FEATURED EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
Sterling College
Craftsbury, Vermont
"EcoGather" at Sterling College is a collaborative learning network dedicated to the vitality of ecosystems, communities, and economies. They currently offer 13 courses with plans to offer 11 more soon. Some are self-paced, others are synchronous, and all are online. EcoGather brings remote learning to life by grounding its offerings in community-centered design, place-based pedagogy, and experiential application. EcoGather strives to prepare learners at all stages of life to undertake or deepen active changemaking and caretaking work.
Affordability and accessibility are central to EcoGather's mission. They offer classes that typically range from $150 to $450, with equitable pricing scales.
Sterling College has extended a 10% discount for NAFSN members. Request discount code.
Click on the image to access the course slidedeck.Access discount code
EcoGather courses at Sterling College
Sterling College has applied the Core Competencies for Food Systems Practitioners to their EcoGather courses in an internal audit.
In the spirit of transparency and with a commitment to continuous improvement, NAFSN encourages learning institutions offering programs in food systems studies to reflect upon and audit their own programs using these core competencies. We commend Sterling College for helping to lead the way.
Statement:
"Sterling College uses education as a force to address critical ecological problems caused by unlimited growth and consumption that is destroying the planet as we have known it. Our mission is to advance ecological thinking and action through affordable experiential learning that prepares people to be knowledgeable, skilled, and responsible leaders in the communities in which they live.
Sterling acknowledges that the land on which we gather—places now known as Vermont and Kentucky—are the traditional and unceded territories of several indigenous peoples: the Abenaki in the North and the Shawnee, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Osage people to the South. We also learn in-and-from a range of landscapes that belong to other indigenous peoples.
As we seek deep reciprocal relationships with nature, we respect and honor the place-based and cultural wisdom of indigenous ancestors and contemporaries. Words of acknowledgment and intention are just a first step. We must match them with acts of respect and repair."
Meet their team!
Nicole Civita
Nakasi Fortune
Nissa Cost
Conner Ferguson
Heidi Myers