A life-changing experience

If you have dived into the depths of our immersive Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) Face-to-Face programme at a community somewhere in the world, you will know it is a life-changing experience. Through it, many have found deeper purpose and meaning, and have even made a difference in their community, their life’s work. Others have seen, felt, and learnt things that moved them to become more effective world workers. This is also true for those who have studied our online Design for Sustainability (GEDS) programme and deepened their understanding of the four dimensions of sustainable community design.

Change Agents

All our students share a hunger and commitment to find a place and space to act as agents for positive change. Many of them have already created their own Gaia Education inspired workshops, facilitated meetings, inspired or become social entrepreneurs and much more. However, we know that many still do not feel confident enough to deliver our programmes’ content to such diverse and, sometimes, challenging audiences. This is about to change, you are about to change! Join us to receive all the necessary tools to become a Gaia Education Certified Trainer!

Facilitating Participatory Learning Journeys

The aim of this module is for facilitators to gain the necessary skills and confidence to teach the four dimensions of sustainability in ways that support participants to empower themselves both inwardly and outwardly. These future facilitators will be expected to have knowledge in the areas they plan to teach and this module will prepare them to teach this material in a way that builds a learning community and draws deeply from the group with which they are working. Participants will ride a dynamic balance of meditation practice, experimenting with facilitation and clarifying principles to navigate a holistic educational experience. There will also be ample time for facilitation practice where all participants will gain confidence in using participatory learning tools by taking the lead in assigned sessions.

Sustainable Development Goals – Negotiating Tensions between Global and Local

The world is marked by a strong and creative tension. It is a tension between what is global and what is local. The global face is powerful, and seeking to be more so. But a tide is rising, steadily reinforcing the local, resulting in an increasing ‘Glocalisation’ as the global and local converge. This module will teach edge workers and facilitators how to navigate between the two spheres in language, ethics and implementation. It will support participants to decode relevant UN conventions into meaningful frameworks for transformative action at the local level. Topics include SDGs vertical integration, UNESCO Global Action Programme Priorities Areas, and how to translate Global Climate Agreements into action through behaviour and life style changes.

Deepening the Edge Work

The edge is the meeting point between the known and the unknown, between something being too well known, which makes it boring to us, and too unknown, which makes it confusing. The edge is a zone of high intensity, instability, creativity and innovation. Just as it is possible, through the design of ecologically sustainable systems, to increase diversity and life by maximising the edges between neighboring biological communities, so it is possible to create a larger edge effect in community development, thereby maximising its benefit to the society as a whole. This module will position Gaia Trainers as maximisers of edges between different communities with differing modes of operation, power structures, cultures, physical environments and worldviews. It will equip trainers with the skilful means to adapt to multiple scenarios and situations and ultimately thrive and help others thrive through creativity and playing for collaborative advantage.

Taking the ToT is part of the Gaia Education learning journey and brings you one step closer to becoming a certified trainer. The minimum requirement to be certified is to complete the following:

1. Attend a Gaia Education Certified Face-to-Face Ecovillage Design Education programme (EDE)
2. Complete the minimum of one dimension of the Gaia EducationDesign for Sustainability (GEDS)online course, focusing on the area you want to teach
3. Attend the Gaia Education Training of Trainers (ToT) course
4. Pass an interview during the Gaia Education ToT. This will ascertain your suitability to be certified and included on the Gaia Education Certificated Trainers’ Rosteror determine any additional steps required to fulfil this.

Maintaining the Certificated Trainer Status

A Certified Trainer is involved in a continuous process of emergence, active engagement, innovation and development. To maintain certificated trainer status you must:

• keep up-to-date information on the Trainers Directory.
• regularly contribute articles, exchange ideas and share relevant information with the Global Ecovillage Educators for a Sustainable Earth (GEESE) and through other Gaia Education communication channels.
• have a consistently positive facilitator evaluation from students and organisers.
• have facilitated at least one Gaia Education certified face-to-face programme within two years of receiving your certification.