Places filling fast for Transition Town training weekend

Here's some information on the training weekend we have coming up in a couple of weeks - places are filling fast, so please get in quick if you'd like to be part of this exciting Transition Town weekend on the Sunshine Coast. Email if you'd like a flier.

Other weekends are planned for mid-year and later in the year.

ABOVE - a photo of some happy workshop participants and Chippy the dog.

Dates:
Friday February 5 (from 5pm)
Saturday and Sunday February 6 & 7 (9am-4pm)
(We aim to be finished and out the door by 4pm Sunday)

The workshop:
We begin on Friday evening with a shared meal (as local and organic as we can get it) at 6pm with time to meet each other, chat, make connections and gently relax into our weekend of Transition Town training.

First thing Saturday it’s into the workshop. During the two days, we'll take you through a process that will enable you to confidently go back to your communities and either start or continue with your Transition initiative.

We focus on practical, doable and usable information, skills and techniques, bringing together our experience with Transition Towns both locally and from around Australia, years of research and development, and key lessons we’ve learnt along the way.

Learning activities include; powerpoint presentations, facilitated group discussion, small group activities, games (fun ways you can unleash the creative genius in your community!), including our famous Trans-Action and Carbon Dating games, mindmapping exercises, examples of world cafes and other techniques featured in the Transition Handbook and processes for starting, leading and developing your Transition Town.

We'll cover;
History of and introduction to the international Transition Town model

The language of Transition
The Transition Handbook and how best to use it
Transition Towns in Australia
The principles Transition Towns are built on
Finding your running mates
First steps
How to be not just ‘another bloody group’
Understanding the uniqueness of your community
Case studies of other initiatives (how they got started, what they are doing, what’s working)
Understanding group dynamics
Group facilitation skills
Strategies for raising awareness in your community
SWOT analysis of your community
Planning Pathways to Resilience
Defining domains and levels of action
Working with local government
Planning projects and making them happen
Energy Descent Action Planning
Your next steps and your personal pathway to resilience
Whatever else you need to get started…

Each course is tailored to meet the needs of that particular group – sometimes we have a group of people from one geographical area and they can work together on developing a core group and becoming an official Transition Town over the weekend.

Other individual participants will receive a detailed plan for how they can create community support to get their initiative up and running on their return.

Your facilitators:
Sonya Wallace and Janet Millington
Sonya and Janet have been working together in the realm of Transition Towns since 2006 and are the founders of Australia’s first Transition initiative (Transition Sunshine Coast) and local initiatives in their home towns of Eudlo and Eumundi.

They have created and run the world’s first Energy Descent Action Planning course (Time for an Oil Change), which led to the Sunshine Coast Energy Descent Action Plan, now being utilised by both the Sunshine Coast Regional Council in policy-making decisions and Transition Towns in the region.

Sonya’s background (pictured below right) is in state and local government communications, crisis management and community education. She has a Permaculture Design Certificate and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and is currently working toward her Diploma of Permaculture. Sonya has also completed courses in group facilitation focussed on Transition Town creation, development and longevity of group dynamics. She runs a small-scale organic farm at Eudlo, where she coordinates Transition Town Eudlo.

Janet’s background (pictured below left) is in education and permaculture. A qualified primary school teacher, she has been teaching and applying permaculture for many years both locally, nationally and internationally, working with people to develop community gardens, school gardens, permaculture groups and she also helped write the national Accredited Permaculture Training. Janet is an active community member in her home town of Eumundi particularly with the Eumundi Markets, which have recently become an official Transition Town initiative. Janet also has a Diploma of Permaculture and is a published author on outdoor classrooms.

BELOW - Sonya and Janet received a regional award for their work in Transition Towns.

Your booking:
To book, simply contact Sonya on 0408 013 012 or email transitiontowns@yahoo.com.au or contact Janet on 5442 7200 or miltech@bigpond.com for further information and to secure your place.

What to bring:
Please bring all you need for the weekend – comfortable cool clothes (weather will be hot in February), walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, notebook, pens, camera, water bottle, food for the Saturday and Sunday (shopping opportunity available Saturday morning at Eumundi Markets), musical instruments if you have them, and any plans, ideas or learning tools you’ve been working on in your own Transition Town. Also pack your creative genius to unleash on the weekend.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant