ILC – Spencer's ComAlt Field Study

The purpose of this independent learning contract is for me to take greater responsibility for my education by demonstrating my ability to synthesize and integrate all my previous learning and experience into a focussed project. My intention and goal is to develop my newly founded non profit organization Center Of Conscious Oneness which is based on a Permaculture Community and Sustainable Agritourism Education Center in Maui Hawaii. This will involve considerable research, mentorship, interviews with business owners, drafting legal documentation (working with a Pro-bono lawyer), the development of a business plan and implementation of a strategic plan of professional level quality. In this way I will be able to draw upon my 3 quarters of business studies at Evergreen as well as my 4 years of personal business ownership and apply the theory and practice into actualized and specific results. In this program I will evaluate business from a moral and ethical viewpoint, examining how a company can be both socially responsible as well as financially successful. I will also evaluate what exactly it means to be a “successful” business in relation to modern socio-politcal economics and their environmental and cultural impacts. One aspect of this program will incorporate 2-3 weeks of hands on work and field studies on site of the future farm location in Hawaii where I will document and design a proposal for a farm based community development plan practicing many principles of sustainable business. This unique opportunity will allow me to integrate and apply more of my community based learning and skills while developing a stronger and more comprehensive, interdisciplinary experience with direct exposure and collaboration with the communities and cultures that will be directly impacted and benefited from these proposed projects.

Learning Objectives	Activities that will help me to attain this objective	What my sponsor will evaluate
Effectively create a successful business model and detailed strategic planning for my non-profit. Texts: Successful Business Plan Business Model Generation	Integrating my previous studies with a variety of new learning and research from academic texts and business journals. Work in collaboration with students involved in Enterprise For Equity with affiliation and use of supplemental curriculum. Mentorship with preexisting relationships with non-profit managers and business owners.	The completeness, professionalism and relevance of my proposed business plan and executive summary. Sponsor: JENNY PELL
Draft applications for: USDA Farm Bill Grant, FSA Loans, Conservation Stewardship Program Texts: Getting Funded USDA Organic Resource Guide	Research USDA database of conservation and agriculture programs. Review and study Farm Bill handbook for funding of sustainable farming. Work with local grant writing organization Sparrow Hawk as advisor on drafting grant proposal.	The thoroughness and eligibility of my grant documentation and proposal. Sponsor: JENNY PELL

Learning Objectives

Activities that will help me to attain this objective

What my sponsor will evaluate

Effectively create a successful business model and detailed strategic planning for my non-profit.

Texts:

Successful Business Plan

Business Model Generation

Integrating my previous studies with a variety of new learning and research from academic texts and business journals.

Work in collaboration with students involved in Enterprise For Equity with affiliation and use of supplemental curriculum.

Mentorship with preexisting relationships with non-profit managers and business owners.

The completeness, professionalism and relevance of my proposed business plan and executive summary.

Sponsor:

JENNY PELL

Draft applications for:

USDA Farm Bill Grant,

FSA Loans,

Conservation Stewardship Program

Texts:

Getting Funded

USDA Organic Resource Guide

Research USDA database of conservation and agriculture programs.

Review and study Farm Bill handbook for funding of sustainable farming.

Work with local grant writing organization Sparrow Hawk as advisor on drafting grant proposal.

The thoroughness and eligibility of my grant documentation and proposal.

Sponsor:

JENNY PELL

Evaluation of Work

The student will complete all assignments as described on the syllabus,including weekly documentation on the Project pages of the SOS program website. Whenever possible, the student will provide the faculty with a field supervisor, subcontractor, or mentor’s descriptive assessment of in-program ILC work completed with their guidance, expertise, or supervision by week 10. The student will complete comprehensive mid-quarter and final narrative self-evaluations and submit them to faculty prior to mid-quarter and final end of quarter student-faculty conferences. For the final blog post on Project websites, each student will post, and when possible present in class on Tuesday of week 10, a 10-minute PowerPoint Presentation of 10-15 slides with text that demonstrates the highlights of the student’s in-program ILC Project.

Faculty Support

Weekly seminar involvement and project check ins.

Bi-weekly in person conference with faculty sponsor to review current progress.

Mid term progress report and summary of work to date.

Related Experience

I have 5+ years of volunteer work and internships in a variety local community businesses, non-profits with an emphasis on community involvement, sustainability and social responsibility. I participated in a business internship last spring through an SOS program at Evergreen focused on sustainable agriculture and community development. I am also the sole proprietor of 2 companies that I founded and managed for the last 3 years. Presently, I am actively engaged in many entrepreneurial ventures and have pursued numerous forms of independent learning, through apprenticeships, volunteering, workshops, training seminars and other certificated learning programs related to sustainable development and management. In addition, with the vast network of resources and connections I have established in my communities both locally and abroad I feel confident in my ability to actively engage in a higher level of education and independent learning.