Center for Sustainable Community (CSC)
and Midwest Permaculture (MWP)
2012

Two 13-Week Work-Study Internship Trainings
(With Possible Extensions)

Work/Study Period #1 – April 4 – July 3, 2012
Work/Study Period #2 – July 7 – Oct. 6, 2012

Available to 3-4 students for each training period


Invitation

CSC & MWP are offering two 13-week work/study internship trainings in 2012 for qualified students (any age).  The two programs run back-to-back.

Students may apply for either session. After the completion of a 13-week term, a student may choose to request a continuation or extension of their training.  Each request will be individually considered based on the needs of each party. 

About CSC and MWP
CSC is a ten-year-old, 501c3 non-profit educational organization dedicated to exploring the creation of ‘sustainable community’ in its many aspects.  MWP is a five-year-old permaculture-educational business founded and operated by Becky and Bill Wilson, who are 30-year residents and active participants of the Stelle community. 

The work/study program will be overseen with the personal involvement and support of two CSC board members, Ed and Peg Homeier, and by Becky and Bill Wilson. 

About the Work/Study Internship
This unique internship is being introduced due to a growing number of requests from students which both organizations have had in the past year, and because of some new projects recently adopted by CSC, that will have the cooperation and participation of MWP.

This work/study internship program is not a tightly-structured program other than the intention that about 1/3 of an intern’s time will be allocated to workshops, trainings and personal study/research, with the remaining time being devoted to hands-on experiences, many of which have a strong educational component. The community garden will be a primary undertaking and responsibility of the intern program, but not the only thing.  See below.

Because of the diverse talents of Ed, Peg, Becky and Bill, (see bios) and of local residents who work with us, we will be able to tailor each intern’s learning opportunities, to a certain extent, to support them in a course of study that they feel they are most interested in.

CSC Members and Community Friends - All are folks our interns will work with and get to know. (L-R) Hayden, Peg, Sue, Bev, Wayne, Cameron, Bill, Renee, Ed & Carroll
Hands-on Educational Projects for Interns
Besides the community garden project, students will assist with several interesting permaculture-related projects that are to be fully developed over the coming months and years.



1.Building Earth Structures
Learning to build useable and livable structures with the natural materials we find surrounding us and under our feet are important skills to relearn and to improve upon.  We will be offering our first earth-building workshops this year and hope to begin the construction of one or more projects.  A cob oven, composting toilet and solar shower will become the foundation of a nice camping area on the CSC land.  Our work/study interns will play an important role in making this happen.
2.Creation of Food Forests
We are going to convert a 1-acre meadow and our 2-acre orchard into two food forest areas, to include a dozen varieties of fruit and nut trees in the overstory, with a flush understory of two dozen different types of perennial and annual plants.  The raising of chickens, ducks and other animals might be incorporated into the systems over time for maintenance, fertility and meat &/or eggs.  The installation of swales, berms and hugelkultur beds will be incorporated to hold more rainwater and improve fertility.

3.Establishment of composting and vermicomposting operation
The foundations of life (plant, animal, & sustainable community) are all built upon the basic fertility of the soil.  Worms can help us create vibrant and rich composts to rapidly increase the fertility of the CSC land and as a means of recycling valuable biomass from many areas of the community.

4.Creation of wood lots for fuel, fiber, building materials and wind breaks.
Because Stelle is located on what was once prairie, there are very few trees or wood lots in the area.  Trees provide so many valuable services, it is incumbent upon us to establish some woodlots on the CSC property for ourselves and future generations.
Educational Opportunities Included with each 13-week Period
TrainingPrice of Trainings
1.An “Essential Permaculture” Weekend Training$   195
2.A 6-day Hands-on Permaculture Training    $   895
3.A Full PDC Certificate Training  $1,295
4.A 7-day Advanced Permaculture Certificate Training     $1,195
Total Value $3,580

Center for Sustainable Community:
Students will receive an inside look at what is involved in running a non-profit organization with invitations to all events, gatherings, and even most board meetings. Students will also assist with and attend our monthly open houses, where the public comes to visit Stelle and to participate in some sort of afternoon workshop. Our work/study interns may help with teaching one or more of these workshops as part of their training.

Community of Stelle: Due to the small population (105) and the orientation to sustainability in the community of Stelle, students are in a very unique position to learn much about both community life and themselves. The program will dovetail into community life with students likely to participate in our Monday Night Dinner Co-op, our Tool and Chicken Co-op, community events, work parties and meetings, any informal study groups and more.  Students are invited to make Stelle their home for 13 weeks, or even longer, should they be accepted for continuation status.

Benefits of the Program The completion of the 4 permaculture trainings in conjunction with the 13-week work/study experience of living in Stelle will give students an excellent, and rarely available, permaculture and community learning experience.  Students should emerge with a much higher level of competency and confidence in their life skills and practical understandings of the applicability of permaculture in their lives.

