A new kind of school
The Pollination Academy is a school first and foremost. Through learning pathways and local actions, we strive to form a community and a network - and to invest in human and natural quantum leaps. We act out of a sense of meaning, driven by the engagement we notice in the hive of humans capable of contributing so much more to regeneration and a life-based civilisation.
We bring 20+ years of experience with learning processes. We have also been looking around, seeing pioneer schools like Barefoot College, New Institute and Slow Factory bridge the gap between what we can do together and what we are told is impossible.
What we have taken from our inspirations are simple, but strong principles:
Touching and being touched, by soils, beings, minds, places
Being open, curious, transparent and solidary
Putting gentle action transcend disciplines
Creating a common core and celebrating difference
The partners behind Pollination Academy are creating a local and global program inviting learners to progress in their pollination skills - so they may learn and act locally (Local Pollinator), creating life-supporting local interventions; and so that they may drive both local and translocal networked community processes (Pollination Pilot).
What do we want to achieve and why should you join?
We have seen again and again how the many good forces tend to work apart from each other and too far away from where decisions are made.
With the pollination method, we will be integrating different methods and always aiming at strengthening new community formations.
One way is the double sustainable impact exploration: intervening with aesthetic and design-based tools in an area, mapping value, testing small actions for improvement (bottom-up) – but also making partnerships with landowners, municipalities, and companies (top-down) to strengthen long-term collaboration and comprehensive stewardship.
Another way is the inter-organisational and cross-disciplinary approach we will be testing in Culture4Climate, where we co-formulate principles, inject them into a process over a few years, and produce learning-loops across hubs and nodal networks to raise insight and share experiences on the role of culture for positive climate impact.
A recent friend and potential member suggested a conference on Naturdannelse, one of the core concepts in deep ecology. We would give that a tender twist and start creating an unconference to make participants active and spread learning across sites. But staying true to the core of learning by aesthesis (sensuous experience) and practical interventions.
The work of the pollinators will be to unite and bridge between the needs of life and the power of giving. The exam will be a locally based change process and will lead to the Urban Pollinator diploma.
How can I become a Pollinator?
We have been running small test sessions throughout 2021, and we are aiming at starting up our first Pollinator Learning Pathway from June to November 2022.
We aim to have at least three classes running by the beginning of 2023, at least one of which will be local in Copenhagen.
Membership of the community is free, but the courses we are creating for 2022-23 will require a fee. Should you want to contribute in other ways instead of paying, let us know and we will receive you with open arms.
