Training for Transition

Training for Transition is a 2-day "fundamentals" course for those wishing to know how to set up, run, and maintain a successful transition initiative. It is packed with imaginative and inspiring ways to delve into both the theory and practice of Transition - check out the full details regarding content.

The first Training for Transition was held on 19/20-Oct-07 in Totnes, and there have now been dozens of further trainings in the UK and internationally. There are now training pools in Canada, the USA, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan who are now offering Training for Transition in those countries. In addition we have run trainings in Italy, Hungary, Ireland, and China- with further trainings planned for Holland, Spain, Brazil, Portugal, and Germany.

This two day workshop is both a practical and informative introduction to Transition and a powerful personal journey to greater personal resilience. It weaves together practice and theory, information and experiential, our inner Transition with our outer Transition, and personal and community Transition. The feedback from participants indicates that this two day journey holds for many key insights, understanding, and awarenesses to help them to contribute to the most important journey of our times; the journey to a peaceful and resilient world.

Our intention in offering this training is to inspire, encourage, and inform people who wish to undertake Transition. There is plenty of glowing feedback- see below, and now increasing evidence that those initiatives who attend the training find setting up and successfully creating a Transition Town an easier, faster, and more convivial process. By learning the nuts and bolts of what has worked in other Transition Initiatives, it empowers you to creatively apply Transition in your town, city, hamlet, or island.

Some of our trainings are now residential, see below for details. These venues offer something special; a possibility to deepen into a Transition experience, living for the two days in a more sustainable environment. See below for dates and contact details.

For more information

Wanna set up a course near you?

If you would like to organise a training for groups near you please email us at Transition Training to discuss how this might happen. A good example of how to publicize a training and raise funding for it is here. Our hosting document, available by emailing to the above address, sets out the details of organising a training and includes several other case histories of how organisers raised funding.

Who can attend

• we want to keep this as open as possible, while recognising that existing official transition groups are able to take this learning back and put it to immediate use in their current active projects
• we recommend that two individuals from each community attends - that way the knowledge is shared and there isn't just one person with "the knowledge". Not that we think there are any megalomaniacs out there, but, y'know, just in case...

How to register for courses

Click on the links in the table above to register your interest in a specific course and don't forget to include the names of the individuals likely to attend.

• we are now offering enough courses so it's "first come first served" - and we hope to balance out the mix of people, based on size of town/city, geography, how long you've been going, official/unofficial Transition Initiatives
• If there are still places on the course you want to attend, reserve your place by sending in a deposit of £40
  • payable to "Transition Network"
  • send to: Transition Network, 43 Fore St, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5HN, UK for the courses in Totnes or organised by Transition Network.
• For other courses please contact the organiser who will instruct you on who to pay and where to send your deposit.
• we'll follow up with full course details and joining instructions when we have received your deposit

Training for Transition - Content

The course is designed to give a detailed introduction to the most important skills necessary to successfully set up, develop, and run a Transition project in your locality. It is designed for people who are already in a group working to achieve this, or are thinking of creating such a group.

At the end of the course participants will:

• Understand the drivers for Transition, or the need for us as a society to undertake a transition; peak oil climate change, and social equality
• Understanding of the principles of Transition, Permaculture and Resilience.
• Understanding of the Transition model and process, tools and ethos.
• An experience of a vision of a positive fulfilling future, and why this is so important.
• Knowledge of how to form an Initiating Group and the benefits as well as the pitfalls of working in groups.
• Knowledge of the importance of awareness raising, networking, as well as tools for accomplishing these tasks.
• Understanding of the stages of personal change, and the differing perspective and needs that people will have at each stage.
• Understanding of the (often subconscious) myths we live by,and how to change them.
• Awareness of the link between personal change and community change, and how to harness this awareness.
• Understanding how to support a positive reality in your Transition Initiative.
• Experience an Open Space or World Cafe, and a sense of how these techniques can help unleash the collective genius in your community.
• The opportunity to deepen your connection to this work, and how this deepening can enhance your personal, professional, and community life.
• Understanding of what an Energy Descent Plan is and how to create and use one.
• An understanding of how Transition is developing across the world and why this network of Transition Initiatives is so important.
• A personal action plan or a group action plan
• Access to training materials that will help participants form an initiating group and bring Transition to their community
• You will leave inspired and motivated to bring Transition to your community!

This training will follow the transition model in including both the outer work and the inner work necessary for a successful transition process. This is a participatory process, with participants invited to share their own experience and learn from the many different transition initiatives represented at each course.

We also have a more in depth explanation of the training content for this course.

Costs

We're aiming for £100-£110 for the two days. If you can't afford this, then perhaps others in your Transition group can make up the shortfall. A number of full or part bursaries are always available on every course, our aim is to make this two day workshop available to everyone regardless of their financial means.