Ecovillage Design Education
Ecovillage Design Education programmes, often referred to as ‘EDEs’, provide participants of all ages with the knowledge and practical skills to design a society which uses energy and materials with greater efficiency, distributes wealth fairly and strives to eliminate the concept of waste.
Our immersive Face-to-Face programmes are known to have transformed lives. Previous participants have become agents of positive culture change in their communities and regional economies, they’ve co-created social enterprises and cooperatives, started community projects and became trainers for sustainability themselves – to name only a few paths you can take afterwards. The course will equip you with skills and knowledge you will be able to put into action in any field or sector you are involved with.
Participants become change agents and sustainability designers, taking active roles in transitioning their existing communities, institutions and neighbourhoods, to more sustainable patterns of production and consumption, as well as leading more joyful, more meaningful and healthier lives.
NEXT EDEs
MINI-EDEs
For many people, it is not possible to take time off work/family/school for a four-week immersive EDE programme. Our new mini-EDEs offer the possibility of experiencing the taste of a full EDE, maintaining the core values and following the 4D mandala, but in a shorter version.
Mini-EDEs are for everybody and particularly suited to young people. They can be held as youth camps or school clubs. Check out below some examples of mini-EDEs around the world!
What You Study?
EDE programmes are based on the four core dimensions of Gaia Education’s Ecovillage Design Curriculum: the Social, Worldview, Ecological and Economic dimensions of sustainability.
The Curriculum was developed drawing on the experience and expertise developed throughout a network of some of the most successful ecovillages and transition settings around the world.
Our Presence in the World
- Programmes in 55 countries around the world
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We have more than 24,000 students globally
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More than 350 EDE programmes in the world
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We have 110 host sites in the world
Since 2006, Gaia Education has successfully supported the delivery of more than 350 programmes in 54 countries over six continents, reaching over 22,000 students. Our EDEs have been offered in settings ranging from tribal and traditional communities to intentional ecovillages, from urban slums to universities and training centres.
The duration of these programmes are around 125 hours over a full month, or 20 immersion, although this may vary slightly depending on where and when they are taken. Please have a look at the Current Programmes page to find out more about the current EDE programmes taking place worldwide.
How to run an EDE?
Several of our EDE graduates have carried on organising EDE programmes in their local areas, and you are warmly encouraged to do so after completing your course.
The recommended time frame of an EDE is four weeks, however this is not fixed and varies with each individual programme.
The material can be condensed into smaller workshops, spread out over a longer period, or distributed in blocks at different times and locations.
EDE Programme Reports
Over 22,000 participants have joined the EDEs worldwide and we are happy to announce an impressive satisfaction rate of 95%.
To hear directly from them about their experiences, and for further information about past EDEs around the world, please visit our Reports page.