Course offerings in partnership with universities

Our courses are typically offered in organization with student groups from universities. In Uruguay, we typically host 10-20 students on trips of 7-14 days. In the Midwest US, we can either do week long trips or weekend trips. If you are faculty at a university interested in organizing a trip to Rizoma Field School with a group of students, get in touch to develop a program together ashley@rizomafieldschool.com

We are also available to host groups unaffiliated with universities, such as corporate retreats or church groups. Because each of our trips is developed individually in conjunction with a partner organization, we do not host individual students. 

Current or past university partnerships:

Sustainability or Regeneration?

In this course we consider the concepts of sustainability as defined by the United Nations in the Brundtland Commission of 1987 as, “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” We unpack measures of sustainability including economic, social and environmental. We then push back on the idea of sustainability by introducing the concept of regeneration. In this concept, economic, social or environmental resources not only stay the same, but become better. We then apply the use of these concepts to the workings of Rizoma Field School and partners. Students will partake in a course-long project assessing sustainability/regenerativity of a Rizoma Field School partner. The course culminates in a presentation with practical outcomes for improving the sustainability/regenerativity of a community partner with actionable items.

Globalization and Social Movements

In this course we will consider the social problems arising from globalization from consumer issues to worker issues. We consider modes of regulation and attempts at curbing environmental and social ills of borderless corporate entities such as free trade or fair trade. Then, we will consider several modes of social movements that have arisen in response to neoliberal globalization. We examine successes and failures of different models of social movements. Then, we will compare social movement structure (hierarchical versus horizontal) and differential outcomes. Finally, we will consider the hands-on work of Rizoma Field School in the context of international social movements. We will critique the work of Rizoma Field School in terms of social movement outcomes, and consider modes of improvement with the potential to do real-world actions as an outcome of this course.

Sociology of Food and Agriculture

In this course we will explore the founding of the Sociology of Food and Agriculture in the context of the environmental movement in the United States of the 1970’s. We will see the early scholars’ critical look at industrial agriculture, and the social problems arising from that mode of production, distribution and consumption. We will then focus on alternatives that have arisen out of this critique of industrial agriculture including: local, sustainable and organic. We explore the definitions and limits of each of these highly-studied alternatives. Finally, we explore other alternatives such as household subsistence food production, tool/resource sharing, community gardening, and other modes of production and consumption. Throughout the course, we will consider the work of Rizoma Field School, community partners, and Rizoma Farm in the context of course concepts.

Environmental Sociology

In this class we will start by understanding the context of the founding of the subdiscipline of Environmental Sociology by Bill Catton and Riley Dunlap at Washington State University. We will then consider the major themes of environmental sociological research included (but not limited to): Human Exceptionalism/ New Environmental Paradigm, Treadmill of Production, Ecological Modernization Theory, Environmental Social Movements, Risk Theory, and Post-Materialism Theory/ Environmental Values. We will then turn our attention to the research on the horizon of environmental sociology on solutions for or responses to environmental problems. We will consider these solutions in the context of the work of Rizoma Field School and community partners — seeing how research matches with the practical reality of those doing the work of sustainability.

Spanish Immersion 1

This class is geared toward beginning Spanish speakers (no Spanish experience required). In this class students will be introduced to the basics of Rio Platense (Uruguay and Argentina) common phrases and pronunciation. Basic grammar lessons will be required via a ‘flipped classroom’ model in which students get lessons outside of classroom time and use the classroom space for immersion practice. Specific cultural practices and ways of communicating will be explored via weekly excursions to use Spanish skills in context.

Spanish Immersion 2

This class is geared toward intermediate Spanish speakers (prerequisite Spanish 1 and 2). In this class, we will navigate the Spanish of the Rio Platense Region (Uruguay and Argentina) by reviewing common language in an immersion context. In the classroom, we will speak entirely in Spanish, exploring Rio Platense culture through Spanish language. We will also take weekly excursions into an immersive environment to learn language in context.

Other potential experiential topic areas: Cheese making, beer making, wine making, sustainable livestock farming, cyclical waste systems, small-scale energy systems, sustainable building

Current remote course offerings

Homesteading 101 self-guided (remote)

With food and fuel prices skyrocketing, potential crop shortages, and other supply chain issues looming, there is no better time to learn some of the basics of self-production and building a local community. 

By the end of this course you will know:

– How to produce the most nutrient dense calories with the least time commitment in the smallest potential land area
– The time and infrastructure needs of: gardens, small livestock, large livestock, permaculture and perennial production, cottage production such as canning, cheesemaking, dehydrating and more, foraging, hunting and fishing
– How to think about basic infrastructure such as: soil quality and health, water access and purification, fencing, energy
– How to build out network connections in your local area: from small scale producers to civic organizations to free educational resources
– How to think about levels of preparedness for potential risks at different geographic and time scales
– How to conceptualize your ideal home and community and put a plan in action to achieve that goal
– How to avoid the worst pitfalls of beginning homesteading. Tips to avoid financial ruin, time management issues, relationship strain and more
– You will have built a scaffolding of understanding of how homesteading works, on which to build further research and experience on the particulars of any potential area

Home Economics 101 self-guided (remote)

More and more people are becoming interested in self-reliance and home production. Join us in Home Economics 101 to learn how to:

• Turn raw milk into fresh cheese, kefir, yogurt and sour cream
• Preserve food like jams, jellies and pickles through canning
• Make all natural soaps, detergents and home cleaners
• Mix your own herbal remedies
• Cultivate a sourdough starter and bake fresh sourdough bread from scratch
• Ferment juices, sodas, hot sauce and sauerkraut at home to promote gut health
• Preserve foods through freezing and drying methods
• Manage dry goods for maximum storage
• Brew a batch of beer
• Repair or build using basic carpentry and woodworking methods

Homeschooling 101 self-guided (remote)

Tens of thousands of families have recently become interested in homeschooling. If you are:

• curious if homeschooling is right for your family
• already experimenting with homeschooling but interested in learning about the range of approaches
• sending your kids to traditional school, but want to be more involved in their education outside of school hours
• a new parent trying to consider the range of possibilities for your child’s education

Then this class is for you! Over five sessions you will hear from various homeschooling veterans about their approach and philosophy, mistakes to avoid, and how to do homeschooling in a way that fits best with your family.

Each session will be taught by a veteran homeschooling parent with a different orientation, including:

• Classical
• Traditional/classroom model
• Unschooling
• Waldorf and Montessori inspired Project Based Learning
• Charlotte Mason with an emphasis on practical home economics

By the end of this course new homeschooling parents will:

• Have a clear reason articulated for choosing homeschooling for their family (can be especially useful to new parents choosing whether or not to homeschool as their children age)
• Identify the homeschooling approach(es) that most resonate with them
• Have a plan for implementing homeschooling within your own family – managing around work and other family activities
• Know the best tried and tested resources for each philosophical approach
• Be aware of how a typical day would look across approaches, to be able to fit into family life
• How to avoid the worst pitfalls many new homeschooling families face
• Know all the tested tips for a smooth journey into homeschooling and adapting throughout your child’s life