Just to be clear on the tears shed at the Inwood Nature Center in Manhattan, ... they were tears of joy. It took over a year and a half of planning, false starts, and much failure. Class locations pulled out on us at the last moment. Teachers in the region had their own agendas and their own courses competing for students. Luckily we were able to saturate both PDC classes here in Manhattan, despite the false start of not enough students for competing classes last October.
We offered a course for $300 (sliding scale) in Manhattan. The class space was free; 200 acres of old growth and last salt marsh in Manhattan. The location was not entirely friendly, though, as key individuals no longer worked at the Nature Center by the time the class began. The teachers, whom we were able to pay, stayed at an organizer's apartment for these six weekends.
The presentations shamed the presentations of the two week PDC I attended. As far as we understand, this was the first PDC in Manhattan.
Even further, we have individuals out in NYC looking for places to learn yet more. I have some meeting in Inwood that attended this class. Others from the class have been meeting in Brooklyn.
We should be applauding such heroic efforts. Thank you to Ethan and to others for your involvement. We are sure to have other classes for those who would like to be involved.
It is our hopes to find a way of including students who earn exploitative wages in proximity to Wall Street costs of living (Bronx per capita income in 1999 was at the bottom of all counties in NY state; gentrification has been altering the situation of late).
-Sean.
Claudia Joseph <permie@earthlink.net> wrote: Apologies to the list for sending a personal note to all. I think I
know the answer to those issues of credibility in PDCs.
There will always be differences in the courses and in how
individuals absorb the material.
It is a beginning point, not an end.
Thanks, Ethan for letting me know I broadcast my personal fears to the whole list.
I do worry about the reputation of permaculture - but perhaps I shouldn't waste my energy there.
I do still have to deal with the issue of folks who are absent for part of the course.
- Claudia
NYC
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