Education
Education – what a loaded & intimidating word to many. Education can be so empowering and it can be so destructive. To our delight we keep finding beautiful high-frequency opportunities to learn, for people of all ages, embedded in inclusive community, liberty and mutual support. As centralised education systems are crumbling, taken down by all those who see through them and are disillusioned regarding their purpose, the ways in which we learn are going through a deep change. Discernment between true knowledge that is ours and can never be taken away, and the mere repetition of facts often conveyed by schools, universities, media etc. form a bifurcation – one path is dying while the other is quickly gaining recognition for its power.
An ever increasing number of parents are pulling their kids out of systemised, conventional schools and choose, or create new avenues. The importance of learning with children rather than teaching in a one-way system is becoming obvious. Due to current Earth changes and frequency upgrades, many children have a much clearer understanding and perception of the universe we live in and what it means to be human than adults – an innate knowing of where we come from and how life works technically, how to materialise new form in new ways etc. Ask them. We will need to listen, collaborate and get out of the way so that young people can do what they have come here for and what they often desperately wish to build.
Together we can create a healthy world of abundance as far-fetched, or as cliché as that may sound. Below are some examples of changing ways of learning which increase inclusivity, equity, justice, honesty, choice and free unfolding of skills and intelligence for young and not so young people. Many aspects of current curricula taught at conventional schools will fall away, or change profoundly in the next years. Other aspects related to relationship, communication, stewardship and free expression through art, music and dance will become important parts of learning. We will keep adding new initiatives as we find them, or they find us.
Into Nature Forest School
England, UK
Outdoor young people-centred & play-based learning immersed in nature. Forest-bathing for mom’s with babies. Combining freedom in play with learning, responsible leadership & healthy ritual & routine. Outdoor learning for families, adults, outdoor practitioners & organisations, including various forms of bushcraft such as fire-making without matches, handling of saws, knife & axe, foraging, medicinal plants & their use etc. Creating nature-connected community. High ratio of facilitators to students. Community Interest Company meaning 100% of profits are invested back into the community.
Summerfield Waldorf School & Farm
California, USA
Play-based early social & emotional learning. Daily merging of classes, music, art & biodynamic organic farm work with developing empathy, collaboration skills & stewardship. Cherishing diversity & living inclusivity. Supporting individual talent & student projects. Focus on discovery of knowledge by students rather than feeding concepts. Personal teacher-student relationships.
Film by Cameron Nielsen (see Film & photography page):
The Human Path
Texas & New Mexico, USA
Campus for (self)-sustainability & earth-centric classes in wilderness & primitive living skills, tracking certification, naturalist studies, herbalism, off-grid engineering, natural building, water purification systems, permaculture, aquaponics, land navigation, urban survival, first aid, self-defense, teamwork & leadership skills, knife-making, bladesmithing etc. Programs for young people & adults. Strong focus on hands-on & scenario-based training for functional skills, making what you learn part of who you are. Supporting community outreach projects for marginalised communities.
Paola Brown – Teach Me Health and Homeopathy
Texas, USA
Experienced homeopathy mom, using homeopathy in all aspects of life – for people, farm animals, plants in her organic garden. Offering a homeschool homeopathy curriculum for young people to learn & moms to teach. Delightful material for various age classes, covering history of homeopathy, preparation of medicines & use in acute conditions. Created with lots of love & true passion.
Swanson School
Primary school (5-13 years old) focusing on young people’s wellbeing & opportunity to grow into community leaders & resilient risk-takers in a setting of mixed backgrounds & ethnicities. Letting young people learn through unrestricted play so that communication skills, problem solving skills & other social skills can develop fully & freely. Challenging longstanding, obsolete beliefs surrounding care for young people.
Orkeeswa
Tanzania & USA
Organise high-quality, community-based education & leadership training for remote Maasai community. Empowering people locally to drive the change they wish to see. Strong focus on collaboration, creative thinking, student-centered, skills-based learning & preserving local cultural values & practices. Driving gender equity, decolonising education. Also provide scholarships, small grants & mentorship for entrepreneurs & secondary education.
