The Ecological Education Association was chartered in 2009 as an international body whose mission is to provide accreditation services, consulting, and education in all fields related to Sustainable Community Design and Sustainable Economic Development. This work includes Ecological Economics, Ecological Design (Permaculture Design), Ecological Building (Natural Building), Ecological Farming, and other related sub-disciplines.
Due to their cross-disciplinary nature, studies in Ecology, Ecological Economics, Ecological Building, Permaculture and Ecological Farming, and Ecological Design in general, are not available to students in the traditional university setting. This is because of the influence of the “Western” education model as currently practiced. Originating in the West, and continuing around the world today, academic disciplines are strictly separated and specialization is highly-valued. These “silos” create an atmosphere where innovation is rare, and professionals lose the ability to share with others outside their small areas of expertise.
In an Ecological approach, value is placed on a systems-thinking perspective that attempts to link elements together in a sustainable, working, productive system without waste. This means that planning for such systems involves people from different disciplines working together.
In a traditional university setting, where would you house the Ecological Design department? Which “college” or administrative department would have the right to dictate the curriculum and teaching methods for such programs? Ecological Design includes Permaculture, Ecological Economics, biomimicry, Ecological Earthworks, Natural Building, Applied Systems Theory, and many more sub-disciplines – all working together. So perhaps Ecological Design should be housed in the College of Business? College of Arts & Sciences? Architecture? Industrial Design? Natural Resources? Horticulture? Agriculture? Chemistry? Forestry? In reality, none of these colleges could alone lay claim because the science of Ecological Design is intentionally holistic and cross-disciplinary. In practice, if the Economics department started teaching Ecological Design, they would be attacked by the Industrial Design department, or the Business school, etc. This is why we don’t see Ecological Design or Permaculture being taught in “traditional” universities, and this is why we exist – to create and support institutes and learning centers involved in the most important educational mission of our time – Ecological Education.
We will be far along the path to sustainability and prosperity when we realize that we are all in this together, and that traditional barriers must come down if we are to solve the problems at hand. This requires a shift in thinking from “growth at all costs” and “the market is always right”, to a systems-thinking model where the assumptions are “precautionary principle – if the policy makes at least one person better-off and none worse-off, then and only then will it be considered”, “security is not possible unless my neighbor is also secure”, and “people before corporations and politicians”.
Ecological Education involves consciously designing a re-localization of activities, such that individuals and communities become the focus and benefactors of their own production, and reliance on Wall Street, China, Washington, D.C., etc., is minimized. The results are more independent, small, local businesses and farms, community economic resilience (a degree of relative immunity from outside “shocks” emanating from “old” economic and labor systems), and balanced lifestyles providing increased human happiness and health.
The Ecological Education Association accredits and supports programs worldwide that provide education in key areas that represent sustainable and feasible solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues.
In addition, the Ecological Education Association regularly sponsors courses and workshops, and consults with corporations, governments, non-profits, and individuals interested in being part of the process of creating real solutions on the ground now.