India Spring and Fall 2000
Twelve weeks of study which will include orientation, coursework, an internship, cross-cultural explorations, and a re-entry program. A "Learning community" of students and faculty will form in New Hampshire, then travel to intentional communities in the U.S. and India. Preparation includes a 12-day orientation in New Hampshire, then 7 days of mindful living at the Green Mountain Dharma Center in Vermont. The Dharma Center is an international community/monastery within the Buddhist Order of Interbeing, led by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen teacher, poet, environmentalist, and world peace worker. Leaving the U.S., students will then embark for the southern- most state of Tamil Nadu, India. Here students will settle into the community of Auroville, an intentional community of 1,300 people from 34 nations founded in 1968 with a vision to "realize human unity," regenerate eroded land and grow into a sustainable, international city of 50,000 people. Students will live and intern in the community of Auroville for 8 weeks. Travel will then take them to the southwestern state of Kerala, India to visit a Gandhian community, Mitraniketan, a training/demonstration center for village empowerment. Re-entry to the United States will take us to the Sirius Community in western Massachusetts, an intentional community, where students will reflect, process and summarize their semester.
The first ever North American Community semester is a unique opportunity for students to participate in a shared vision of a sustainable North America. Visiting several different types of communities, i.e.. indigenous communities, ecovillages, cohousing projects, intentional communities, student housing cooperatives on campus, students will have hands-on examples of those who are at the forefront of a transition towards a life sustaining society. Students will travel in their own learning community studying the basics of sustainable living— community dynamics, alternative technology, economic systems, spiritual practices, ecological design principles, governance models, sustainable agriculture and other practices that lend themselves to perpetuity. The foundation of the semester is a commitment to ground ourselves in awareness throughout all our activities as a condition to open ourselves to the ecological and spiritual dimensions of our existence in a more-than-human world. Preparation includes a 10-day orientation in New Hampshire, and a 7-day mindfulness training at the Green Mountain Dharma Center, an international Buddhist community/monastery within the Buddhist Order of Interbeing, led by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen teacher, poet, environmentalist, and world peace worker. Living arrangements will vary from community to community—could be camping, home stays, or dorm living.
The International and North American Semesters receive 12 credits for three courses from the University of New Hampshire (can be transferred). They are listed under UNH catalogue course titles as follows:
Studies in Sustainable Community Design: sustainable models, indicators, and ecological design; analysis of field communities—the physical, social, economic, political, ethical, and spiritual elements; learning applications to students' own communities.
Problems in Human Relations to their Environment: state of the world, ecological footprint, limits to growth, local place studies, ecological literacy, systems analysis, cultural contexts.
Internship in Sustainable Development: cross-cultural learning; ethnographic research methods; history, methods, and controversies around sustainable development and globalization
Ecological Worldview Education: a fourth, required, non credit course that explores worldviews, and culture through deep ecology, new science, systems thinking, bioregionalism, eco-feminism, indigenous wisdom, voluntary simplicity, and mindfulness practice.
Spring and Fall semester tuition fees for both programs is $11,500. These fees are subject to change. Some scholarship money available.
Though we have a rolling admissions, we appreciate early admissions applications. Guideline for fall programs is May 15 and for spring programs October 30. Follow this link to download an application.
Since 1991 Gaia Education Outreach Institute has been developing the Geocommons College Program (GCP) as a unique and powerful experiment in sustainable life education. Twelve to sixteen students from diverse backgrounds, ages, and academic pursuits join with faculty on each program to study, do service internships, and share in community living. Students immerse themselves in sustainable studies, ecological design, community development, globalization issues, and cross-cultural experiences. The University of New Hampshire gives twelve, graded credits for each semester program, and UNH professors
Geocommons faculty, adjuncts and resource friends bring many years of teaching experience in traditional and non-traditional schools and universities. Their backgrounds include the humanities, science, environmental education, psychology, transformational learning, international service, organic farming, homesteading, yoga, meditation, Cooperative Learning, and Waldorf, Quaker and Folk education. They are diverse, they are sensitive mentors, dedicated teachers and skilled facilitators.
Mindfulness: practicing attention, insight, gratitude, compassion, and balance in daily living;
Sense of Place: exploring and articulating the physical, cultural, and personal forces that mutually shape a person and her/his place
Community: building cooperative, democratic, sustainable, and empowered communities
Ecological Literacy: understanding basic principles and practices of ecology
Nature Immersion: engaging senses, mind, and heart with the plants, animals, elements, and systems of nature
World Perspectives: increasing awareness of the state of the planet, cultural diversity, world systems, trade and politics, the information revolution, Third World issues, and peace and justice.
Sustainable Life-Skills: discovering life practices that sustain life and enhance the Earth community
Wisdom Traditions: studying the universal, core spiritual teachings of all peoples; using diverse ways of knowing and expression in supportive peer circles
Celebration: honoring the rhythms, beauties, mysteries, and transitions of life and nature
Ecological Consciousness: exploring and articulating the insight that everything is connected.