One Common Heart
Panama & USA
Sponsoring traditional learning programs for Darien rainforest communities. Teaching & celebrating Emberá & Wounaan ancestral practices incl. forest survival skills, tool-making, weaving, traditional building & highly endangered Emberá language, in combination with sustainable modern infrastructure development. For all ages – bringing community together & reconnecting with native culture. Co-led by US Board of Directors & indigenous Advisory Council.
Pitaara
India
Online community for individualised, self-designed, choice- & interest-based learning for 7-11 year-olds, nurturing self-worth & natural talents of young people. Creating learning community for young people & parents. Short courses which expose young people to different topics, advanced, immersive programs for mastering skills, various group learning & interaction spaces, personalised timetables etc. Only live interactions, no recorded classes. No exams.
The American Indian College Fund
USA
Providing college access to Native peoples. Grants & support for communities to revitalise, sustain & pass on traditional art, craft, language, storytelling & cultural knowledge, early education practices which draw from Native knowledge, culturally relevant teacher education & develop Native women leaders. Strengthening environmental research & collaboration opportunities in alignment with indigenous values. Supporting indigenous sovereignty through computer science. Host own film festival spotlighting indigenous issues & voices. Indigenous activism webinar series. Free workshops.
Workshop example:
Jimmy Nelson Foundation
Netherlands & worldwide
Free education program called Cult-ED, allowing young people to travel digitally to other countries, learning about cultures & traditions; creating awareness of the importance of human diversity & Indigenous knowledge. Rooted in Jimmy Nelson’s art, photography & videos. Supporting indigenous communities in preserving their cultures through education, art & cultural centers e.g. Hungary’s Csikós, Mongolia’s Kazakhs, Massai in Kenya, Q’eros in Peru. Documenting cultural festivals, gatherings, celebrations. Strong focus on reciprocity.
IslandWood
Natural building & environmental education high-impact nonprofit, strongly valuing equity, justice, inclusiveness & transparency. Students designing solutions – forming bonds of stewardship for nature & community. Community water science unit, School Overnight Program, 10-month graduate program on culturally-responsive teaching, environmental & educational justice etc. on 250-acre nature campus. Big scholarship program for financial inclusivity. Changing policies, engaging students in critical thinking. Science by & for inclusive community. Local, organic, sustainably sourced meals. Acknowledging indigenous peoples’ lands. Also meeting & retreat space.
Foundation For Tomorrow
Tanzania
Empowering orphans & vulnerable young people through individualised education & work towards systemic change. Providing access to quality schooling, health & emotional support for young people, & Teachers Training programs, Positive Parenting programs & Career Coaching & Mentorship Program for adults across Tanzania. Teaching English, traditional crafts, basic life skills, leadership, teamwork, environmental education etc. Creating equity & inclusiveness esp. in marginalised communities. Initiating transformative change at the community level.
Wildwood Agile Learning Community
North Carolina, USA
Learning with young people in mutual respect & recognition. A place for young people to freely unfold social, cultural & emotional intelligence, motivation, self-knowledge, purpose – where they feel heard, have a choice & create the community they want to experience. Learning effectively, passionately & naturally through playful cycles of intention-setting, creation, reflection, sharing. Workshops, special topics, focus groups, classes, projects etc. offered by volunteers, friends, experts, parents & young people themselves. Financial contributions on sliding scale for inclusiveness.
Ecoversities Alliance
Worldwide
Radically re-imagining higher education by transforming unsustainable & unjust economic, political & social systems & reclaiming processes of un/learning, knowledge creation & sharing embedded in local cultures & communities. Facilitating inter-cultural dialogues & experimentation, international & regional gatherings, learning exchanges, campaigns, workshops, learning journeys, film festivals & publications. Incl. > 100 transformative learning spaces.
The People’s Medicine School
New York, USA
Offering a connection with the Earth through plant medicine to marignalised communities such as BIPoC, queer & trans people & people of colour. 3 online herb school curriculums & in-person weekend intensives covering regional medicial plants, medicine-making, use & effects of herbs, decolonising medicine, self-responsibility, body systems etc. Developing strength & a sense of belonging in these times of intense transition. BIPOC Scholarships available.
