See page in
Français
Play in the Wild!’s Animator Training offers the unique experience of a Revolutions Retreat, Online Learning and a Quest – in one program!
There are 3 ways to join:
Full North America Animator Training, which begins October 9th, 2013 and ends July 29th, 2014.[REGISTRATION for this option NOW CLOSED].Full Australia Animator Training, which begins November 2013 and ends May 2014.[REGISTRATION for this option NOW CLOSED]- Individual Animator Training modules. Join the Wilderness Quest in Canada!
COURSE PREREQUISITES:
All participants are requested to have read Peaceable Revolution Through Education before the start of the Animator Training and have a passion for working with youth in the Wild! places of the heart and in the world. In addition, all applicants will be interviewed by phone or in-person to assess if the Animator Training is a good fit for their learning needs.
NEEDS-BASED CURRICULUM:
The Animator Training offers a Needs-Based Curriculum, where every aspect of the course is designed to consider Universal Human Needs. This means that it will evolve in part based on the needs of the group. During the registration process, participants will be asked to name topics and/or challenges that they would like to see integrated into the learning for the training. Throughout the course, participants will have the opportunity to witness how Animator Team members regularly adapt a curriculum to meet shifting needs while maintaining the core teachings.
Learn more about the Core Curriculum of the Animator Training –
Click on the toggles below:
Revolutions Retreat Curriculum (Registration Closed)
- Assessing Universal Human Needs within oneself and within the group to create learning and design curriculum
- Celebrating diversity and caring for the integration of different languages, cultures, classes, genders, and ages in community
- Coming to group agreements that consider all needs
- Conflict Transformation: shifting from conflict "management" and avoidance to compassionate exploration and a wise engagement that supports change to occur
- Cultivating nonviolence with practices such as Mindfulness, Meditation, Qigong, Yoga, and more
- Developing the 3 Rs: Respect for Self, Respect for Others, Responsibility for all our actions
- Embodying interdependence through Dance Lodge, an ancient modern ceremony bringing forth traditions passed through generations of indigenous peoples of North America
- Engaging the whole learner - mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically
- Empathy Circles and Circles for Conflict Transformation
- Food choices: how they affect learning, personal health, and environmental sustainability and how to engage learning with youth around food
- Harvest Circles and Despair Circles: Celebrating and Mourning in community
- Integrating the practices of nonviolence with the arts and/or your own particular passion
- Order out of Chaos: how to connect to Universal Human Needs and discover learning you didn’t “plan” on
- Safety, Trust, and Respect in a Learning Community
- Skills of an Empathy First Responder
- Transforming Enemy Images, the labels of ourselves and youth which obstruct connection, play, ease, and compassion
- Philosophy and History of the Five Mindful Practices of Being Nonviolence
- Working with live “conflicts” as a team – including any real situations that arise in the moment during the training
Below is a sample outline of our time together. As we build our community and needs come alive, the schedule will flow and change accordingly.
Wednesday, October 9th
- Arrive and Settle In
- Supper
- Opening Circle
Thursday, October 10th to Monday, October 14th (One of these days will be a Wild! day field trip, with a different schedule )
- Morning Movement
- Breakfast
- Session I & II
- Lunch
- Session III & Integration Play
- Supper
- Session IV
Tuesday, October 15th
- Morning Movement
- Breakfast
- Closing Circle
- Lunch
- Departures
Online Learning Community Curriculum (Registration Closed)
- Continuation of topics from the Revolutions Retreat
- Third-siding: skills for transforming conflict through seeking mutual understanding (with room for disagreement) and solutions that meet the needs of all involved
- Connection in marketing and fundraising: how to create a culture of connection when gathering resources, building community support, and promoting your programs
- Creating curriculum and activities that meet Universal Human Needs
- Developing your existing talents for supporting growth, connection, and compassion in community
- Expressing yourself as a gift to yourself and others
- Leadership in a “power-with” paradigm: effective decision making, inspiring collaboration toward common goals, and supporting a learning community to have a culture of empathy
- Living the “undivided life”: acting on the outside in a way that reflects our authentic self and integrates the principles of nonviolence into our lives
- Mindful Heart, Heart-Full Mind: assessing strategies from a living connection to Universal Human Needs, so we can make choices which effectively access the endless possibilities of learning
- Mindfulness: strengthen your ability to look at experiences as if for the first time, aware of oneself and one’s impact on others.
- Nonviolent Communication (NVC): strengthening our ability to identify and express needs in a way that creates connection rather than conflict; deepening our capacity to hear and understand the needs of others no matter how they express themselves. We will engage practices of NVC that empower us and our students to receive difficult messages without taking them personally, giving in, or losing self-esteem, while simultaneously opening a gateway to collaborative solutions that meet the needs of all concerned. This approach builds long-lasting alliances founded on trust, mutual respect, and understanding - without suppressing differences.
