PROJect -Re- GeneRatIOn
Designed to inspire, empower, and activate life-long learners in the reimagining and regeneration of our home: Earth.
Explore
Explore diverse topics and place through community excursions and expert interactions
Engage
Engage on a collaborative sustainability design project with impact
Expand
Expand your thinking through reflective multimedia practices and community sharing
Our world as we know it is on the cusp of significant change. Our home is ‘burning’ 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 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 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 adaptability and resilience to climate change 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.
FAQ
What is the time commitment?
The time commitment for each ReGen program is different. Programs can be as short as 3 weeks, others might be 10!
How will we work within Covid restrictions?
We are following the procedures outlined for the public school system. These procedures include use of masks in all indoor spaces (and in some outdoor situations), physical distancing, and as always, frequent hand washing. Furthermore, we will be spending most of our time outside and our cohort size is very small!
What is expected of students?
How big is the group?
Depending on the type of program, groups vary in size from 4 - 14 members.
What is the age range?
The ReGen model can be adapted to a wide age range. Some of our programs are open to middle schoolers while others are targeted at high schoolers. We also run sessions for university students.
What exactly are 'multimedia posts'?
Who are the facilitators?
How do I get to Thetis Island?
Thetis Island is a small Gulf Island just north of Salt Spring. To get to Thetis, take the ferry from the Ferry Terminal in Chemainus, east of the Trans-Canada Highway and north of Duncan. It is a 30-50 minute ferry sailing. All students attending the program from off-Thetis will likely be traveling as a group and will meet up with the program facilitator at the ferry terminal on the Thetis side.
Why is the 'Re' hyphenated?
Glad you asked! The 'Re' in Project -Re- Generation is hyphenated to represent the circular and interconnected nature of our philosophy and goals:
If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch!
charlotte@thetisislandnatureconservancy.org
Note: if you are having trouble viewing our FAQ section, please enable JavaScript
