Semester on Earth Curriculum

Component 1. The Core Curriculum

All students will gain competency in a core curriculum that gives them the philosophy, content, and methods of basic ecological personal and career endeavors. Six (6) hands-on academic courses will be instructed to enhance community-building, personal development, and education. Each course earns 3 academic credits.

UofW 101 Personal Transformation & Self Development

UofW 102 Introduction to Natural & Cultural History

UofW 103 Indigenous Wisdom & Sacred Teachings of the Land

UofW 104 Resilient Communities & Regenerative Lifestyles

UofW 105 Permaculture Design & Food Security

UofW 106 Alternative Energy & Green Building

Total Academic Credits………………18 Credits

Component 2. Intentional Eco-Community

Students live and learn within a special intentional community designed to model and demonstrate an ecologically sustainable lifestyle. As participating members of the community, students will explore, experience, and gain competence in:

Governance and decision making processes

Personal interdependence

Group dynamics, and communication

Economics, right livelihoods, work, and

Personal practice and self-development

Governance, organization, leadership and decision making are facilitated through cooperative group process including Sociocracy and traditional indigenous wisdom that integrates nature, community, self, and spirit.

Component 3. Self-directed involvement in a bioregion

Once the basic competencies of the Core Curriculum have been learned and practiced, students will select a mentor to move their learning to the next level. Each student participates in a mentored, self-directed Planet Walk-About to develop an authentic connection to the “sense of place” within a unique bioregion. Students can choose from one of five (5) mentored and supervised threads for their Walk-About:

1. Leadership & Group Development

2. Permaculture Design & Organic Gardening 3. Alternative Energy & Green Building

4. Creating and Modeling Community & Ecological Lifestyles

5. Native American Culture, Teaching & Ceremony

Component 4. A service or outreach project

Each student will engage in an Earth Service and Outreach project where learned skills, abilities, and philosophies are integrated into a personal offering to an organization, cultural group, and/or community.

Component 5. A comprehensive reflective integration process

Through a wide range of contemplative personal growth experiences (including nature quests and reflective solo experiences), students explore the connection of Self to Earth and the universe. Combining contemporary sustainable practices and personal transformational strategies with thousands of years of traditional indigenous wisdom, students become empowered to integrate Self, Community, Nature, and Spirit, developing their own uniquely personal and deep connection to the natural world—spiritually, intellectually, and practically.

A capstone process at the end of the semester integrates all learnings and experiences received throughout the entire program and forms the foundation for a documented action plan for one’s career and lifestyle choices.

Much More Than Just Courses

The Semester on Earth is much more than just an academic course load. It is a comprehensive living and learning experience that includes exposure to, learning about, and practice in many interrelated aspects of environmental living on Earth, including

Eco-village & Intentional Community

Leadership & Cooperative Organization Training

Permaculture & Organic Gardening

Green Building & Alternative Energy

Sustainable Literacy

International Global Citizenship

Personal Growth & Transformation

Spirituality & Indigenous Wisdom

Right Livelihood & Voluntary Simplicity

Gender Studies & Earth Activism

Self-Directed Learning & Mentorship

Ancient Living & Earth-based Skills

Indigenous First Nations People

Natural & Cultural History