- Protective use of force: understanding and using protective use of force in a way that creates life-serving boundaries
ONLINE LEARNING STRUCTURE:
Phone:- Once a month – Animator Circle: 2-hour teleclass, gathering as a community with the Animator Training Leaders for Learning, Sharing, and Connection
- Once a month – Private Mentoring Session: one-on-one Support and Guidance with one of the Animator Training Leaders. Over the course of the 7 months, you will have the opportunity to meet with each of the Animator Training Leaders for consultation on topics of your choosing
- Twice a month – Empathy Study Buddy: meeting with another community member for regular Empathy and Skills Practice
- Daily Remembering: inspiration to support you in your practice, 5 days a week
- Weekly Activity: designed to deepen your understanding of the topics we are exploring, and increase skills in empathy, NVC, mindfulness, and working with youth. Each month, activities will follow this general rhythm:
- 1st week – a Solo practice
- 2nd week – a Partner practice to do with your Empathy Study Buddy
- 3rd week – a Group activity for you to try with a group so you can share your experience and get feedback
- 4th week – a practice to increase your understanding of interdependence; this practice will vary in form and can be done solo, with a partner, or in a group
- Access to the Animator's Tent: an online gathering space available 24/7 where participants will be able to chat live, ask questions, post learnings and ideas, create discussions and share materials
CALL SCHEDULING:
- Animator Circle calls will be scheduled for the same day and time each month. This will be determined in part by participants’ preferred days/times.
- Empathy Study Buddy calls will be scheduled by you and your Buddy, at a time that works for you both. For diversity in learning, you will receive four different buddies over the course of the program.
- Private Mentoring Session calls will be scheduled by the Animator Training Assistant. Choices of days/times will be offered and you will choose a slot that works for you.
Wilderness Quest Curriculum
- Continuation of topics from the Revolutions Retreat and Online Learning Community
- Caring for our own and everyone's safety and well-being in a way that considers all needs
- Embodying the nonviolent principle that "we don't make it until we all make it"
- Food: Creating (and feasting on) delicious organic meals that can be prepared anywhere
- Living lightly: how to be comfortable living outdoors and sleeping in a tent, rain or shine; how to stay clean and dispose of human waste without showers or toilets; how to pack lightly and bring only what you really need
- Understanding Interdependence and Being Nonviolence through learning Wilderness and canoeing skills and being in relationship to our environment
- Vision Quest – A traditional Vision Quest is taken deep within nature away from civilization so one can find their solo connection to all that is and hear their own life’s calling. Your Vision Quest will be woven into the Canoe Quest to give you space, stillness and time in nature for reflection and your own personal discoveries.
Below is a sample outline of our time together. As we build our community and needs come alive, the schedule will flow and change accordingly.
Wednesday, July 16th
- Arrive at Montreal base camp
- Supper
- Opening circle
- Breakfast
- Travel to Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve
- Lunch
- Canoeing skills
- Supper
- Canoe to first campsite
- Out on trail and water, each day we will find the rhythm that works for the group to be engaging in learning activities, taking meals, paddling and portaging (this is when we carry canoes and gear following a trail to get to the next lake).
- Closing Circle in the Evening
- Travel to Montreal base camp for Departures
- Brunch on the road
LOGISTICS
For Australia Animator Training participants, you will receive a journal, a materials packet, and an activity book that you will use throughout the course, by post, before the start of the Online Learning Community.
The lead Animators for this program will assign a book each to read, plus you will be asked to choose a book from a recommended reading list. Any other materials will be sent via email. All the materials and activities can be utilized in your work and adapted as needed. We will request that you include all original attributions and Play in the Wild! copyright citations, when duplicating any materials exactly,
During the North America Revolutions Retreat, the food will be organic lacto-ovo vegetarian, with as much local produce as possible. We will also get the opportunity to lead you in meal preparations and creations, drawing on some of the practices we use on our Play in the Wild! youth programs.
During the Canoe Quest at Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve and the Australia Combined Retreat/ Quest, Play in the Wild! will provide food for organic lacto-ovo vegetarian meals. We will create a rotation of leadership and support to provide meals for the whole group. In the tradition of Play in the Wild!, these will be gourmet, unique, delicious flavors from around the world.
All food costs are included as part of Tuition (see the Cost/Registration tab).
Lodging:
At the North America Revolutions Retreat, lodging will be at the retreat house in Underhill, Vermont, USA, which offers comfortable, shared or private rooms to suit a variety of preferences and budgets (see the “Cost/Registration” tab for options). In your registration packet, you can let us know your choice of lodging, in your order of preference, and we will do our best to accommodate requests.
