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Following our mission to connect people to learning opportunities that promote sustainability, environmental justice, and our local economy, Simply Living is relaunching Sustainable U.
This fall we will offer two discussion courses through EcoChallenge, formerly Northwest Earth Institute, a course through Local Futures, and three online courses from our members. Read on for more information about each of these learning opportunities!
Sustainable U is a Simply Living initiative that provides community education for a sustainable world. Are you interested in leading a course for SLSU? Reach out to Chuck Lynd at chuck@simplyliving.org or Cathy Cowan Becker at cathy@simplyliving.org.
We hope you will consider taking one or more of our courses this fall. These courses are enriching experiences that can lead to deeper understanding and lasting friendships. This fall’s Simply Living Sustainable U course catalog includes:
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Voluntary Simplicity
Description
Our decisions on how we live and consume are not made in a vacuum. We are affected by the consumer culture and society around us. Voluntary Simplicity helps participants examine how modern society can interfere with caring for the planet. Together, you explore how consumption patterns have an impact on you and your relationships, as well as the environment. Discover ways to slow down and live simply. Preview the book here
Dates, Times, Format
Wednesdays 7-8:30 p.m.
Five sessions weekly starting September 29, 2021
This is an EcoChallenge discussion course featuring highly flexible, participative discussions about the readings each week. The ideal group size is 8-12 people, but we can run the course with as few as 6 and as many as 15 participants. The facilitator can but does not have to rotate among group members each week. The first meeting of this course will be online, but later meetings could be held in-person depending on group preference.
Course Facilitator
Jeff Sharp is a professor and director of the School of Environment and Natural Resources at The Ohio State University and former board president for Simply Living. He has taken this course in the past and is offering it now because he wants to take it again. “I originally took this course 20 years ago and it was a gateway into a new way of thinking. I am in need of a refresher and new inspiration and look forward to sharing exploration of this topic in community with others who are new to the concept or in need of a refresher like me,” Jeff said.
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Seeing Systems
Description
How does one mold such complex principles as peace, justice, and sustainability into a coherent story? The difficulty reflects the media’s broader struggle to convey how these themes are mutually linked. Seeing Systems: Peace, Justice, and Sustainability connects the dots between three of society’s most pressing challenges and helps participants find pathways for powerful change in our everyday lives. Preview the book here
Dates, Times, Format
Sundays 7-8:30 p.m.
Six sessions weekly starting September 26, 2021
This is an EcoChallenge discussion course featuring highly flexible, participative discussions about the readings each week. The ideal group size is 8-12 people, but we can run the course with as few as 6 and as many as 15 participants. The facilitator can but does not have to rotate among group members each week. The first meeting of this course will be online, but later meetings could be held in-person depending on group preference.
Course Facilitator
Dan Barash is a former Simply Living board member and a longtime advocate for local foods. Dan has volunteered for many years at the Worthington Farmers Market. He was inspired to join Simply Living after taking Earth Institute (now EcoChallenge) courses, and his discussion group became friends and met for several years after the course ended. Dan is an IT professional and works at OCLC.
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Economics of Happiness
Description
This discussion course is based on the award-winning film, Economics of Happiness (EOH), developed by Helena Norberg-Hodge and her team at the International Society for an Ecological Culture (LocalFutures.org). Each session includes content from the EOH film or related media, a presentation that frames and explores the topic in greater depth, and class discussions based on selected readings in the booklet Localization: Essential Steps to an Economics of Happiness. Handouts will be made available. Participants can attend any or all classes.
Dates, Times, Format
Tuesdays 7-8:30 p.m.
Five weeks starting October 26, 2021
This course will be conducted online. Register to receive meeting links.
Course schedule
October 26 - Introduction and orientation
November 2 - Globalization
November 9 - Local Economy
December 7 - Community Localization
December 14 - Big Picture Activism
Course Facilitator
Chuck Lynd is an educator who is passionate about ecological systems and environmental issues. Chuck is a founding member and past board member of Simply Living. He serves on the board of the Ohio Sustainable Business Council, where he advocates for local economic development and efforts to create a new economy that works for everyone. Chuck organized a coalition of local organizations and businesses committed to Supporting Our Local Economy. He is a member and supporter of Local Futures, the developer of Economics of Happiness.