Wiluna Remote Community School
Western Australia
Merging aboriginal Martu ecological knowledge & western science – called Two-way Science – to give young people knowledge of & access to both worlds. Participating in CSIRO’s Science Pathways for Indigenous Communities. Learning outdoors about nature from Martu community elders & from science-trained non-aboriginal teachers & rangers – connecting the whole community. Merging practical activities with classroom learning. Multiethnic school of Martu, Fijian & Tongan young people.
Te Wananga o Raukawa
New Zealand
Unique Māori university deeply embedded in Māori culture, the restoration & thriving of indigenous ways of being & rewriting/healing of the past. Programs include Māori law, language, crafts, social work, teaching, health, art, management, leadership etc. & explore the intersection of colonialism & indigenousness, native identities & paths of change. Long-term research projects on Māori child adoption & indigenous practices & meanings of wellbeing. On campus & distance learning programs. Integrated childcare centre. Various scholarships available.
Avarna
USA
Guiding businesses & organisations which want to embody diversity, equity, inclusion & justice. Offering webinars, workshops, 1-on-1 consulting, coaching, data gathering, auditing existing systems, creating curriculum, providing training etc., tailored to circumstances. Strong focus on long-term changes & relationships. Creating community, abundance & resiliency. Website accessible for people with disabilities.
ASTRADHE & Two Rabbits
Cameroon & USA
Locally & culturally relevant preschool for highly marginalised children, via mp3 & local community facilitators, addressing root of poverty & oppression. In local Baka language & adapted to semi-monadic lifestyle; based on songs, games, children’s books etc. Provide expertise & train community-nominated teachers. Program initiated by local indigenous Baka people out of need to preserve cultural traditions. Community mapping of forest zones.
Sokola Institute
Indonesia
Education & youth programs for indigenous peoples & other marginalised groups, embedded in local cultures, values & needs & led by local tribes – increasing literacy, indigenous sovereignty & reclaiming rights. Reviving & preserving traditional knowledge & practices of many tribes across Indonesia. Also disaster response programs.
Nature Labs & Ghost Bear Institute
Canada
Bringing nature literacy to youth via learning through storytelling about interconnectivity of all life & decision-making, at the nexus of science, socials, language, art & career – shedding light on deep connections between nature & our communities. Fascinating digital classrooms, suitable for different learning styles, encouraging critical thinking, creativity, debate & team work – reconnecting with our innate wisdom. Embedded in Canadian curriculum. Rooted in extensive research & community consultation.
Earth Island Youth Empowerment Projects
California, USA
Supporting young people’s desire for meaningful civic, economic, social & political participation. Diverse projects incl. Ultimate Civics for true democracy, Youth Empowered Action Camp offering training for changemakers, Planet Earth Arts – understanding the critical role of arts for transformation, wilderness trainings etc.
Rwenzori Child Care Initiative
Uganda
Holistic children, youth & women empowerment via maternal & psychological support, legal assistance, environmental programs, sustainable organic farming, dance, crafts, education opportunities, microfinance projects – rooted in local culture, founded & run by locals. Promoting gender equity. Developing relationships. Child sponsorship program. Volunteer program.
ConnectIn Groups & Tiltawein Siwa
Egypt & Netherlands
Women empowerment, youth English & IT training, quality kindergarden in remote Siwa Oasis. Transforming community, creating gender equity & reviving quickly disappearing Berber/Amazigh artisan heritage, culture & craft skills. Providing much needed education deeply rooted in local cultural webs. Close collaboration with local Tiltawein Siwa/Women of Siwa organisation. Volunteer program.
The Wallobooks Project
India & worldwide
Connecting kids of different parts of the world by sharing 1-sheet-of-paper-story books they have written & illustrated themselves. Writing & sharing 1-sheet-of-paper-story books for children in conflict zones – genuine education outside institutions – transforming institutions. Building classrooms which only need a wall & break walls between kids. Anyone can participate. Translated by volunteers. Driving transparency & ethics.
