Where project based learning and likeminded community meets an innate curiosity for the natural world.
As both educators and parents with a passion for helping children build self awareness, self reliance and self realisation through nature and community, we’re no stranger to how difficult the system can make it for young families to feel connected and inspired on their homeschooling journey.
Despite trying to instil values that promote care for self, care for others and care for the environment, the isolation and pressure to go at it alone has so many homeschooling families feeling lost and unsupported. Especially when you’re already so misunderstood for the choices you’re making for your family.
Drawn to permaculture principles and ethics, we know you want to find project based resources that teach your children practical life skills and encourage your children to continue learning outdoors and connecting with the natural world.
But finding an online curriculum that’s both tried and tested in person and easy enough for you as a parent to implement at home, can be challenging.
Well, not anymore...
Introducing
Village Reconnected Online
An online curriculum and community for families of homeschooled children aged 3-11, built on the foundations of permaculture ethics and design principles.
Teaching practical life skills for our rapidly changing and increasingly complex world, Village Reconnected Online allows families all over Australia (and the world) to reconnect with nature and a like minded community of positive solution-focused families. Implementing these principles in their own backyards while coming together in their shared values of self sufficiency, self awareness and critical thinking.
Project based learning
Likeminded community
Connection to the natural world
Our Mission
As our name suggests, our mission is centred around community, connection and belonging for both homeschooling parents and children alike. Having successfully run our Village Reconnected programs in person over the last 3 years, our goal now is to create an online community that families everywhere can feel a part of; where parents feel inspired and connected to their homeschooling journey and most importantly supported in engaging their children with permaculture inspired principles and ethics.
Coming together to change the narrative that this path must be done alone, our vision brings together anyone who shares a common goal to nurture the young minds of the next generation. With an easy to teach curriculum, curated resources, online support and in person monthly events for local Sunshine Coast community members. We also hope to soon connect pockets of members all over Australia and the world, as this community grows and see homeschooling families practising the permaculture principles together world wide.
We believe there’s no one better for your children
to learn from but you.
But that doesn’t mean you have to go at it alone.
Why Permaculture?
Permaculture is all-encompassing, and is based on 3 ethics (Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share) and the following 12 design principles:
1. Observe and Interact
2. Catch and Store Energy
3. Obtain a Yield
4. Apply Self-Regulation and Feedback
5. Use and Value Renewables
6. Produce No Waste
7. Design from Patterns to Details
8. Integrate Don’t Segregate
9. Use Small, Slow Solutions
10. Use and Value Diversity
11. Use Edges and Value the Marginal
12. Creatively Use and Respond to Change
Through working closely with nature, children learn how to interact with the environment, others and themselves; building an awareness of how their thoughts, actions and emotions have a lasting impact. Within our programs, we aim to build children’s self-awareness and support them in aligning their internal standards in a way that feels true to them.
Through project-based learning, we allow children to have autonomy and choice in designing solutions to problems and actualising these designs with their parents in their homes and communities. Incidentally, this will involve children learning many of the skills they would usually learn at school, however within a natural environment.
At Village Reconnected, we believe that if we can build children’s capacity to observe and understand their unique selves and embrace their unique intelligences, they have a higher chance of achieving their full potential.
Which is why we choose Permaculture ethics and principles as the foundation of all of our programs.
How Village Reconnected
Online works
With a new course added every 8 weeks, you’ll gain instant access to our online platform and to our tried and tested curriculum content to guide your child through permaculture inspired projects.
Including a detailed written outline of each module for the parents as well as demo videos for children. You can follow your child’s curiosity by moving through the content modules in any order and at your own pace, using the provided resources to get outside and put the principles into practice in your own backyard.
Immediately gain access to our first six courses as soon as you sign up:
LIVE FORTNIGHTLY ZOOM CALLS
ONLINE COMMUNITY
Alongside the online curriculum,
you’ll also be supported with:
Live fortnightly Zoom sessions (for parents) with Ash and Nige, where you’ll have an opportunity for Q&A and gain additional insight into the curriculum topics (recordings available instantly).
Access to our online community and events calendar via our online platform Skool, you can remain connected to the community and share your learning journey with other like minded families moving through the curriculum.
IN PERSON PROJECTS
A free monthly meet up on the Sunshine Coast to connect with other community members. We will also be attempting to connect communities who are not local to us as our community grows.
