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FOR THE DREAMERS
January 2021

We created a retreat

to allow you to focus your attention and care

on that one thing you must bring to the world...

 

EMERGE: Inner transformation for social impact and cultural change 

Our integrative program is one of a kind. It honours your own initiative and unique vision for contributing meaningfully to the turbulent present and emerging future that is ripe with possibility. You will gain greater clarity on purpose and increase your capacity to achieve it or bring your passion and creativity to life—a community project to alleviate hunger, the formation of a new youth movement, a cultural transformation project, a climate change initiative, your solution for the homelessness or for healing human suffering, that book you need to write, or the documentary you need to produce... Whatever it is, let us help you bring it in to form. The world needs your brilliance, and we want to nurture you and your vision so that you can address that calling.

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Cost: Thanks to donors, our pilot residential 300+ hour training program is being offered for as little as $120 a week to cover your accommodation .

Get in touch to learn about scholarships or sponsoring a trainee.  

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Learning Experience 

While in the program you will receive:

  • Time for you to unplug, recharge, and vision your contribution

  • Our integrative program 

  • Group oriented processes  

  • Private therapy and coaching  

  • Weekly yoga and meditation 

  • Mindfulness training  

  • A personalized program of practices for self-development  

  • Earth based ceremonies  

  • Business plan development support

  • Final project mentorship 

  • Nature walks and hikes 

  • At the end of the retreat, you will be asked to present a final project connected to your future offering—e.g., a video (vlogs or short film), paper, book draft, business plan, presentation, or creative art based project.

= an immersive program (ranging from 300-500 hours)

Are you passionate about the earth and its future? Do you wake up at night thinking about ways to enhance connection, belonging, and meaning in ourselves and our communities? The only thing you need to know in order to join our three month residential transformational training is that things can be better!

 

We are offering eight placements in our pilot 12-week residential training beginning in January 2021 on Bowen Island, BC. If these questions speak to you, apply here. Registration closes on the 20th of November.

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Curriculum 

Topics we will cover

Facilitation stream 

  • Group facilitation— Skills, and clinical applications

  • Coach? mentor? minister? therapist?—a new leadership model for an earth in transition

  • Imagining future alternatives—social innovation for an unborn world 

  • When things get hard—creating safety and trust in times of crisis 

 

Psychology and personal development stream

  • Perspective holding—developmental psychology in community action 

  • Earth and the human soul—connecting with the more-than-human world  

  • From trauma to connection—the neuroscience of people and groups; trauma informed approaches 

  • Attachment theory and social change 

  • Psychological flexibility in relationships and work  

  • Stages of change—how to move from resistance to action 

  • Positive psychology and its implications for teams 

 

Consciousness and wisdom stream

  • Building rituals, telling stories—how to find your organizational rhythms

  • Embodied inner work—finding your personal spiritual path, meaning making, and purpose 

  • Integral theory—an overview 

  • The great traditions—a relevant review 

  • Beyond Politics—healing a divisive world 

 

= A comprehensive orientation 

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Outcomes

Skills learned

  • Integrate emerging knowledge from neuroscience, psychology, spirituality, and leadership theory 

  • Develop increased self-reflection skills—new insights about yourself (values, needs, and purpose).

  • Improve communication skills 

  • Enhance your capacity to lead group processes and teams  

  • Establish a personal spiritual practice 

  • Build your clinical toolbox for working with people 

  • Become trauma informed

  • Apply diversity awareness skills 

  • Implement mindfulness practices in group settings 

  • Develop a compassionate outlook and developmental curiosity to inform your work with the people you coach, lead, and work with

 

= Impact for collective action

 

Training Schedule

January 11- April 4 (12 weeks)

Program breakdown

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Frequently asked questions

Bowen Island

Where is Bowen Island and how do I get there?

Bowen Island is situated off the coast of Vancouver, accessed from Horseshoe Bay via a 20 minute ferry. If you’re selected for the program, we will be able to send you more information about travel options. Please see the BC ferries website for details



Curriculum

What is the daily schedule?

The daily schedule is subject to change to ensure participants have access to as many learning and growth opportunities as possible. The basic outline will be as follow:



How much free time will I have?

A week will comprise of the following hours which we expect participants to complete:

  • 45mins - 1 hour of group yoga and meditation 3 times a week
  • Maximum 15 hours direct learning each week
  • Up to 3 hours centre care (cleaning, tidying) each week
  • Your own preparation, self-work as required
The rest of the time at the centre is yours to use as you wish. The property is adjacent to Killarney Lake from which you can access multiple beautiful walks around the island.



Can I bring my phone?

