Overview of my learning pathway
Welcome!
Welcome to my Learning Review! This report is like a hallway with many doors, it is a gateway into all my work from this year (Projects/OPs linked in Overview of projects and their outcomes). In this report I have extracted my main un/learnings and outcomes to share and document my learning pathway. I hope you find a tool that you can use in your life or an inspiration that helps you push your edge! For navigation instructions see previous page (Output overview)
The purpose of this page is to: introduce you to how I came to study at Gaia University, list the goals I outlined for myself in the beginning of the year, and give you a peak at some of the highlights of my year.
Context of my pathway
I first found out about Gaia University in 2008 while traveling Mexico. My path led me to Huehuecoyotle, one of Mexico's oldest communities. The founders of Gaia University, Liora and Andrew were working there. Liora gave me an introduction to how they started, what their mission was and how it works.
Gaia's mission and methods resonated with my heart, yet I could not afford it. Four years passed as I attempted to engage my own action learning, taking two PDCs and several permaculture focused workshops.
My efforts fell short to make permaculture my livelihood. I decided I needed deeper professional skills and a degree to prove it. In 2012 I discussed my dream, of being a Gaia associate with my parents and they responded positively. I applied and was accepted.
Orientation
I started my orientation while traveling in India in February 2013 and finished in August in Vermont, USA. The orientation was a tour of the epistemic community and tools that have been developed for ecological and social design. During the orientation I created a plan for my Learning Pathway (LIPD) where I set my Goals for the year and a rough plan of the projects I wanted to engage in.
The Project Goals I outlined in my LIPD
Land based Permaculture - Developing skills in designing and implementing specific permaculture practices in ecosystem design, natural building and appropriate technology.
Leadership and teaching - Become confident in; the Leaderful model, Public speaking, timeline/quoting, designing curriculum, improving articulation/presentation to groups, engaging participants and empowerment.
Community engagement - To focus on "Human Permaculture", the social aspects of design as well as the financial/logistical designs of organizations. Outreach, including/engaging the greater community, permaculture propagation, self-empowerment, community beautification.
Project management - To more deeply learn site analysis and assessment, project presentation and articulation of designs. Interviewing and quoting, client relations.
Learning Goals
My Year at a glance
As I stitch my Jholi (Indian Sadhu bag - image right) stories of my year embroider themselves into patterns that reflect the diversity and beauty of this year. As I spin the embroidery threads, I feel the strength of the spiral path. The path of visioning the future and reflecting on the past, of giving and receiving. (jholi photo album)
The first six months was a rich orientation which gave me many tools, outfitting me for the ecosocial work ahead. In May I arrived (home) in Vermont, USA after being abroad for five months in Switzerland and India, I hit the ground running.
I started by collaboration with my permaculture teacher Mark Krawczyk, working on his new land. My work with Mark continued through the summer and into the fall. I helped him plant a multipurpose hedgerow, we built a mini irrigation dam, and we worked on building his wattle and daub barn (barn photo album). I also co-taught two earthen oven courses at Yestermorrow Design/Build School with Mark. Working side by side with my mentor gave this year a unique quality of deep learning.
I took two week-long intensives for work-trade totaling $2300 in value. The first was a Timber framing course at Yestermorrow and the second a Leadership training course at Metta Earth Institute. My ability to access quality education in this way showed me that my community understands interdependence and is willing to investment in it. These courses are highlights of the year whose connectivity continues to be a part of my life.
Spring through fall I lived in Vermont, USA at Kailash Ashram a center for yoga. I have been supported by the Ashram community the past three years and in many ways with my learning path this year. It is the site of a three year old food forest my wife and I planted. They hosted me for an introduction to permaculture workshop and a sourdough bread workshop. I even got logistical and technical assistance learning basic HTML for my OPs and having active listeners to hear my ideas. It is also the site of my last project a passive solar panel to heat and cool the cabin I was living in.
I am finishing my year up traveling Mexico and Guatemala visiting friends I have known for over ten years, building ovens, talking permaculture with people and reflecting on my year.
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Core report - Overview of my learning pathway by Will Bode is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
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