INTRODUCTION: Permaculture Workshops 29Step 6. Developing and socializing the course outline
It is best if you can develop and provide the participants with a course outline before
the Permaculture workshop begins. That being said, it may sometimes be difficult to
stick to the outline schedule because of weather, transport problems, public holidays,
unexpected events such as funerals, etc. so it is best to keep the details on the
course outline to a minimum.
The course outline should be flexible enough so that the facilitator can maintain the
momentum of the course no matter what disruptions may occur. It is always good to
advise the participants that the course outline schedules are subject to change.
An intensive Permaculture workshop, which addresses all of the key components of
Permaculture, takes about 12-14 days to run.
It can be run:
- Intensively over a 2 week period, with a refresher break of at least 1 day midway
through the period. - Or, it can be run over a longer period of time, using several shorter sessions.
The main advantage of an intensive schedule is that all those involved are thoroughly
concentrated on the course and can learn the material at a rapid rate, making efficient
use of time. That being said, people’s abilities to retain large amounts of information
delivered all at one time are variable. Both of these considerations should be factored
when designing your course outline. Work with the prospective participants to design a
course that best suits them and you.
Course outline schedules also need to be created with the participants’ daily responsibilities
in mind. Even with cooking and childcare support, it may not be possible for people to
devote 2 whole weeks to a Permaculture workshop. Holding the course 2 days a week
for 6 weeks, for example, may work better. Another advantage of an extended schedule
is that it gives participants a chance to observe and make real changes as the course
progresses.
On the next page is an example of a daily activity schedule used as a pre-course
handout for participants. This is only an example! As a Permaculture workshop
facilitator you should prepare your own schedule for each course you run. Beware of
“information overload” – if you try to pack too much information into 1 day of training,
the participants may become confused and stop learning.