Practical Sustainability Course Dates and Details
Course dates Tuesday 4th September 2012 to Thursday 26th July 2013. Full timetable details will be available soon. The course follows local school dates but carries on longer to the end of July.
Course Hours. 16 hours teaching per week for 40 weeks. Tuesday and Wednesday 9am to 5pm and Thursday mornings 9am to 1pm.
Course Structure. Modules are taught as a mix of classroom and outdoor practical learning and field visits. Classroom teaching will be a mix of lectures, participatory workshops, film, slides, discussions and activities. During the winter months we spend more time in the classroom and in the warmer months we spend more time out and about on field trips, growing and working on the green build module.
Course Outline. The course is split into ten modules; See the full Course Curriculum for more details.
Design Assignments. Within each of the main modules there will be an a design assignment on new or existing community and land projects, in line with their aims. This will provide you with an opportunity to gain design skills in a ‘real world’ context. These assignments will include both individual and group work. The course will culminate in a large design project at the end of the year, weaving together threads from all of the modules.
Field Trips. There will be a range of field trips in Bristol and further afield. Travel arrangements for these trips will be made at the start of each term. You will be given details of all the field trips at the start of the course.
Tutors. Course tutors include Sarah Pugh, Patrick Whitefield, Dr Chris Johnstone, Trevor Houghton, Ben Law, Mike Gardner, Peter Harper, Tim Foster , Tony Wrench, Matt Dunwell, Justin Smith, Jenni Horsfall, Max Drake, Alice Cutler, Jay Abrahams, Andy Hamilton, Nick Osborne, Jackson Moulding, Mike Feingold, Laura Corfield, and Chris Vernon. See Tutors Biographies for more details.
Work Experience. There will be an option to take work experience placements with local groups and organisations within Bristol. This is in addition to the course hours. Lead tutors will discuss these opportunities on an individual basis and provide support.
Venues. The indoor classroom sessions will take place in the new annex of St Werburgh’s Community Centre. The annex is a newly added feature of the community centre and has a sedum roof, PV and underfloor heating. The venue is easily accessible by bike from the city centre, walking distance from Stapleton Road Train St and near to local bus routes including the number 5. The venue also has nearby parking and onsite bicycle racks. The organic horticulture module will take place at Boiling Wells Youth Project, St Werburghs City Farm, St Werburghs, Bristol. There are regular buses from the centre, bike racks but limited car parking availability. There will be a variety of land-based sessions around the city, maps and directions will be provided for any off-site sessions.
Accreditation. At this time the course is not accredited. We are running the first two years as a pilot and working with current students on whether to accredit in the future. However all the tutors are experts in their field with extensive teaching and practical experience. We are confident that the knowledge and skills gained on this course will be vaulable to anyone wanting to work with sustainability either professionally or in their home or community.