OPPORTUNITY FOR 1:1 SUPPORT
Exclusive opportunity to access 1:1 curriculum support with Ash and Nige directly, in either learning/literacy or permaculture/gardening topics.
ABOUT THE SKOOL APP
A completely private online space designed for both the community and curriculum content; Skool is an online learning ecosystem that will host Village Reconnected Online. Once enrolled, you’ll be given access to our community and given a brief overview on how to use the platform. This platform is intended for use by parents first, serving as a central place for all resources and connection, before implementing the lessons outdoors with your kids.
WHAT OUR COMMUNITY ARE SAYING..
Village Reconnected Online is for you if:
01
You’re a family who values project based learning and a curriculum that teaches practical life skills in a natural learning environment.
02
You’re looking for ideas and resources for experiences that nurture and develop a keen interest in the natural world.
03
You want to foster your child’s unique intelligence and learning styles.
04
You want to connect and interact with other like-minded families in a positive solution-based community.
MEET ASH & NIGE
Hi, we’re Ash and Nige. The faces and family behind Village Reconnected. We are both qualified teachers with 20+ years of collective experience. Our hearts have always been in education. However, towards the end of our time teaching within a classroom setting, we were feeling burnt out, uninspired and wanted to believe there was another way to inspire and educate young people. We wanted to bring back the joy of learning and create programs in which we were eager to facilitate and children were equally eager to participate in. So, we left the classrooms behind us and created Village Reconnected.
Over the last 3 years we’ve run in person permaculture programs for children and it has been by far the most rewarding, enjoyable and successful experience of our careers to date. This year on the Sunshine Coast, we were supporting 50 families, 64 children, across 4 days and had a waitlist of over 150 families. It was so very clear to us, that it wasn’t just us wanting to change the narrative around education, but rather a whole community of like minded families wanting the same!
And so, we now bring our hearts, curriculum, experience and community into the online world, so we can spread this philosophy of educating young people and continue our mission to bring this into more families' lives. We are very much invested in the homeschooling community, as we too will be homeschooling our children in the near future! We know it takes a whole village to raise a child and our mission is to connect that Village.
If this sounds like something you’d like to be a part of, we welcome you with open arms!
Ash and Nige
Nico Beighton
Nigel is an extremely passionate and knowledgeable educator, who has a deep love for both teaching and enacting permaculture principles and holistic living practises.
Jaimie Trotter
Professional, passionate and down to earth educators with a very holistic approach to childhood development. Highly recommend!
Rhonda Zeylmans
Both excellent and innovative educators always putting their students first, encouraging and challenging their students to be the very best they can be.
FAQs
How much permaculture/gardening knowledge do I need to have as the parent?
The online curriculum caters to everyone, from people new to permaculture and gardening through to experienced permaculturalists.
Does the curriculum cater to different learning styles?
The online aspect of the curriculum provides both written content and video content to allow for different learning preferences. The learning activities are designed to be fun and flexible to suit the varying learning styles among families.
Are there any resources or a specific outdoor space that is needed to implement the curriculum?
The curriculum is designed to cater for a broad range of living situations. Access to resources is required in most modules, which is made clear through resource lists. Access to at least a small outdoor space and garden is necessary for many of the modules. Use of a local community garden or park can provide an alternative suitable space.
Are there opportunities for the children to connect in person?
There will be monthly meet ups on the Sunshine Coast for the local Village Reconnected community. We will foster the connection of families in other regions and encourage similar meet ups through the online community.
How long are each of the courses?
Within each course there are 8 modules that can be worked through at your own pace and in any order. You can tick off each module as it is completed so that you can track your own progress.
INVESTMENT
We're currently offering Village Reconnected Online access to the new members for only $80 per month. Cancel at any time.
Receive:
-
The Village Reconnected Online Curriculum, including 6 initial courses and new courses added every 8 weeks.
-
Live fortnightly zoom sessions (for parents) with Ash and Nige
-
Access to our online community and events calendar via our platform Skool
-
A free monthly meet-up on the Sunshine Coast
-
Exclusive opportunity to access 1:1 curriculum support with Ash and Nige directly
Pricing will rise to $85 per month on September 21st, however, all members continue at their enrolment price for the duration of their subscription.
