Description

Beneath the fragmenting face of our world, the seeds of change and connection that will bear new ways of being are beginning to take root. If we are to usher in a story different from the narrative of progress, colonization, and unlimited economic growth that has unleashed destruction across the planet, a radical renewal of our relationship with the Earth and each other is needed. What does it mean to lead amid the turmoil of our ecological unraveling from a place that centers the Earth not as an abstract idea, but as a living presence? How can we be in service to this transition that will demand and inflict profound transformation upon our inner and outer worlds? 

To avoid replicating the systems of power that have so damaged the Earth and its beings, we must move beyond the conventional, patriarchal ideas of authority and action that continue to fail us, and into new models of leadership anchored in kinship and care; that stem not only from doing, but also from a state of being. 

In what ways can we respond to the social and ecological challenges of our time from a space of connection, rather than looking for quick fixes and following familiar authority? Can we listen to voices and intelligences outside our own, share power in community, learn to relinquish certainty, and be receptive to change? How do we find and begin to work with the roots that will hold us steadfast through the unraveling of our world? 

For the first time, we are offering our Seeds of Radical Renewal leadership course as an online and in-person hybrid, facilitating a deeper immersion into the practical application of spiritual ecology and adaptive leadership. This course will introduce emerging leaders to the values of renewal, reciprocity, and reverence in building relationships with human and more-than-human communities and offer mentoring on applying those values to real-world projects. 

With the guidance of guest teachers—Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, Joycelyn Longdon, Dana Karout, Sam Lee, and James Bridle—participants will take part in a six-part online workshop exploring the philosophy and possibilities of spiritual ecology, culminating in a four-day in-person retreat at Whidbey Institute in Washington State, US.
 

Schedule

Online: August 6 - September 10, 2025

In-person: September 25 - 28, 2025

Course Fee

The course fee ranges from $1450 to $1300 USD depending on accommodation choice (single or shared room) and covers the cost of tuition, on-site lodging, and meals. Participants are required to arrange and pay for their own travel to and from Sharpham Trust.  

Some partial scholarships for tuition are available for those who need them. We are unable to offer any financial support for travel. If you are accepted into the course, payment is due within one month of acceptance, by February 17th. Cancellations made up to one month before the online course commences will result in a full refund. After that, refunds will not be available.

Application

The application deadline is February 28th, 2025, at 11:59pm (PST). Applicants will be notified of acceptance by March 14th, 2025.

We are also offering a UK-iteration of this course with the online portion from April 30th to June 4th, 2025 (10am–12pm PDT) and the in-person portion from June 18–21, 2025 at Sharpham Trust in Devon, England. Learn more and apply for the UK course here.

Please reach out to events@emergencemagazine.org with any questions.