This short course begins with an account of some of the most pressing issues facing rural indigenous communities in Guatemala based on feedback from our farmer training programs. We then look at some of the common mistakes we have seen NGO’s make in their agriculture programs and explore how Permaculture Design can help address these problems. We stress the importance of cultural understanding in field of development work and explore intersections between new practices and traditional ways. 

Kalamazoo Valley is partnering with Transformational Connections to offer the Spring 2021 series of International Life Enrichment courses. Transformational Connections of Southwest Michigan is a Michigan 501c3 whose mission is "To provide volunteer opportunities in the developing world and foster life-changing experiences within ourselves, our community and those we are serving."  They have developed over 12 trips to the Lake Atitlan, Guatemala region, including study abroad courses through local universities.  Transformational Connections looks forward to travel to and with our partners in Guatemala in 2022.

The course will address the importance of understanding power relationships between Global North and Global South territories in order to contribute to environmental and social justice and how Mesoamerican Permaculture can provide some guidelines for this. The Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute (Instituto Mesoamericano de Permacultura – IMAP) is a non-profit organization based in Guatemala. It was founded in 2000 by a group of local people concerned by the serious environmental, social and cultural problems affecting the nation. They established an ecological education center to promote permaculture techniques, local biodiversity conservation, production of organic food, and a seed bank that strives to reconstruct the Mayan seed heritage.

Kalamazoo Valley is partnering with Transformational Connections to offer the Spring 2021 series of International Life Enrichment courses. Transformational Connections of Southwest Michigan is a Michigan 501c3 whose mission is "To provide volunteer opportunities in the developing world and foster life-changing experiences within ourselves, our community and those we are serving."  They have developed over 12 trips to the Lake Atitlan, Guatemala region, including study abroad courses through local universities.  Transformational Connections looks forward to travel to and with our partners in Guatemala in 2022.

This course will introduce participants to the bridge between Indigenous people, biodiversity, and traditional knowledge as pillars for food sovereignty, locally and globally. It will present the crucial role of Indigenous people as guardians of biodiversity and natural resources, and will demonstrate how these elements are connected to our daily life, and how they ensure food security for humankind. 

Kalamazoo Valley is partnering with Transformational Connections to offer the Spring 2021 series of International Life Enrichment courses. Transformational Connections of Southwest Michigan is a Michigan 501c3 whose mission is "To provide volunteer opportunities in the developing world and foster life-changing experiences within ourselves, our community and those we are serving."  They have developed over 12 trips to the Lake Atitlan, Guatemala region, including study abroad courses through local universities.  Transformational Connections looks forward to travel to and with our partners in Guatemala in 2022.

In this introductory class to keeping backyard chickens, the participants will learn the basics of raising chickens on a small scale, including breed selection, raising chicks, housing, handling, sanitation, and flock wellness. 

All participants will receive a link to join the virtual Zoom session the day before the class.  

Permaculture is more than just gardening. It is an integrated system of ecological design that helps humans create sustainable and regenerative systems, cultures, and ways of living. Permaculture teaches us to optimize our footprint and then maximize our handprint. After meeting our needs in healthy ways, we can maximize impact in our communities by applying the permaculture design principles to both the ecological and social realms. This short course explores the essence of Permaculture, the design principles, and the importance of personal and communal resilience during these rapidly changing times.

Kalamazoo Valley is partnering with Transformational Connections to offer the Spring 2021 series of International Life Enrichment courses. Transformational Connections of Southwest Michigan is a Michigan 501c3 whose mission is "To provide volunteer opportunities in the developing world and foster life-changing experiences within ourselves, our community and those we are serving."  They have developed over 12 trips to the Lake Atitlan, Guatemala region, including study abroad courses through local universities.  Transformational Connections looks forward to travel to and with our partners in Guatemala in 2022.