Garden Plot Put to Bed with Winter Covering of Mulch - (L-R) Cameron, Meghan, Hayden, Sue, Kasandra, Peg
Price of the 13-week Work/Study Internships$5,700
Fee Includes:
1.All the afore-mentioned Midwest Permaculture and CSC trainings/workshops
2.All workshop training materials, including prepared meals
3.Camping space near our intern house or a semi-private room within
4.Full access to kitchen, bathroom and common areas of intern house
5.Bulk foodstuffs for the kitchen with access to garden produce in season
6.A unique life experience of learning from, and living in, the sustainably-oriented 
        community of Stelle, IL


Application Process
We will be accepting applications up to March 1, 2012 for the April/May/June internship and up to June 1 for the July/Aug./Sept. period.  Each application will be reviewed by our selection committee upon receipt.  Telephone interviews may be arranged soon afterwards for some applicants.  If a student looks particularly promising, their application could be accepted immediately following their interview and, consequently, that spot in the training filled.  Qualified applicants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis, so interested individuals are encouraged to submit application as early as possible.

Who May Apply
The work/study internship is open to all who are interested, including international students.  We support diversity and will review every application.

International Students
Students from non-English-speaking countries are welcome to apply. All participants must speak and read English well.  Since Chicago is only 80 miles from the community of Stelle, access to plane, train or bus travel is excellent.  We will assist students arriving in Chicago or other nearby cities with transportation to and from Stelle for a nominal fee.
Life in Stelle
There are no stores or gas stations in Stelle, so students will be invited to semi-regular trips to neighboring towns to purchase personal items.  Opportunities will be available to enjoy some time away from Stelle. We will do what we can to assist in the coordination of transportation and/or assisting in the acquisition of automobiles for occasional use.

Deposit and Payment
There is no charge for sending in an application and for an interview.  If accepted, a $400, non-refundable deposit is due to hold one’s place in the work/study internship. Full payment is due on or before the beginning of the training.  If you have questions about financial details please email us at: csc@stelle.net.
Extending your Internship
For students who are gaining much from their experience with us, we are willing to consider a request to continue their internship for successive 13-week periods.  The acceptance of a request to extend an internship will be evaluated based on the mutual benefits of continuing the relationship. 

The cost of an extended internship would likely drop, maybe considerably, with each consecutive extension.  Costs will be negotiated based on each student’s abilities and needs. Conceivably, a relationship might develop where the program begins to pay interns for their time and services. 

Bottom Line
This is a new program for us, and we are considering year-round educational learning and living experiences for people based on individual circumstances.
What we Are Looking For
Work/study interns need to have a willingness to collaborate and cooperate on a variety of endeavors.  Our interns will participate in co-creation of their own learning experience to some degree.

We value applicants with experience and multiple skills, but equally value motivated self-starters with a high level of communication skills, emotional maturity, and a strong work ethic. 

The ability to assess tasks and follow through with minimal guidance is a valuable quality for these positions. 

Repetitive tasks will be required, so successful applicants must have an eye for detail and a meditative attunement to efficiency.


Learn More About Us
CSC: www.centerforsustainablecommunity.org
MWP:    www.midwestpermaculture.com
Stelle Community:    www.stellecommunity.com

Additional Questions? 
Please send email to:  csc@stelle.net
Or call Ed @815-256-2204 (CSC) or Becky @815-256-2215 (MWP)
Our office hours vary,  so please leave a clear message and contact information if we are not in.  Our phones are monitored regularly, and we will get back to you within  a day.
Work/Study Internship Program – Directors’ Bios
Ed Homeier – Chairman of the Board of Center for Sustainable Community

BS in Education, PhD in Chemistry
Retired Chemist


Peg Homeier – Secretary of the Board of Center for Sustainable Community

BS, MS in Education
Retired Teacher
Community Garden Manager 2011



Becky
Stelle Community Manager 18 years
Stelle Community President 8 years
2 PDC Certificates
Advanced Permaculture Training in Teaching

Bill
Vice Chairman of the Board of Center for Sustainable Community
2 PDC Certificates
2 Advanced Certificates (Design/Teaching)
Lead Instructor for Midwest Permaculture


Bill and Becky Wilson – Founders of Midwest Permaculture
Permaculture students making cob for a cob oven.
MWP Permaculture Student
Midwest Permaculture:
During each 13-week period, enrolled students will be included in each of four Midwest Permaculture trainings as part of their tuition for the work/study internship.  Two of these trainings carry internationally recognized permaculture certificates.
MWP Permaculture Student
MWP Permaculture Students
MWP Permaculture Student
MWP Permaculture Student
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