Course Content

What is this course made of?

Course Content

What is this course made of?

The Programme

The Programme

Creating Transformative Cultures, EDE Glarisegg

Our programme is a carefully curated, holistic five-week learning journey. It weaves together workshops, group sessions, skill-sharing, time in nature, moments of silence, music, dance, and morning routines, along with both individual and collaborative explorations in large and small groups. The focus is on transformative methods, practices, and tools that deepen your connection to yourself, others, and the world around you — laying the groundwork for meaningful contribution, impact, and authentic expression in your communities, projects, workplaces, NGOs, citizen initiatives, activist groups, neighbourhoods, and families.

We designed a Learning Journey (link to page) that supports you in slowly arriving into the course while building trust, mindfulness, and emotional capacity within yourself first. We acknowledge that this inner work is a fundamental step toward later connecting, relating, and collaborating meaningfully on the challenging topics of our times. Tending to these capacities is a vital resource for all those who deeply care about something, yet sometimes feel overwhelmed by not knowing how to move forward.

Focus on regenerative social tools

This course is rooted in, and certified by, the global framework of the EDE curriculum (Ecovillage Design Education, more info below). What makes our EDE unique is its distinct thematic focus on regenerative social tools for transformation. Drawing on our rich experience in adult education since 2016, we’ve recognized that these personal and collective skills cannot be learned in isolation or studied online. To truly embody them, we need to engage with others and create space for learning, unlearning, and exploring together.

The four dimensions of the EDE framework — ecological, economic, worldview, and social — all contribute to our course, with particular emphasis on the social dimension. The community-building experience at its heart draws on the wisdom and practices of ecovillages around the world. Yet this knowledge is not limited to ecovillage life. Communities exist in many forms and at every level of society. The essence of what we explore together is adaptable to any environment where people live or work collectively — because collaboration and community are at the very core of what it means to be human.

Our course is conducted in English. While we recognize that English may not be the first language for everyone, we warmly welcome participants from all walks of life, regardless of your cultural background, nationality, age, gender identity, sexuality, or educational background. We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment.

We also acknowledge that traveling to Switzerland for five weeks involves significant privileges and present structural barriers for many. If you need support to join us, such as financial assistance, please take a look at our Scholarship opportunities and reach out!

Lastly, we want to bring awareness to air travelling and its various negative effects on the planetary boundaries we are trying to protect. Whenever possible, we strongly encourage you to travel over land and use public transport whenever possible.

Voices of former participants
Voices of former participants

Regenerative ways of learning

A Regenerative structure

“Regenerative” refers to the capacity of living beings and living systems to restore, renew, and revitalize, in a way that improves their original state, not just sustains them. Regeneration is a fundamental capability of all living beings and ecosystems, enabling them to restore balance and health.

Regenerative learning is about nurturing a cycle of renewal and transformation that benefits not just you as a learner, but the larger group and later on the broader contexts you are part of.

A great focus will be on the process of learning itself because how we learn and act matters a whole lot.

Participatory and Collaborative: We emphasize collaboration over competition, encouraging shared knowledge-building, co-creation, and collective problem-solving through e.g. Collaboration Groups and Open Space Sessions.

Experiential and Embodied: Instead of focusing only on theoretical knowledge, we prioritize experiential learning with an emphasis on embodied practices that integrate your mind, body, and spirit such as authentic movement and holotropic breathwork.

Reflection and Emergence: We offer continuous space for reflection. This involves practices like journaling, sharings, silence & meditation, and group formats that allow you to become aware of the movements and learnings at a personal level. We also offer spaces of emergence, where we give the opportunity to reflect and integrate topics and challenges emerging at a collective level.

Resilience and Adaptability: Regenerative learning encourages you to build resilience, both individually and collectively, by learning how to adapt to change, and overcome challenges, how to deal with difficult emotions and find new ways of thinking and acting in response to crises and uncertainties, encouraging critical thinking and emotional growth.

Interconnectedness with Nature: You will spend time in nature, helping you reconnect with the natural world, which in turn fosters a deeper understanding of ecological systems and our role within them.

This course is not…

… a retreat

… a permaculture or eco-construction course

… an exploration of romantic relationships and sexuality

… a replacement for professional therapy

… the masterplan for community building

… the answer to all of your questions, but a fantastic place to explore them!

 

Our course is transformative

It is an international network of people sharing the willingness to create regenerative cultures

Our tools and learning journey

Our tools and learning journey

Our programme intends to empower and accompany you on your path. It is an invitation to ask yourself: How do I truly want to show up for myself and others in this precious moment of life?
Check out the tools we use for this purpose.

Overview of the schedule

Time Mo-Sa Block
8:00 – 8:45 Morning practice
9:00 – 9:45 Breakfast
10:00 – 10:30 Morning circle & announcements
10:45 – 13:00 Morning session
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 15:30 Lunch break
15:30 – 17:30 Afternoon session
17:45 – 18:45 Collaboration group time
18:45 – 19:30 Dinner
20:15 – 21:45 Evening session/Free evening

Gaia Education & EDE

Since 1995, The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) connects intentional communities and ecovillages around the world, counting today a network of 12000 communities. Its educational wing called Gaia Education created the training Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) in 2005.

Sustainability Wheel

The Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) is a comprehensive course in Integrative Whole Systems Design for Sustainability. 

It is organised as a mandala that we call the sustainability wheel, encompassing – according to Gaia Education – the four primary dimensions of human experience; Worldview, Ecological, Social and Economic aspects.

Reports of our previous courses

Reports of our previous courses

Reports of our previous courses

Certification

  • By fulfilling the course requirements, you will receive a certification of completion of the EDE programme by Gaia Education.