Courses and Workshops delivered by Symbiotic and Sustainable Systems
Symbiotic and Sustainable Systems provide specially designed courses and workshops to suit the needs of our clients. We work with our clients to ensure the content of the courses and workshops are relevant to the situation, circumstances and requirements of individual clients. Clients of Symbiotic and Sustainable Systems can therefore take ownership of the courses and workshops endeavouring to ensure they can then be maintained by the clients themselves.
To arrange for a representative of Symbiotic and Sustainable Systems to visit you to talk about your specific requirements please send us a General Enquiries Form.
Bespoke courses and alternative course dates and locations can be arranged for groups of 5 or more. Please contact us to arrange courses in locations further afield than Wales.
A following is a list of generic courses and workshops offered by Symbiotic and Sustainable Systems suitable to all clientelle groups. The courses and workshops are written to the level of understanding of sustainability, global citizenship and outdoor learning of your group. They are also written at the level of education e.g. An introduction to Sustainability and Global Citizenship can be delivered to a class of Key Stage 3 students or to a group of management executives.
Outdoor Learning courses offered: Brief Description of Courses and Workshops For more detail please contact Symbiotic and Sustainable Systems (General Enquiries Form). Introduction to Sustainability and Global Citizenship This course provides a suitable introduction for all social and cultural groups. It provides an understanding of sustainability and global citizenship by outlining current agendas and mandates and then offers practical guidance relevant to participants. Cultural Literacy for Global Citizenship The global crisis facing humanity is a reflection of our cultural systems Sustainable Health and Well-being This course provides an introduction to the nature of sustainable health and well-being at a community level. The group examines their own community or group to identify support mechanisms available to them to promote healthy lifestyles and a high level of well-being. The course introduces skills and techniques for creating an ongoing skills capacity within the participants own communities. Spirituality, Sustainability and Global Citizenship The course explores the nature of spirituality and the role it plays in the implementation of sustainability and global citizenship. We go on a global journey to discover what all cultures can do to encourage a more spiritual connection to the environment and how the different spiritual value systems around the world can work together for global sustainability. The Role of Holistic Movements in Cultural Change for Sustainability and Global Citizenship Holistic movements provide some of the most powerful and innovative practices for sustainability and global citizenship (SGC). This course explores the vital importance of engaging holistic movements in this important cultural change process. It provides the foundational knowledge and practical actions to assist people working or simply interested in the holistic movement and related alternative therapies to be actively involved in the SGC agenda..jpg)
The nature and characteristics of sustainability social enterprise and practical skills and knowledge require to initiate a social enterprise are covered in this course. We also examine the interconnections that exist for communities and groups wishing to initiate a social enterprise and how they can ensure they sustain the cultural, social, environment and economic life of their local community.
Participant Testimony
The OLSE course gave me a clear understanding of social enterprises, including their various legal structures, within the framework of sustainability. The format of interactive exchange of ideas based upon realistic examples helped to develop project planning and the course has particularly enabled me to place all elements of sustainability at the core of my enterprise venture. For anyone starting up a SSE this course helps focus ideas clearly and enables analysis of inputs and outputs of the project, thus helping to foresee possible shortcomings as well as finding solutions. (Andrew Price, Ruperra Conservation Trust)
Sustainable Lifestyle Practices
Human lifestyle practices, in particular modern western consumption contribute greatly to the diminishing earth's resources and quality natural environments. This course provides an introduction to the practical skills and knowledge that can assist with implementing sustainability lifestyles including relevant sustainable technologies, renewable energy, sustainable construction and traditional rural skills.
Cultural Behavioural Change for Sustainability
Behaviour change is the single most important factor in the global challenge to become a sustainable world. Understanding how to change behaviours and attitudes towards sustainable living and values without jeopardising cultural, social and individual identities is integral to this challenge and is the central theme of this course. Practical activities to assist with this cultural change will be addressed throughout the course as well as the development of Community, social and cultural capacity building.