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Spirit and Money
Description
Your Money or Your Life, a best-selling book and study course by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez, provides a nine-step program for personally retooling your conscious activity with money, leading to transformation, fulfillment, and purpose. Expected results of applying the tools include a higher quality of life; paying off debt and building savings; linking your deepest values/purpose with your finances; reduced expenses – an average of 20 percent within 6 months; and a fulfilling and sustainable relationship with money.
Dates, Times, Format
This is a pre-recorded webinar course. You can go through it at your own pace.
Course Facilitator
Randall Loop, LMT, LSH will be leading the course within the pre-recorded webinars. He is highly familiar with financial desperation. He went bankrupt in the recession of the late 1980s and he navigated several personal crises over the next few years. In 1997 he began to regain a measure of success at living his values, but until 2004 he remained just shy of his “Goldilocks Point”– as he calls it. During 2004 Randall discovered the Your Money or Your Life Study Group through Simply Living, and as a result of living the 9 simple awareness-building steps, he paid off nearly $20,000 in credit card debt, developed savings, and now owns a home/business combo in Merion Village/South Columbus. Since 2006 he has led study groups and coached individuals through the program.
Registration
30% of the cost of this course goes to support Simply Living.
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Introduction to Solar PV
Description
This course is designed for those new to solar. Ideal for folks wishing to understand the fundamentals of how solar photovoltaic systems work – but are not necessarily going to design or install systems at this time. This course is ideal for homeowners interested in solar, electricians thinking they may wish to expand into the solar marketplace, building owners or architects who have questions about how solar might be incorporated into their facilities, or consultants who are increasingly being asked about solar and how solar electric systems work. This curriculum has been approved by ETA-I (Electronic Technicians Association, International) for 8 hours of continuing education units (CEUs). It is a selected portion of the more in-depth Residential Solar Installation & Design course (10 hours).
Dates, Times, Format
This is an online course. You can go through it at your own pace.
Course Facilitators
In 1993, Jay and Annie Warmke founded Blue Rock Station, a 40-acre sustainability center located in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains in southeastern Ohio.
The center features the first earthship built east of the Mississippi River, and is a living laboratory to test and demonstrate sustainable living concepts and options.
Since 2004 over 35,000 people have visited Blue Rock Station. Find out more at bluerockstation.com.
Registration
Join Simply Living and we will send you a code to get $50 off! Join here
Enter the code when you enroll in the course on the Blue Rock Station course page.
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Residential Solar Installation and Design
Description
This course is ideal for folks wishing to install a solar system on their home or business, understand what they are getting into if they wish to hire someone to install a system, or enter the rapidly growing PV industry as a career. This course tracks with the provided textbook (Understanding Photovoltaics – 8th Edition). It is organized into 11 chapters, 71 major topic areas – with 11 review quizzes, 25 lab projects, over 550 narrated slides, dozens of integrated videos, links to online resources and materials for added comprehension and more. This curriculum has been approved by ETA as preparing persons interested in obtaining the PV Level 1 Certification. It has also been approved for 35 hours of LA CES health, safety, and welfare Professional Development hours.
Dates, Times, Format
This is an online course. You can go through it at your own pace.
Course Facilitators
In 1993, Jay and Annie Warmke founded Blue Rock Station, a 40-acre sustainability center located in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains in southeastern Ohio. The center features the first earthship built east of the Mississippi River, and is a living laboratory to test and demonstrate sustainable living concepts and options. Since 2004 over 35,000 people have visited Blue Rock Station. Find out more at bluerockstation.com.
Registration
Join Simply Living and we will send you a code to get $50 off! Join here
Enter the code when you enroll in the course on the Blue Rock Station course page.
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