Thursday, March 17, 2011
The Driftless Academy (School of Makers)
What: An educational program for young adults/anybody (16+) opting out of formal education, meaningless work, and the unexamined life.
How: A 3-year program based around a core curriculum of food production (farmsteading), a permaculture backbone, and "the hunt" every November. Infused with reflection and tools for problem-solving, entrepreneurship (/means of change), financial sense & planning, independence vs. interdependence, cultivating a personal practice, and creative living. Not "back to the land" but "START with the land." Mission: "Get it done" (3 words). Funding: Students pay for first year, can manage a portion of the farm for the next 2 years to cover their expenses & tuition. Ideally for college credit (AS or BA).
Where: In the driftless area of Southwest Wisconsin.
Why: Because self-reliance is being lost, timeless skills are being lost, a sense of one's own power in the shaping of the world is being lost. With a surer foundation, people will have a better context and greater confidence for making decisions and getting good things accomplished.
When: As soon as I can put together the requisite talent pool, and have several years program management/farming experience.
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Inspirations:
http://www.scandinavianseminar.org/?id=101 ("Folk Schools")
http://www.driftlessfolkschool.org/ ("Driftless Folk School")
http://www.farmschool.org/prog_practicalfarm.html ("The Farm School")
http://www.permacultureportal.com/ ("Bullock Brothers Permaculture Homestead")
http://openfarmtech.org/weblog/ ("Factor E Farm")
http://www.encyclopediapictura.com/troutgulch/ ("Trout Gulch Forest Village")
http://www.wildernesscollege.com/ ("Alderleaf Wilderness College")
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aap/aapindus.html & http://www.yale.edu/glc/archive/1147.htm ("Tuskegee Institute")
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