Real Knowledge
Learn relevant, valuable permaculture skills, principles & practices. Learn systems thinking, holistic problem solving, & ethical scientific practice in a natural context. Learn how to survive & thrive in our local climate & soil while learning the principles of our natural world in context. Service
Most classes will be held on student properties for project planning & installation.
Students will learn self-reliance skills as they help their community become more resilient, beautiful & healthy with each project. Examples: mycoremediation gray water treatment beds, hugelkulturs, swales, tree planting, garden planting, inoculating logs, aquaculture, living fences, & more. Choice
All students will have the choice whether or not to participate in group activities, the freedom to express themselves & the choice in how they would like to learn & express themselves as long as it recognizes the 3 ethics: Care of People, Care for the Earth & Return of Surplus. No Grades
No one can be quantified, especially averaged against themselves or others; we are each unique & unquantifiable. We have presentations & performances, but no tests or grades. We do not adhere to state testing or common core standards; we are beyond their standards ethically, academically & holistically. Students are not punished for their lack of interest, proficiency or completeness. Students will form goals, strive to reach them & reflect on their successes and struggles. More than a School
Our homeschool seeks to strengthen its families through service learning. Students learn in a context that exemplifies the 3 ethics & at the same time helps their families & their neighbor families become more self reliant, healthy & connected to their community. We provide seeds, labor, tools, design knowledge & understanding to projects and sites. Every project will be a learning experience for families that brings value to their own homesteads & daily lives. More than an education, student families receive work service, food, seeds & individualized support. Outdoor Classes
Unless we are watching a movie from our permaculture media library, Skyping or the weather is extreme, we will be outside interacting with the natural world in the sun. We will have easy up tents for shade with tables & chairs, blankets & pillows for sitting on the ground, art supplies, portable desks, a permaculture library of books and videos, a wifi hotspot, several iPads for surveying tool app, video/picture, social media sharing, Skype, & researching capabilities. We will also have tech black out days or weeks (depending on student & parent choice). Curriculum
Yoga
Cooking
Home Business (student-run farmer’s market)
Speaking, Reading, Researching & Writing (Journals, presentations, research)
Music - singing, songwriting & performance
Art - Painting, drawing, coloring, design sketching, SketchUp
Daily brainstorming sessions, goal setting, group discussions, & journaling
The Permaculture Student textbook & workbook series
Nature walks & hikes
Working on projects on student family properties
Presentations & Tours by students of school projects
Animal husbandry - chickens, rabbits, goats, dogs, horses, cattle, & possibly more. Working with hand tools & even power tools when appropriate
Field Trips - Pt Reyes, the Petaluma Seed Bank, local farms, local permaculture sites, Occidental Arts & Ecology center, the beach, & the national forest
Our Philosophy
We believe every student is unique and learns in their own unique way. We seek to facilitate learning in a nonjudgmental atmosphere of trust where students are not forced or punished by their lack of interest or need for an alternative method of expression or learning. We are a small community that welcomes diversity and can give each student the amount of attention they need (10:1). We believe that all children are innate life learners whose ability to play and problem solve is atrophied or displaced in conventional schooling. We believe in the power of play and exploration. We respect individuality and learners learning at their own pace and with their own style. We do not adhere to state standards, host standardized testing or have state accreditation. As a homeschooling school, we will be active partners in your home education planning as well, but we will not provide curriculum for parents to utilize aside from The Permaculture Student 1 textbook & workbook. We try to use nonviolent communication especially in disciplinary situations which will be discussion-based, needs-based and not punitive. Our Team
Matt & Adriana Powers with their two sons are a permaculture family moving from the central valley of California new to the Sebastopol area. Matt has taught in a charter public high school as an English & Digital Music Production teacher for 4 years and can teach History, Art, Permaculture & Music. Matt has a BA in British & American Literature from NYU, a Masters in Ed from NU & a design certificate from Geoff Lawton’s Online Permaculture Design Course. Matt is a permaculture designer and educator that consults on properties and educational systems for schools, families & businesses. Adriana is a homeschool mother with experience in traditional textbook-based homeschooling, permaculture and unschooling. Our school is a Private School Satellite Program school and will be registered with the state as such; parents will have full choice over their child's education and full responsibility. Parents will be able to source us and our libraries for help with their home programs as well.
