Education and outreach is central to Sustainable Setting's mission to cultivate a more abundant, prosperous and sustainable future, and is recognized as one of the most powerful ways to effect positive change in the world. Essential to Sustainable Settings' education and outreach is the coupling of theory and technique with immersion and hands-on experience.



Sustainable Settings opens its whole systems learning center at the Thompson Creek Ranch to students of all ages - from pre-kindergarten through university and adult level programs - and makes available our research initiatives, design and implementation processes, and demonstration models for ecologically and economically sound development. These educational programs take many forms, and include Adult Internships, University Partnerships, Mentor/Apprenticeships, Workshops, the Sustainable Settings Lecture Series, Volunteer Opportunities, and, of course, Sustainable Settings for Kids.

Our focus on learning by doing, allows participants to experience first hand the practical systems and activities that form the foundation of sustainable living. We consider the buildings, landscape, agriculture and infrastructure of our whole systems learning center to be integral to our pedagogy, and look to the genius of place and nature's intelligence to guide all of our learning and teaching endeavors. Thus at Sustainable Settings students of all ages are exposed to tangible and memorable experiences, that anchor their learning and provide them with tools to help create other sustainable settings.

Through civic influence and consulting, Sustainable Settings opens its research and demonstration capacity to policy and decision makers who operate on a variety of scales. Sustainable Settings also offers education and outreach tools via our on-site library, website, newsletter and media campaigns (press, radio, television programming).

Areas of Study

    Agro-ecology
    Anthropology
    Bio-dynamics
    Biometrics
    Biomimicry
    Botany & Horticulture
    Collaborative Design
    Cradle-to-Cradle Design
    Eco-entrepreneurship
    Ecological Literacy
    Green Building
    Holistic Management
    Indigenous Technique
    Integrated Ecology (5 Living Kingdoms)
    Land Stewardship
    Natural Capitalism
    Permaculture
    Renewable Energy Systems
    Social Ecology
    Sustainable Community Development
    Whole Systems Thinking

Core Competencies Taught

    Animal Husbandry
    Aquaculture
    Biological Waste Treatment Systems
    Constructed Wetland Design & Implementation
    Craftsmanship
    Ecologically Appropriate Building Design & Construction
    Efficient Irrigation Methods
    Energy & Resource Efficiency
    Fractal & Non-linear Natural Pattern Recognition
    Greenhouse Design & Construction
    Habitat Restoration & Bio-diversity Preservation
    Herbal Medicine Cultivation & Wild-crafting
    Landscape Assessment & Land-use Planning
    Medicinal & Culinary Mushroom Cultivation
    Nutrient Cycling
    Organic Food Production
    Physical & Intellectual Rigor
    Renewable Energy System Design & Installation
    Soil Building & Fertility Enhancement
    Surveying, Mapping & Site Design
    Sustainable Agriculture
    Sustainable Forestry
    Sustainable Livestock Management
    Water Quality Enhancement & Vitalization
    Zero Waste Systems Design