life changing. Previous participants have become change agents in their communities, cities and regions, capable of playing active roles in transitioning their communities, organisations and neighbourhoods, to more sustainable and regenerative practices, lifestyles and infrastructure, as well as leading more meaningful, joyful and healthier lives.

The course will equip you with skills and knowledge you will be able to put into action in any field or sector you are involved with, supporting you to become a facilitator of transformative learning environments and collaborative action.

*The first introductory session on 17 April was free to attend recordings were available until 23 April when registrations closed.

The Ecovillage Design Education is for you if you want to…

  • Gain confidence in participatory facilitation and building resilient learning communities
  • Improve your communication skills and conflict management 
  • Explore shared leadership and participatory decision making processes
  • Practice deep sharing & trust building
  • Learn about appropriate environmental technologies 
  • Identify how to support and strengthen local economies
  • Experience how to think globally and act locally 
  • Gain a holistic perspective of sustainability and community building
  • Learn from the real experience of community builders and ecovillage founders
  • Improve design and implementation skills for effective regenerative projects
  • Work with others to explore your own dreams and plans, co-developing your projects throughout the programme.

The programme will explore the 4 areas of regeneration (social, ecology, economy and worldview) including formal classes with presentations, Q&A sessions, videos, exercises as well as group dynamics and deep sharing. Participants will create and co-develop their projects during the design sessions. 

You will gain

– A certification as a Designer in Sustainability (when you attend 90% of the course)

– Integrative design skills in four areas of regeneration: social, ecology, economy, and worldview

– New friends, ideas, inspiration, and hope!

Immersive week

**According to the COVID-19 situation, we will offer additional immersive weeks in Damanhur and in Inkiri Piracanga Ecovillage so participants will be able to experience community life and more hands-on activities.

  • Damanhur (Italy) from August 7th to 14th (TBC) – with Macaco Tamerice and the Damanhur Community.
  • Inkiri Piracanga (Brazil) second semester of 2021 (with Taisa Mattos and the Inkiri Community)

There will be an additional cost to include food, accomodation, and coordination.

Practicalities and Timing

When

Weekly from April 17th to August 1st (4 ½  months). Live calls with facilitators and guest teachers every Saturday and the last Sunday of each month, at 14.00 – 17.30 CEST. (Find your local time here.) See below for specific dates and topics. Weekly design group meetings to be decided by each working group.

Course fee

For the full comprehensive course and certificate: €1000 /  £ 860 / $1200 (payment by credit card or PayPal). To pay by bank transfer or in installments, please e mail [email protected].

With the course you will also automatically receive the GEN Online Summit package 2021 for free!

Discounts available
  • 10% off for GEN Ambassadors;
  • 20% off when you sign up as a group of 5 (eg. 5 spots get 1 free);
  • 25% off for students under age 25.

We also offer Scholarships for people from the Global South, from a non-majority background and/or from a crisis area. These will be allocated according to country of residence/origin, gender balance, diversity of ethnic background and cultural heritage, meaningful role and service in your community.

Email [email protected] for any questions on course content and timing or to request a discount code.

*Registration for this cohort has closed. If you are interested in future offerings, please provide your information here and we will be in touch with details of the next cohort.

Course Content

Expand All
Course Preparation & Admin
EDE Welcome
EDE Course Outline and Frequently Asked Questions 7 Topics Sample Lesson
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Lesson Content
0% Complete 0/7 Steps
Will participants be able to connect with each other throughout the course?
What is the total time commitment for the course, including live calls, group work, and further reading?
To earn the certificate, we need 90% attendance. If we have a scheduling conflict and need to miss a session, can we get the info or make up the time?
Will there be an opportunity for an immersive experience in an ecovillage?
Is there the possibility of translation into other languages within the EDE Course?
Will this online EDE count like a face-to-face EDE in the path towards becoming a Gaia Education certified trainer?
Can I pay in installments?
Meet your facilitators! 15 Topics Sample Lesson
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Lesson Content
0% Complete 0/15 Steps
Taisa Mattos
Macaco Tamerice
Ina Meyer-Stoll
Achim Ecker
Sarah Queblatin
Ross Jackson
Daniel Christian Wahl
Daniel Greenberg
Kosha Joubert
John Croft
Anna Kovasna
Albert Bates
May East
André Soares
Mugove Nyika
Bonus materials
Free access to the GEN Online Summit 2021
SOCIAL
April 17 – Ecovillage Introduction with Taisa and Macaco 1 Quiz
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Lesson Content
Ecovillage Introduction (April 17)
April 24 – Creating Community & Embracing Diversity with Taisa and Macaco 1 Quiz
Expand
Lesson Content
Creating Community and Embracing Diversity (April 24)
April 25 – Dragon Dreaming: Co-creating Collaborative Projects with John Croft 1 Topic
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Lesson Content
0% Complete 0/1 Steps
Dragon Dreaming eBook in other languages
May 1 – Communication Skills and Conflict Management with Taisa and Macaco
May 8 – Social & Personal Transformation with Ina Meyer-Stoll
May 15 – Leadership & Participatory Decision Making Processes with Macaco and Taisa
Additional resources and evaluation for the social dimension
ECOLOGY
May 22 – Permaculture Design & Green Building with André Soares
May 29 – Renewable Energy; Water management, Waste Management with Achim Ecker
May 30 – Regenerative Agriculture & Food Security with Albert Bates
June 5 – Climate Change & How Ecovillages are facing EmerGENcies with Sarah Queblatin
Additional resources and evaluation for the ecological dimension
ECONOMY
June 12 – Shifting from Global Economy to Sustainability with Ross Jackson
June 19 – Exploring Community Economies with Anna Kovasna
June 26 – Social Currencies, Community Banks and Trade systems with Taisa and Macaco
June 27 – Intrapreneurship and Edge Work with May East
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