Experience Education by Living It !
All of our programs combine lecture and discussion formats with practical, 
hands-on activities. We encourage a holistic understanding of each subject area that is grounded in specific experiences and enhanced by the broader intellectual perspectives available in our diverse learning environment.
Field trips are often an integral part of the programs, and provide a great chance to be exposed to the lives and unique perspectives of other local farmers, foresters, craftsmen, inventors, artists, social innovators, and the like.
2010 Programs and Workshops
Sustainable Living Skills Immersion & Permaculture Design Certificate CourseFALL |
A wide array of hands-on classes in sustainability. Focusing on Appropriate technology, Natural Building, Eco-forestry, Permaculture, Aquaponics, and more!  More info... |
Forest Gardening WorkshopOctober 24th, 2010 |
Turn your yard into an edible food forest! Imagine small urban yards supporting over 100 species of edible, medicinal, and beneficial plants. |
"The time I spent at Aprovecho was the most exciting time of my life so far. I had never felt so connected with my education and with the people I was learning from. It's an invaluable experience whether you go on to use the skills professionally or just in your everyday life. I encourage others to check it out. |
Program participants live on-site, sharing rooms in our state-of the-art strawbale dormitory, and participating in the dynamic life of our ecologically oriented research and education center. The skills you are learning are part of the daily life at Aprovecho: cooking with food from the garden, heating and building with wood from the forest, utilizing native plant species for food, medicine, and crafts, and using various appropriate technologies to meet basic needs. Room, board, class materials, and instruction are all included in tuition.
The Right Setting
Located between the Cascade and Coast Ranges in central western Oregon, the 40-acre campus is five miles west of the small town of Cottage Grove, twenty miles south of the university town of Eugene, and within easy reach of some of Oregon's most beautiful natural areas. We are an hour’s drive from the rugged Pacific Coast, as well as 80 miles from some of Oregon’s most spectacular old-growth forests, mountain hiking, and hot springs. We are happy to provide numerous resource guides and advice on adventures in our region. Or, if you want to stay close to home, we have numerous hiking trails on-site, including an interpretive trail through our wildlife sanctuary. On your free time, you can explore some of the rich cultural activities and diverse ecosystems nearby, or simply to relax and enjoy our beautiful rural setting.
Laying the Groundwork for Sustainable Living
It is our goal to empower all of our program participants with the knowledge and skills to take what they learn during their time at Aprovecho and apply it to their lives and communities once the program ends. All participants in our programs carry with them the groundwork they have laid here, the new insights they have acquired, and the experience of living in a dynamic learning environment. We hope that everyone will go on to share their new perspectives and skills with others, whether with neighbors in their home environment, other students in learning institutions, or with people in less-developed countries for whom access to resource-conserving technologies and techniques can be literally a matter of immediate survival.
Sign up !
Programs are offered on a space-available basis. There are no specific educational or work-related prerequisites. The tuition covers room, board, class materials, and instruction. Most necessities are provided on-site.