Gaia University and Lost Valley

A Partnership for Eco-Constructive Change

Do you consider yourself a practitioner of world change? Are you an organized and self-directed learner? Are you excited about the prospect of designing your own Bachelors or Masters Degree program? Gaia University supports people who would like to hone their skills while receiving credit for their work.

The transition from our current eco-destructive way of life to one that is eco-constructive and socially just requires extensive human learning and unlearning. Gaia University seeks to support those who have begun to make that transition now. Transition pathways of this magnitude are most effective and most enjoyable when traveled with others and with the guidance of mentors who have made part of the journey already. Gaia University acknowledges the commitment and effort people make when walking these pathways of world change and provides a "liberating structure" in order to support and enhance these learning processes.
Vital signs are being seen that indicate a world-wide awakening of transitional energy amongst the people. Gaia University has been launched to support world changers and future generations of Earth caretakers. Using self-directed learning in conjunction with mentoring, students (Associates) are in charge of their own curricula, giving them the flexibility to follow routes that open up in front of them.

The Bachelor of Science degree program for the class of 2007-2011, in Integrative Ecosocial Design, completed its orientation and residential intensives here at the Lost Valley Educational Center near Eugene, Oregon in April. The next round will be located at the Ecovillage Training Center (ETC), The Farm, Summertown, Tennessee, USA in September of 2007. This major focuses on the balance between ecology and humanity. The primary goal is to bring people to a place of empowerment from which they notice that the structures and behaviors of societies are the products of human thinking. By rethinking and redirecting our efforts, societies can be reconfigured. This program advocates redesigning societies according to ecological principles.

The Masters of Science degree program is geared more toward people with substantial experience in their field and who are seeking to add a structured period of special attention. This program will help Associates evaluate their past career, display their mastery through applying their skills to a chosen project of strategic significance, raise to awareness their most effective learning process, and map a long term career path.

If you are just out of college or do not yet have an area of specialized skill, a preferred pathway would be to earn a one-year Gaia University Graduate Diploma which does not require a mentor or significant work to prepare outputs. You do not necessarily need to already have a bachelors degree to participate. The Graduate Diploma would allow the Associate to build up a sound basis for a Masters Degree. This Diploma is also recommended for people who already have a Masters Degree but want to extend their portfolio of qualifications.

The first step in earning a Graduate Diploma or a Masters of Science degree with Gaia University is to take the internationally recognized Permaculture Design Course. Lost Valley Educational Center offers a two-week Permaculture Certificate program in the winter, a one-month Ecovillage and Permaculture Certificate Program in the fall, and a two-month Ecovillage and Permaculture Certificate program in the summer. For more information on Lost Valley's permaculture courses, click here.

If you would like to apply for Gaia University's programs for higher learning, please visit their website at www.gaiauniversity.org

No longer do you have to choose between earning a living and studying. With action learning, your work and your projects become your places of study. Secure your future with higher learning as you explore the ways in which you can be an active participant for world change.