EXPERIENCES will focus on a variety of subjects that fall within five main categories: art, health/wellness, history, nature/outdoor education, and science.
There are three categories of experiences:
Class: A recurring educational event taking place daily, weekly, or monthly; meets an average of 6-8 hours of total class time. Students should attend all meeting times to be successful in this class. Depending on the schedule of a particular class, lodging may be available on the Allerton estate.
Gatherings: A more informal kind of learning. Gatherings are designed to invite everyone to enjoy another’s craft or skill (e.g., music, performance, or storytelling) with the intention of joining in on the fun should they feel inclined. An example of this would be a music jam session where local musicians, both professional and novices come together and just play their instruments, enjoying each other’s company. Another example could be telling stories that relate to Allerton’s past, ghost stories around a fire or getting together to tell and create folk tales.
Workshop: A shorter educational event that meets only one or two times. Often includes a project that students would take home with them.
INSTRUCTORS will lead experiences based on their interests, while following the mission and vision of The Farms. Instructors are community members who know a craft or skill and want to share their knowledge with members of their community through hands-on experiential learning. Experience teaching their craft or skill is encouraged but not entirely necessary, as the goal of a folk school is to learn from others and guide fellow classmates in learning. If you are interested in being an instructor at The Farms, please apply here.
There are three levels of instructors:
Expert: An individual who practices, teaches, and is a master in the field or topic they are instructing; they have been a teacher of their craft for many years and have experience with experiential learning.
Facilitators: An individual who leads a discussion, talk, or storytelling event. They may also lead a group in a craft on an informal basis to assist with basic skills of the craft.
Professional: An individual who creates and sells their craft and has experience leading workshops to teach students the basics of their craft.
