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CREATING MOMENTS THAT LET EARTH TEACHIntroduction:
While Earth and its people are increasingly at risk, far too many of us gain fulfillment by dancing on the deck of our sinking ship and we often can't stop. This distance learning graduate and undergraduate program and its courses enable students to introduce a newly researched dance step, one that restores the integrity of the ship and its passengers.
Our University degree program offers nature connected educational, counseling and recovery techniques. It is designed for those who are thoughtful enough to recognize that many destructive aspects of our society don't stop because we are psychologically bonded to them. The program psychologically promotes responsible change by letting sensory contacts with natural areas intelligently heal our nature disconnected cravings, stress and hurt.Students learn how to use nature sensitive activities, teach them to others and build them into their careers. They become experts in producing enjoyable ways of relating that create and sustain balanced relationships.
The framework of this program is a proven Natural Systems Thinking Process. Natural systems intelligently sustain balance. They cooperatively create life and diversity and beauty without producing garbage, pollution or our other runaway problems. As part of nature we inherently know how to do this. The Natural Systems Thinking Process enables us to think and relate using that part of us. It is activated by reconnecting it to its origins in nature.
The Natural Systems Thinking Process process unites people's awareness and thinking with nature's balanced ways. Through tangible sensory connection with natural systems it produces a co-creative healing of thought and the environment that helps us sustain balanced personal, social and global relationships
The Learning Process:Our degree programs in Applied Ecopsychology/Integrated Ecology offer hands-on courses, internships and research. They blend wellness, psychology and ecology with sustainability. The natural world is our classroom and teacher, the internet our vehicle for instruction, communication and shared learning.
Students master activities in educating and counseling with nature that incorporate personal and team learning as well as research, internships and teacher training. They learn how to create moments that let Earth teach. .Course participation, contract learning and research is done independently at home, utilizing e-mail, at the student's contracted pace and with on-site study options. Participants learn pratical methods and materials to promote personal, professional and spiritual growth.
Each student's applicable credits and life experiences are transferred into their programs. This reduces the time and cost of the program.
Our accredited courses may be transferred into other degree programs that accept them.
Summary of Purpose and Process:
The global life community is a civilization with an integrity of its own. Over the eons it has intelligently organized, preserved and regenerated itself. It wisely manifests itself in an optimum of diverse, balanced ways. As part of nature, we biologically and psychologically contain nature's attributes. We inherantly contain ways to connect to nature within and around us. However, culturally we create and live out an unnatural story. The story teaches us to excessively separate from and conquer nature. We learn, to our loss, to disconnect from it's intelligent balance.
Our civilization has built the nature disconnected path we presently travel. Irresponsibly, our civilized path, not nature, produces runaway garbage and abusiveness. Often our path erodes the integrity of people and places, yet we addictively continue to use it. It increasingly becomes a deeper rut every time we do. This increasingly makes it more difficult for us to get out of the rut we are in.
Nature reconnecting programs, materials and courses are available to the public at little cost. Their process enables people to tap into nature's healing and regenerative powers. Any interested person may gain the expertise to use the nature reconnecting process and introduce it to others. Individuals learn to independently own the process and apply it when and where it will do the most good. Internationally, in education, counseling and recovery programs, its use has proven beneficial in restoring wellness, spirit and responsible relationships.
NOTE: The best way to learn the Process is to engage in it through our short, online Orientation Course. You may then intern and later teach the course if you choose. At Greenwich University the Orientation Course (ECO 500) is an accredited prerequsite for final enrollment in the degree program. It is also a one credit course that becomes part of your program.
Addtional Purpose and Process information is available by selecting here
Institute of Global Education
Special NGO consultant to the United Nations Economic and Social Council
Project NatureConnectAPPLIED ECOPSYCHOLOGY / INTEGRATED ECOLOGY
Department Chair Office Information
Dr. Michael J. Cohen
Post Office Box 1605,
Friday Harbor, WA 98250.
(360) 378-6313
nature@pacificrim.net
Dr. Cohen is a director of the Institute of Global Education and the faculty director of several associated University Applied Ecopsychology/Integrated Ecology degree programs. He also serves as Adjunct Faculty for Portland State University Graduate School of Extended Studies.Return to Table of Contents