You are welcome to bring your phone and any other technology you wish. However, during Week 1, there will be a digital detox in which we ask you to surrender all technology to the centre (it will be locked away and well cared for). The detox will last 5 days and we will ask you to remain in silence. The reason behind this detox is to calibrate your attention to yourself, rejuvenate and allow your hormonal system to rest. It has been shown that a few days of rejuvenation and contemplative rest can provide much needed regulation for anyone who is usually very busy.



Do I have to attend the whole thing?

We ask that only people who are able to attend the whole training apply to participate. This is due to the fact that the length facilitates a deep transformational process for individuals and as such, it would not be suitable to offer it in chunks. Weekends are free! And we will not have a program during statutory holidays.



I don’t have a spiritual practice (yoga, meditation, mindfulness etc), is this opportunity right for me?

Of course! Our main objective is for you to find a spiritual or contemplative path that works for you. However, we ask participants to take part in regular yoga/meditation/mindfulness practices and ceremonies at the centre so all we ask is that you are interested in developing a practice of your own - both individually and as a group. We practice yoga and meditation in a non sectarian way.



What are your expectations on participants in terms of end results/outcomes?

  • We hope to support your project in whatever way that helps. We will provide you with business development tools, maps, skills, inspiration and mentoring (if needed). We are flexible enough to tailor the program to your needs.
  • This is an emergence program, which means that we want to trust you, the process, the unique collaboration between the participants, the dialogue with the natural world, and spirit.
  • We offer an option of leading you through a “final project” if you are interested.



What are the peer led days?

  • The peer-led days are not full days, they are approximately 2-4 hours.
  • The peer-led sessions will include activities that the group decides they would like to work on. There is flexibility here to accommodate the needs, desires and aspirations of the - individuals on the program. Examples could include peer-led programs/activities, a collective project, peer feedback for individual projects, Yoga, nature walks, etc.
  • Part of the peer led sessions may include contributing your unique gifts/perspectives to the program.



Why aren’t the yoga/meditation classes longer in the morning?

  • Our yoga and meditation sessions will last approximately 45 minutes to an hour.
  • We are currently limited by our capacity to teach more than 45 minutes in the morning. And whilst some may appreciate a longer class in the morning, we are also aware that some participants may be new to the idea of a regular morning practice. You are welcome to complete your own practice (alone or as a group) before the program day begins but we ask that everyone partakes in the 45 minute session at a minimum.
  • If you are a yoga and/or meditation teacher and would like to lead some or all of the morning sessions, we are totally open to that too!
  • We are working on our capacity to be in the position to offer longer sessions in-house if and when requested. However, this depends on funding etc.



Accommodations

How will it work with food if we’re all buying our own?

  • Each person will receive space for their food - cupboards, a pantry shelf, fridge and freezer.
  • A tea and coffee allowance will be provided along with basic long-life kitchen supplies (oil, salt, pepper etc).
  • There will be time within the first week to come together as a group to make a decision about how you will manage cooking and whether you will develop a schedule for group meals etc. This may of course depend on individual food preferences, dietary choices and allergy/intolerance considerations.



What if I have allergies or an intolerance?

There is a shared kitchen (and kitchenettes in the Blue and Green rooms). We will make everyone aware of any intolerances and allergies amongst the group. We ask each participant to be mindful of the risks associated with individual needs. However, due to the shared nature of the centre, we are unable to guarantee a completely risk-free environment.



Do I have to share a room?

  • The rooms in the main centre are dorm-style, with a maximum of 2 beds per room. There are two bathrooms which will be shared between a maximum of 7 people. There is also an extra washroom on the lower level.
  • The Blue Room and Green Room have private bathrooms and a kitchenette in each room. Both rooms may be rented as a single person or shared between two people should the need and preference arise.



What should I bring?

  • Bring everything you will need for 3 months - books, technology, suitable clothes, walking boots, toiletries etc. We provide sheets, bedding and towels.
  • You may want to consider bringing whatever you use to exercise your creativity and capture your experience, e.g. a journal, yoga mat, sketchbook, paints etc.
  • If you’re able to, we would recommend bringing a bulk shop with you to fill your pantry. The stores on the island can be a little expensive. If you’re travelling by foot and are unable to do this, there will be opportunities to stock up in the first couple of weeks.
Things we have covered for you:
  • wifi
  • bedding
  • towels
  • kitchen basics (oil, salt, pepper etc) and utensils
  • cleaning products
  • wood for the wood stove



Will I have to stay at the centre for the whole time?

