Internship Scope and Sequence PDF here

Internship Curriculum and Sequence
Internship objectives:
The PRI internship programme aims to afford participants with the opportunity to gain targeted
quality work experience on a large working permaculture farm. Through directed practical
experience, in small work groups led by a teacher (staff or student), and supported by quality
intensive taught units covering key elements of the design, establishment and maintenance of farm
systems, the student is embedded in the workplace. Opportunity for individual areas of interest and
taking responsibility for farm operations is offered in the project grouping and time in the programme
given for such.
The internship aims to allow students to fast track their permaculture careers. With the intention to
design or consult, teach or project manage, the internship aims to deliver taught information, make
explicit and practice the skills needed to be better equipped for these goals.
Assessment of success in the internship is within the students themselves. We aim to make the
learning opportunity a conscious one, to present PDC extension studies in a cohesive progression,
offer activities using a variety of learning styles, revisit and reposition skills to solidify learning.
Opportunities for assessment of progress made lie in the learning portfolio compiled by the student
(or with a facilitator as note-taker) throughout the programme: to track aims, competence and
confidence. Designs will be made up through out the course, focusing on different circumstances with
different aims for learning from the exercise, with guided peer review to broaden the learning
opportunity in reflection.
The internship should help the student understand design, to move towards teaching or consulting
professionally. Taught elements are supported by practical involvement in the day to day running of
the farm.
A generalist approach is considered as mandatory, opportunities for specialism and the application of
prior learning and specialist skills exist in the project stream, evidenced in the portfolio, and in the
final presentations. The design stream aims to develop designing skills and awareness in a series of
constrained design briefs, culminating in a design of choice, allowing the intern to focus on a site in
mind, or one chosen to represent their interests from local, defined, sites (Zaytuna, or part there-of,
local urban sites previously identified or local affiliated sites).
Concurrent learning streams:
• Taught elements – PDC course extension learning on key elements of permaculture design.
• Practical elements – workshops for skills and methods used in areas of site implementation
and farm maintenance, aligned to taught elements.
• Taught specialist courses – certificated independent courses covering key professional areas of
expertise.

• Interest elements – project work drawing on workshop skills, applied to areas of need or
development on the farm.
• Reflective learning – self guided, with assistance of facilitators, to track and exhibit progress
through the portfolio.
Week by week:
Week Focus Staffing
1 Orientation and introduction to course and farm.
GL, TB, NL
Design – Zaytuna Farm.
2 Earthworks course
GL, TB, NL
Design – reinvent a landscape to fit set elements.
3 Productive systems on the farm.
GL, TB, NL
Design – integration of diverse productive elements to a landscape
profile.
4 Urban landscape design course
NH, GL, NL
Design – small scale / urban sites
5 Project management / Aid workers course
GL, NL
Design – aid scenarios design choice:
• Development aid
• Extension aid
• Humanitarian aid
6 PDC Teacher Training course
GL, NL
Design – PDC curriculum.
7 Interactivity of elements and intensive systems.
G,L TB, NL
Design – detailed focus on element specifics.
8 Soil Biology course
PT, GL
Design – home grown active soils maintenance.
9 Cyclic systems and system evolution and refinement.
GL, TB, NL
Design – pet projects.
10 Closure and celebration of progress. GL, NL
NOTE: Week layout can change slightly per internship, adaptable for teachers and facilitators.
Certificate courses highlighted.
Staffing abbreviations:
GL – Geoff Lawton
NL – Nadia Lawton
PT – Paul Taylor
NH – Nick Huggins
TB – Tim Barker
LB – Lesley Byrne.
CD – Chris Darker
Fs – Facilitator team (teaching assistants: to include Lesley and Nadia as needed).
W/S Ts – Workshop teachers: to include all staff as appropriate.

Assessment:
The assessment of progress in the internship is fundamentally student centred: particular to
individual start points, guided by individual interests and goals.
The internship does not aim to provide a summative assessment – no pass or fail at the end. Rather,
formative assessment is maintained throughout the 10 week course, with significant feedback offered
to the individual student.
In the introductory week, interns will complete an opening needs-analysis questionnaire so that a
start point for each can be established and progress made through the course can be tracked. The
intern will undertake four targeted design tasks, maintain a learning diary throughout the course,
undertake, and present on, a project in an area of particular personal interest and together with the
opening statement of prior knowledge and experience compile the whole into a portfolio.
Individual elements of assessment:
The opening questionnaire:
To establish a start point for each individual intern, to both course organisers and the student
themselves, so that progress can be tracked through the course.
The learning diary:
A record of their learning, note form – not a polished document, to include reflection on the taught
topics, courses and work shops. To also include evidence of the application of taught elements in
other circumstances or on different examples through the project groups system.
Feed back regularly throughout the course, checked on by the facilitators during the 10 weeks to keep
them on track and make sure that it is actually happening, and that they are actually doing what they
say they are!
The design work:
A series of design challenges will be set through the programme: one in each week, focusing on the
taught content for the week.
Work on each design challenge will be guided by peer group work, facilitator input and expert
feedback from Geoff and will be reviewed by presentation to peers in small groups or to the whole
class as appropriate. Active reflection on the design process and choices made in design will be
encouraged in review sessions to broaden the learning experience for all.
The portfolio:
The opening questionnaires, learning diary and designs are compiled into a portfolio to be submitted
to Geoff at the end of week 9, checked over, copied and returned to the interns – unmarked - to be
then used to inform a reference if and when requested.
The project presentation:
A stand up talk (with or without multi-media presentation technology) to their peers, judged by their
peers on some element of the farm, course or application of PC ideas or ethics. Very open, to
encourage the free pursuit of interests; peer reviewed to give closure and the chance for them to
appreciate one another’s work here or indeed aspirations for work to come. To be drawn from
practical work, admin, teaching styles, ethics, outreach, anything….
The presentations can be delivered in class or in the field, wherever the individual intern is more
comfortable.