Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - [permaculture] costs of design courses

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Michael Kramer" <MKramer@hawaii.rr.com>
  • To: <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] costs of design courses
  • Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2004 19:08:46 -1000

While I would agree with Toby that the expenses of putting on a decent PDC
legitimize a course fee of $1000 and up, there are other ways to get courses
into the world at a lower tuition rate or to make it happen creatively:

(1) use people's homes as the course site, with the home owner bartering
course participation for that service. This greatly reduces one majore
expense, especially if it's a home where some can either sleep there or in
the yard.

(2) the college semester course, which at a community college is downright
cheap. There have been a few here and there over the years; the challenge is
to determine what academic field they fit within. Many are tempted to place
it in horticulture, others in the natural sciences. Ideally it could be its
own academic department, as it is quite interdiscplinary.

(3) in-services for school teachers. This can be a series of individual days
scattered throughout the school year or consecutively over a holiday break.
Training school teachers is pretty leveraged, because they in turn integrate
the material into their academic disciplines.

(4) after school programs - it takes many weeks at that pace but it's the
same content and free to the teenagers.

(5) continuing education classes, for architects, engineers, etc. Again, it
would take time for people to get all the course content this way, but they
are used and required to pay for these educational opportunities anyway to
maintain their association membership.

(6) partner with an existing non-profit organization on a grant that can
subsidize the course so that students can be offered a reduced rate.

(7) the Permaculture Credit Union provides loans to anyone who wishes to take
a PDC.

(8) local guilds can organize a scholarship fund to pool local resources to
enable those who cannot afford to pay the full price can get partial or full
scholarships; this has been done with great success in the last two
Permaculture Teachers Courses we have done in the Bay Area.

(9) permaculture-related businesses can sponsor students in a course as part
of hiring criteria or professional development for existing employees.

(10) on-line courses, which sound bizarre since they lack group hands-on
work, but it's a creative way to reach many people in an affordable way.

(11) a scout troop merit badge or program. OK, it's a reach, but you just
never know...

-----
Michael Kramer
Natural Investment Services
P.O. Box 390595
Keauhou, HI 96739

www.NaturalInvesting.com
808-331-0910
Toll-free: 888-779-1500

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."
------------------------------------------------------------------------



  • [permaculture] costs of design courses, Michael Kramer, 09/10/2004

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page