  • You are not confined to the centre. We ask that you are present for all group learning sessions, collective practice and complete centre maintenance duties at the very least.
  • The rest of the time is yours to do as you wish. We strongly recommend that you take some of this time to concentrate on your inner work and the development of your project/initiative that you come here to work on.
  • You are able to participate in the local Bowen community and travel further into Vancouver etc but ask that you remain vigilant about Covid-safe procedures to minimise the risk of infection to your fellow course participants and our local community here on Bowen Island. More strict movement restrictions may be imposed in line with BC Provincial guidelines.



Covid

How are you managing Covid?

We are following the BC guidelines very closely. We have an extensive Covid risk assessment and policy. We can send this on request should you wish to see it. A summary of the plan and our approach can be found on our website: https://www.newearthinstitute.com/covid-policy.



Registration

Is the program actually free?

  • We are able to offer you leadership training and mentorship worth in excess of $15,000+ for the cost of your accommodation. We are grateful for our supporters and donors.
  • We are asking you to cover the cost of accomodation and food during your stay here
  • We are offering accommodation as cheap as we’re able to - from as a low as $120 per week
  • We will provide basic food amenities (oil, pepper, salt etc) but ask that you are able to cover the cost of your food.
  • We are able to offer scholarships for people who do not have the means to attend the program. To find out more about this, please contact us at info@newearthinstitute.com



I don’t have a lot of money, how do the scholarships work?

To find out more about our scholarship, please email info@newearthinstitute.com for more information.



Program

Who will be teaching?

We have an incredibly diverse team of facilitators for this program. The main teacher will be Dr. Shahar Rabi. You can read about his experience on his personal website or on the program website. We're excited to have Chela Davison who is an extremely talented integral coach to not only facilitate intensive training days, but also give us free access to some of her online training. In addition, we have a diversity of local and national leaders in their field who will join us via zoom and in person every Thursday (Covid allowing). Some names include Dr. Sean Park, Tina Overbury, Christina Atkinson, Lieven Callewaert, Dr. Ellen Hayakawa, Ellen Goldberg, Shelley Cohl , Saskia Tait, Josh Colmen Judith Heezen and others. We will provide additional information in the weeks to come.

Please check out "teacher" page for more information



Are you expecting participants to contribute to learning sessions?

As this is a leadership program, we hope that you will be able to facilitate some aspect of the program. If participants have gifts, skills or knowledge to contribute towards their peers’ learning during the peer-led sessions then great! We want to create an environment that encourages peer-to-peer sharing and support.



Would I be able to use the “up to 500 hours” of course learning as a credit towards graduate study?

  • We will offer you a New Earth Institute certificate on completion of the program.
  • We’re currently working to assess whether the program will qualify for credit towards graduate study.
  • We’re currently working on making our program part of the world coaching federation.



What should I bring?

  • Bring everything you will need for 3 months - books, technology, suitable clothes, walking boots, toiletries etc. We provide sheets, bedding and towels.
  • You may want to consider bringing whatever you use to exercise your creativity and capture your experience, e.g. a journal, yoga mat, sketchbook, paints etc.
  • If you’re able to, we would recommend bringing a bulk shop with you to fill your pantry. The stores on the island can be a little expensive. If you’re travelling by foot and are unable to do this, there will be opportunities to stock up in the first couple of weeks.
Things we have covered for you:
  • wifi
  • bedding
  • towels
  • kitchen basics (oil, salt, pepper etc) and utensils
  • cleaning products
  • wood for the wood stove



What about scholarships?

The scholarship system is dependent on the amount of funding we're able to generate through other bookings. Obviously, we would love to offer full scholarships to everyone who needs them but this may not be possible. At the first interview, make it known that you are seeking the scholarship. The panel will then be able to make a decision as to whether you and your project would be put forward for consideration at the second interview stage. Here, there will be the possibility to speak to Shahar in more detail about scholarship options. We envision the people who access the program through scholarship will be able to bring an idea or element of depth to assist in the development of the New Earth Institute's vision and next steps as an organization.



 
Green suite

FOR THOSE WHO DARE

A perfect balance between a regenerative retreat, transformational training, and an incubator for the next evolution of your work.

 

Accommodation Options

 

The upcoming training is offered to eight individuals who will live and learn together at an awe-inspiring lakeside retreat centre, nestled in the forest amongst the beautiful trails and mountains of Bowen Island, BC.

 

While the training is offered for free, we ask that you cover the costs of your stay (like heat, basic amenities, insurance, internet, and so on). Our diverse accommodation options enable you choose the package that is right for you! We want our trainings to be as affordable as possible so please contact us if you have additional questions about your living arrangements.

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