What is a life recipe? 

An illustrated life recipe is a brainchild of mine that surfaced when I realized that the single way to instantaneously absorb pertinent information worldwide is to see it in an image, and that we can prolifically and profoundly teach one another through simple, illustrated nonfiction. Multimedia may be used. It is important that the life recipe is seen less as a "how to" and more as a "'this-is-one-way-to-do-it-and-I-know-it-works" kind of framework, although concise and well-founded. I'll soon offer a framework so that these life recipes may be created by any author-student for nearly any work-period or project. 

Adolescent Erdkinder* from 2017-18 wrote the descriptions for the book we published in hopes to evolve into a publication that can benefit the school garden at Casa de Niños, Puerto Rico. They were on the farm approximately 6-10 times, and several chose to do their internship there. Our Erdkinder wrote - 

• Working with the land is so beneficial when learning. When we are outside and using our hands we are really experiencing and learning about whatever it is we are learning about. Like when we went to a farm for our Spanish class we got to garden and really got to experience what we were learning about. Getting out and playing in the dirt and being one with nature teaches us the life skills we don't experiences today. We rely on people to do things for us. We can get things with the tap of a button on our phone. Doing things for ourselves is something we all need to do more. Getting out and breathing fresh air and working - that is the importance of Erdkinder. 
• The importance of life recipes is giving you the ability to do things on your own.
• Working with the land is a very important part of healthy human life, perhaps especially for children. Rather than sitting inside a classroom or office, those who work with the land are doing relaxing practical work while learning essential life skills.
• I like when we do things with our hands. 
• In today's world we have forgotten how to do the simple things in life. This book is full of great tips and tricks to teach us how to "go back" and learn how to survive and thrive in nature. 
• Erdkinder life recipes can help people learn how to live without heavily relying on others. Knowing how to feed yourself is very valuable, especially if something were to happen. Erdkinder Life Recipes can help you want to be outside and play around and try new things.
• The importance is that people can learn differently.

What more needs to be said before we roll up our sleeves and grow some gardens with these children? Hopefully they won't "need" to grow their own food, but they'll live healthier lives if they do. 

Pura vida, 
Elise  


*Dr. Maria Montessori said that adolescents were Erdkinder, or children of the land, because of the nature of their developmental needs.

How shall we share inspiration for our Experiential Education goals?

Incase anybody is interested, here is the link to the flagship Montessori adolescent. program where I took my AMI training in adolescent education in 2010. Among my classmates was a dear friend who grew up on the property, and whose family inheritance funded the pilot campus development. I always enjoy discussing the experience and philosophy, and here is a glimpse at the farm school where I attended my Montessori training in Ohio:

• Hershey Montessori Farm School, Huntsburg, OH
• NAMTA: Farm School Model
• Hudson Montessori School Adolescents​

And the farm we worked on in Costa Rica - 

• ​Finca Educativa Don Juan

Photos soon - 

One way to plan a school-year's studies:

1. Create a list of hands-on experiential education projects you would like to study.
2. Break the projects into months. Pinpoint the central question & experiences.
3. Divide each month's project into a 3-period cycle.
4. Block out hours each week to devote to the project. 
5. Take notes, log, continue to research and innovate.
6. Review, Peer review, and publish. Earn funding for dedicated causes.
7. Rest and repeat for each month.

Micro-economy - First Monthly Market is Friday, November 2. 

El Calendario / The Calendar (subject to change)  
Ciclo 1: 9/4- 10/25:

• ¿Qué es este lugar?
• Compóst, historia nativa, geología
• Development de adolescente
• 9/4-7 acampar
• Español empieza 9/17
• 10/25 conferencias
• 10/29-11/2 inmersión

Ciclo 2: 11/5 - 1/11

• ¿Por qué estoy en este lugar?
• Migración
• Plantas nativas y no-nativas
• Historia de la familia
• Comunicar con la naturaleza
• Ciencia del suelo
• 1/14-18 inmersión

Ciclo 3: 1/22 - 3/20

• ¿Cómo es la influencia del lugar?
• Nutrición, Finca a mesa, comida saludable, actividades saludables,
• 3/25-29 inmersión

Ciclo 4: 4/1-6/7

• ¿Cuál es mi posición en este lugar?
• Análises de Microeconomia
• Acción social y ambiental
• Publicar
• Gobierno local

​

(Subject to change)

Temas para Ciclo I: Qué es este lugar?  (What is this place?)

• Ciclos, compóst, historia nativa, geología (cycles, compost, native history, geology)
• Micro-economía (Microeconomy) - 
  
•  Desarollo de adolescente (Child/Adolescent Development)

 
Semana I

• September 10 (Finca Educativa) - farm tour, history, observations, goals, seasonal work, salmon
• September 13 (Clase 9-12) - <<De Colores>> canción y conversaciones afuera 

Sem. II

• September 17 (Victory Forest & Gh) - horticulture, floriculture, forest, stewardship 
• September 20 (Clase 12-15) - goals, syllabus. Due 9/21/18 - Add project goals and inspiration to shared document, connect 2 mobile classrooms, begin to review español. 

___
Sem. III

• 24 septiembre - framework inmersión, structures, support, projects, independent and collective goals, estudiar clase goals, afternoon projects, study science, macroeconomy, pays expression, farm projects, how decide what to do, framework, structures that will benefit individuals & collective goals, support & structure. 
• 27 septiembre (12-15) - 
• 27 septiembre (9-12) - 

Sem. IV

• 1 octubre (finca) - inmersión, continue on goals, review goals for Thursdays, set goals for the following farm day, record farm day activities in our collective farm log.
• 4 octubre (12-15)- 
• 4 octubre (9-12) - 

​Sem. V

• 8 octubre (finca)
• 11 octubre (12-15) -
• 11 octubre (9-12) - 

Sem. VI

• 15 octubre (finca) - 
• 18 octubre (12-15) - 
• 18 octubre (9-12) - 

Sem. VII

• 22 octubre (finca) - 
• 25 octubre (12-15) - 
• 25 octubre (9-12) - 

Self Assessments Due: 25 octubre, 3 p.m.

​3 noviembre - primer mercado (first market)