PROJect -Re- GeneRatIOn

Designed to inspire, empower, and activate life-long learners in the
reimagining and regeneration
of our home: Earth.

Our world as we know it is on the cusp of significant change. Our home is ‘burning’, biodiversity is plummeting, and natural systems are failing at an alarming rate. However, the Earth is resilient and can heal itself if given a chance.

People, industry, and government throughout the global community must work together in the regeneration effort. Education plays a powerful role in this movement, not only as a means to develop understanding around systems, sustainability. and climate change, but as a place of action.

Project -Re- Generation offers students the opportunity, avenues, space, tools, time, and guidance to engage in creative and meaningful place-based action that would benefit the local community while contributing towards the larger goal of the regeneration of our home, Earth.

What is Project -Re- Generation?

Project -Re- Generation (ReGen) is an immersive place- and project-based learning experience designed to inspire, activate, and empower youth to become engaged community members through regenerative action. Students learn by doing: exploring and connecting with their local environment, built and natural alike; engaging with community experts; and working collaboratively on an authentic project of their choosing. These regenerative projects will seek to restore and rejuvenate systems through practices such as rewilding, redesigning, rebuilding, reducing, reusing, repairing, and restoring.

ReGen is inspired by two innovative programs: Undergraduate Semester in Dialogue at Simon Fraser University and LEAP Academy at Green School Bali. Although half a world apart, these programs are both rooted in a shared learning approach that places emphasis on experiences, community, and action. ReGen blends aspects of both Dialogue and LEAP while bringing to life its own character, which focuses on regenerative and climate-action community projects.

How does it work?

By engaging in real-life sustainability projects that are community-based, participants will build an understanding of the principles of sustainability while flexing the critical skills increasingly essential to thrive in our ever-changing world. Along with being adaptable and thinking in systems, specific emphasis is given to the ‘Four C’s’: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.

So let’s look at that learning process in a bit more detail…

The beginning of the program is dedicated to exploring key concepts, such as sustainability, the circular economy, and living systems, as well as orienting the students to Thetis Island and its many nooks and crannies of awesomeness. We will also spend time developing our mini ReGen community as it will be essential to working together on the project. In the second week we will invite Thetis Islanders to pitch their project ideas to the group. We welcome all types of projects, but they must all share the common aim to improve Thetis Island’s sustainability through regenerative approaches. After selecting a project, students will be guided through the design process of project ideation and planning, implementation, and review. As part of this, we will seek and work alongside community members who will help us realize our projects. Lastly, students will be asked to contribute to the site blog where they will share multi-media posts that reflect their experiences.

Check out one of our design projects, The People's Apothecary Garden, from our summer 2020 program, and listen to the group's podcast series, the ThINCpod on our blog.