BEarth Institute
Iowa, USA & worldwide
Diversity-based Waldorf online homeschool curriculum (Earthschooling) for all ages/grades. Writing, math, art, handcrafts, science, French, natural medicine, photography, music, Eurythmy etc. – based on learning from/with nature. Focus on respecting Earth, support of children, teachers & parents, quality, affordability, ease of use. Co-op options, 50% scholarships for families in need. Collaboration with Avicenna Institute of Natural Healing.
Earthschooling:
Golden Butterfly
Kolkata, India
Writer & publisher of stories which bring children & adults back to themselves & shine light on subtle & unseen worlds related to the current worldwide transformation. Lessons focusing on storytelling, art & music allowing unrestricted unfolding of creativity. Creating the space for children to hear their own wisdom.
Himalaya Project
Nepal
Sustainable health care & education in Tibetan medicine for young people from rural communities through scholarships & 2-year salary.
The Plant Medicine School
Ireland & Scotland
Community herbalism apprenticeships, short courses & clinical practice. Experiencing plant medicine knowledge & skills; reconnecting fully with oneself/nature. Strong focus on supportive relationship with plants, Earth & between humans. Authenticity, depth, true healing, transparency. Reclaiming herbal heritage. Incredible school.
Defenders of the Water School
Standing Rock Nation, South Dakota, USA
Culture-based, student-led community learning embedded in Lakota science, values, language & activism. Transforming the Standing Rock Nation. Project topics include nation rebuilding, holistic health, environmental & social justice etc. Practical, project-based learning of life skills. Standing up for indigenous rights.
Tkaronto CIRCLE Lab
Ontario, Canada
Collaborative research space for arts-based participatory research (beading, blanket making, web design, podcasts, screen printing, graphic novels …) with youth & communities – particularly for black & indigenous students, researchers & elders. Indigenous land studies – healing relationship to land. Social studies. CIR Digital Garden: worldwide ethical collaborative & participatory research led by indigenous communities across disciplines & approaches.
Digital Garden:
Veda Austin
New Zealand
Pioneering water researcher applying Collective Molecular Photography (CMP) to analyse effects of thought, intention, radiation, salt & more on water, revealing its intelligence, memory & sentience. Freely shares her findings in primary schools combining art & science. Online workshops about water & ancient history, healing through water, CMP technique etc.
Worldwide Indigenous Science Network
Worldwide
Ethical collaboration of indigenous & western ways of knowing via Indigenous Science Research Institute. Breaking through isolation of indigenous communities by re-creating networks between peoples & tribes for knowledge- & cultural sharing, re-connecting sacred sites & their guardians. Networks include tribal elders, cultural practitioners, scientists, conservationists, scholars, women’s organizations. Dreamwork, revival of origin stories, Credo Mutwa Digital Research Library – a space of strong inclusivity. Flexible grant programs.
Kunda Village Ministry
Rwanda
Providing quality education to orphaned children & children living in extreme poverty. Driving equity. Also providing food, safety, emotional support & school supplies. Embedded in local community & culture, founded & run by 2 Rwandans who grew up as orphans themselves. Plans for starting & reviving tailoring, handicrafts & farming programs to create more opportunity & self-sufficiency. Volunteer Program. Financial/material support needed.
Founder’s story:
Bongai Shamwari
Zimbabwe & Germany
Montessori help-me-to-do-it-myself-based kindergarden, primary school & women empowerment project in poor area of Mutare, Zimbabwe. Family-like community inclusive of children with disabilities & cultural & religious diversity. High-quality Shona culture embedded education. Also support through scholarships. Facilitating personal sovereignty for women via mushroom farming, peanut butter & herbal salt production etc. Donation-based. Website in German.
Our donation model
We envision a change towards gift economies rooted in the very same ways in which nature operates. Our donation model is based on these principles. If you like this website which is a gift from us to you, fueled by endless hours of connecting with people, businesses and initiatives, please take a look at our Donation page to find out how you can reciprocate, or pass on that gift. Or, if you already know our model and would like to be part of it in a monetary way, you can go straight to Donate below. Thank you!
Artist Hotspot
Kwani Povi Winder
Oil painter
Based in Santa Clara Pueblo Indian, Utah, USA
Find out more via her website:
www.kwaniwinder.com
