[Sdpg] "certified permaculture designers" Discussion when and how ?

Wed Jul 25 20:54:38 PDT 2007

hi everyone
         There is always a lot of discussion about what a PDC what 
you can call your self after you take the PDC , here are some 
thoughts from two long time Permaculture Teachers and Designer Toby 
Hemenway of the US and Robyn Francis of Australia.
         I think after you complete a PDC, it would be good to call 
yourself  "a permaculture design trainee." for the next two years as 
you develop a body of Design Work on projects and also you can start 
teaching intro PC classes and find a PDC course that would allow you 
to teach a part of it with an experience PC Teacher if you want to teach
Hope this helps
wes

HERE IS THE DISCUSSION FROM THR NATIONAL PC LISTSERVE

Toby Hemenway
A note about the use of terms. Taking a 72-hour design course does not
make you a "certified permaculture designer." The original certificates
from Mollison say, in some cases, that the holder "has successfully
completed a permaculture design course" and other certificates from him
say "is a permaculture design trainee." Somehow in later iterations by
other teachers, usually a few generations removed from Bill, people got
the idea that a PDC made you a professional, certified designer.
Seventy-two hours is the equivalent of two college classes but with no
homework, which is not enough to make anyone a designer. Bill has been
very firm about this, and most of the old-school teachers feel the same
way. I believe it's generally thought that getting a diploma from the
Permaculture Institute after two years of study under a mentor is what
is required to call yourself a certified designer (right, Scott or Robyn
or any of you long-time Pc teachers?). It's unfortunate that this
"resume bloat" has led to so many people thinking the PDC makes them a
certified designer, instead of a design trainee.

I'd be happy to hear anyone's thoughts, pro or con, about this.

Toby
http://patternliteracy.com

Correct Tobi,
The course qualifies one only as a trainee designer and it is generally
deemed that at least 2 years work is a minimal requirement to call oneself a
designer. I'm not sure what the current Pc Institute diploma requirements
are but to get a diploma in "design' one had to complete a minimum of 10
designs. (I now operate with the AQF Accredited Permaculture Training - APT-
certificates & diploma and include the PDC as a part of the foundation
training)
There's also inflated promotion of the PDC (Permaculture Design COURSE) as
Permaculture Design Certificate, but the paper issued at the end of the
course is simply a certificate of COMPLETION not an actual Certificate award
- there's a big difference between the two. The APT Cert IV which trains
people in basic urban & rural design and community development work is a
full-time 2 semester course of 800 hours and I'm confident to call these
graduates "designers".

Ciao
Robyn Robyn Francis <erda at nor.com.au>

TRAINING FOR opportunties for "permaculture design trainee."

Penny Livingston of Regenerative Design Institute & Permaculture 
Institute of Northern California  PO Box 923  Bolinas, CA 
94924  (415) 868 
9681 
<http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=154285359&u=1498852>www.regenerativedesign.org 
offers a two year apprenticeship for a "certified permaculture 
designer" and other Teacher like Larry Santoyo santoyo at earthflow.com 
(SLO County)  has offered some training for  "permaculture design 
trainee'  but I will let explain more

Also check out Geoff Lawton Australai  www.permaculture.org.au

The Permaculture Research Institute offers internships at Diversity 
Farm, The Channon, New South Wales, Australia.

These include mentorship by accredited permaculture teachers with a 
great depth of experience in design consultancy and international 
project establishment. A great diversity of disciplines options are 
available with on ground skills for from three months to two years 
possible including a permaculture diploma. Food and basic farm 
accommodation is included for $350 per week.

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