Dealing with the Human Element of Sustainability
Understanding human communication and how we interact throughout the process of change is the foundation of this course. Practical examples of leadership and facilitation techniques and styles and the nature of personal and group dynamics are provided. Participants work on interactions occuring in their own social change setting to ensure the course is specific to their requirements. This course is suitable for anyone working with groups on social and cultural change projects and programmes for the implementation of sustainability and global citizenship.
Critical cultural change such as that required for sustainability and global citizenship requires critical thinking and action. This is difficult to achieve in our western society where critical thinking and reflection are not promoted as an underlying curriculum feature. This course will provide practical activities for the participants to develop their critical mind and leave the course with tools to use to maintain critical thinking and action post-course, for the change to a sustainable world.
Family and Intergenerational Learning for Sustainability and Global Citizenship
Families, across all generations, are important settings for the exchange of knowledge, values and skills. Symbiotic and Sustainable Systems' courses for families and intergenerational learning groups focus on the importance of these settings for implementing sustainability and global citizenship. We explore through practical activities the nature of cultures around the globe where family and intergenerational learning is paramount to their social life and look at how these learning settings are replicated, or not, in the Britain and other Western cultures. Outdoor learning is a primary tool utilised in these courses.
Sustaining You and Your Personal Growth
In this course we will be focusing on you can to do sustain a healthy you and a strong emotional, psychological and mental self-concept. Working through social and cultural change such as the current implementation of sustainability and global citizenship requires the individual to have robust process for personal growth. 'Sustaining You and Your Personal Growth' course works through practical activities to increase your self-confidence, self-esteem and inner experience of personal strength, effectiveness and control over your life. Issues addressed include reactions and emotions to negativism, cliques, acceptance, trust, devaluing, recognition and fear of judgement and stereotypes.
Important Women's Business: Sustainability and Global Citizenship
This course is specifically designed for women. UNESCO identifies women as a major social group in the non-formal, informal and formal education of society for sustainability and global citizenship. As such this course focuses on the principal role women of all cultures play in changing social behaviours for sustainability and global citizenship. Discussion and activities will include benefits and barriers to womens participation in SGC, support networks and how to take part in the political and social debates on SGC currently occurring worldwide.
Holistic Outdoor Learning: The Art of Ecocentric Outdoor Facilitation
Outdoor learning is a common educational process for many cultures around the world. Often the outdoor learning is utilised to encourage a stronger connection to the natural environment, a sustainable way of living on the earth and a stronger communal value system. This course is suitable for anyone looking to use a more holistic outdoor learning process, than the outdoor pursuits focus in western culture, for the purpose of change for sustainability and global citizenship. We will look at the characteristics of holistic outdoor learning and consider practical ways for implementation in western life. This course is a suitable pre-requisite for Symbiotic and Sustainable Systems - 'Role of Holistic Outdoor Learning in Sustainable and Global Citizenship'.
The Role of Holistic Outdoor Learning in Sustainability and Global Citizenship
This course is suitable for anyone who is interested in outdoor learning and its role in cultural change for sustainability and global citizenship. Content provides a deeper understanding of what constitutes holistic outdoor learning and examines a broader eco-centric approach to outdoor learning in comparison to the current ego-centric outdoor physical activity approach utilised in western society. Practical examines of how to utilise holistic outdoor learning as a tool for cultural change for sustainability and global citizenship will be provided.
Removing the Ego in Outdoor Learning: A More Sustainable Option
Re-connection of people, particularly in western society, to the natural environment is paramount to the successful implementation of cultural change for sustainability and global citizenship. This course will examine risk assessments for outdoor activities and living in the outdoors from a self-reliance and individual responsibility perspective. Enabling individuals to feel personally competent, comfortable and confident in the outdoors compliments the necessity for encouraging people to be motivated to work on sustainability and global citizenship projects without fear of being in the outdoors.