During the Canoe Quest, you will enjoy camping under the stars every night at Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve. You will be given a gear list as part of your preparation for the Canoe Quest.
Lodging for the Australia Combined Retreat/ Quest will be announced in September.
For the North America Revolutions Retreat, Play in the Wild! will provide airport transportation to and from the retreat house. The closest airports are Montreal – Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and Burlington International Airport (BTV) in Vermont. We ask that all participants arrive by 5:30pm on October 9th, and depart anytime after 11:30am on October 15th. There will be also an option to have one-on-one sessions on the afternoon of the 15th for those who are staying longer.
For the Canoe Quest, we will gather at La Ferme du Bord du Lac near the Montreal – Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and drive together to and from Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve – just like we do with the youth! All information will be provided in your registration packet.
Community Requests:
As a community, on any of the Retreats/ Quests, we will engage in the same practices that Play in the Wild! offers on its youth programs – practices of becoming more attuned to what motivates us and choosing strategies that will bring the most life and connection to ourselves and the group. We will create a safe, nonjudgmental environment focused on Being Nonviolence, with the request that each of us leave alcohol, snacks with refined sugar, recreational drugs, weapons, and smoking at home. After opening circle we will also have a ceremonial “unplugging” where we will place all electronics in a safe space to be held for the duration of our time together. This is to give us a unique journey of returning to connection with ourselves, each other, and the land we will be living on. Folks are welcome to “plug” back in after closing circle.
We offer our work freely in service to peace. At the same time, we request monetary contributions to cover the costs of this unique program and offer sustainability for Play in the Wild! and the Animator Team who make it all possible (all amounts are in USD):
- $25 non-refundable Application Fee with your Animator Training application, plus (choose from one of the below)
Full North America Animator Training – October 2013 to July 2014 (includes Revolutions Retreat, Online Learning Community, and Wilderness Quest): (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
- $3382 Tuition – This contribution covers costs of insurance, materials, assigned books, all food for the Retreat and the Quest, transportation and equipment rentals for the Quest, sustainability for Play in the Wild! and the Animators leading the training, costs related to the online learning component, and miscellaneous surprises.
- $240 Lodging costs for your 6-night stay at the retreat house in Underhill
Full Australia Animator Training – November 2013 to May 2014 (includes Combined Retreat/ Quest and Online Learning Community): (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
- $2665 Tuition – This contribution covers costs of insurance, materials, assigned books, all food, transportation and equipment rentals for the Combined Retreat/ Quest, sustainability for Play in the Wild! and the Animators leading the training, costs related to the Online Learning Community, and miscellaneous surprises.
Revolutions Retreat in Québec, Canada Only (October 9th to 15th, 2013): (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
- $1360 Tuition – This contribution covers costs of insurance, materials, assigned books, all food for the Retreat, sustainability for Play in the Wild! and the Animators leading the training, and costs related to the Online Learning Community.
- $240 Lodging costs for your 6-night stay at the retreat house in Underhill
Online Learning Community Only (November 2013 to May 2014): (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
- $1374 Tuition – This contribution covers costs of materials, assigned books, sustainability for Play in the Wild! and the Animators leading the training, and costs related to the technology of the Online Learning Community.
Wilderness Quest in Québec, Canada Only (July 23 to 29, 2014):
- $1244 Tuition – This contribution covers costs of insurance, materials, all food, transportation, and equipment rentals, and sustainability for Play in the Wild! and the Animators leading the training.
If you are concerned about your ability to meet the Tuition request, but feel genuinely called to the Training, we invite you to still apply. During our interview, we can help you find a creative solution, and discuss alternative payment plans.
If you are able to contribute more than the requested amount and would like to help make this Training accessible to everyone regardless of where they come from, consider making a donation. Your donation can be applied directly towards the Tuition of applicants with limited financial resources.
Registration:
- Click on the Sign Up Here! button at the bottom of this page to fill out an online Application and submit your $25 application fee.
- After we receive your Application and application fee, we will schedule an interview with you by phone or Skype to see if this program is a fit for your needs. If there is mutual agreement in the interview that the program is a fit, then we will send you a Registration Packet.
- Fill out the Registration Packet and return it to Play in the Wild! along with your full Tuition/Lodging costs (unless an alternative financial arrangement has been made during your interview).
- Once we receive both your completed Registration Packet and full Tuition/Lodging Costs, you are fully registered. Until then, we will not guarantee your place in the Animator Training.
If you have any questions about the Animator Training, including the Registration process, feel free to contact us. We are happy to respond.