• 3 months: Training at CICD in England
• 6 months: Volunteering in an African country or in India
• 1 month : Conclusion period at CICD in England

3 months training at CICD in England

The first part of the course is based here at CICD.
Here you will join a team of other young or more mature people from all over the world, training to be Development Instructors. The preparations are both theoretical and practical. The studies will include areas such as global affairs, political science and economic development.
Different ways of learning include also out-of-school investigations that incorporates a 5 day bicycle / hitch-hiking trip and community actions.

There will be group studies and work shops as well as the individual studies, reading and lectures and training of a number of different practical skills and leadership skills.
During the training you will also practice many ways of expression – such as report writing, making digital and hand drawn posters, and writing poetry, essays and speeches.
All the way through this programme you will be encouraged to debate and formulate your own conclusions. All of the above will be used for the training and service period, and can also be useful if you are thinking about a future career in the non-profit sector.

6 months: Volunteering in an African country or in India

After the three months training, once you are equipped with all the knowledge needed, you will embark on the next stage of the journey. You will be placed in a project in a country in Southern Africa or in India. Because of the Covid 19 pandemic, it is not possible to know the destination country until the start of the programme – so you need to be ready to go where it is needed and safe!

The projects in the respective countries mostly focus on farming, education and health. Here you will join a range of activities such as working with local farmers to increase food production, starting sustainable and income generating projects, training teachers and supporting ongoing pre-schools or starting up new ones.
The projects work with children, parents, farmers, teachers, local leaders, national government and international partners to tackle the root causes of poverty and together with them build sustainable and thriving communities.

1 month: Bringing It to the Public

You will then return to CICD to digest and share your experiences, and spread the word about what you and your team have achieved. This final stage of the cycle enables you to share your findings and evaluate the impact of the work your team have done in the field. This is very useful for our continual improvement of the programme, and helps you deepen your understanding from all the new knowledge and experiences.
Together with the team, you will also use this period to create materials such as a newsletter, a radio broadcast, articles for newspapers or blogs, a podcast, a video, a multi-media project or other products in order to bring to the public the knowledge and understanding you have gained.

• 3 months at CICD. Studies, investigations and practical training to prepare for the next 3 months
• 3 months volunteering with Richmond Vale Academy and communities in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
• 1 month back at CICD to conclude and share your experiences.

First period: Climate Activist in Training

3 months at CICD. Studies and practical training, as well as planning and preparing the 3 months volunteering period.

During the training we focus on getting to grips with the issue of climate change.
What is it? What consequences does it have in different parts of the world? Why is it happening? Why are no serious plans made by those in power to reduce emissions and avoid exceeding the critical 2 degrees of global warming?

Apart from the theoretical studies we put a lot of focus on investigating what is actually being done. We will go on field trips to meet other climate activists and organisations in the UK, we will work in the garden farm at CICD and carry out other actions in the development of our Climate Centre.

We will also prepare for the 3 months volunteer period at Richmond Vale Academy (RVA) in St Vincent.

During this period you will also be a part of running the school together with all other students and staff, and you will be part of governing the school through our Common Meetings.

Second period: Volunteer in St Vincent and the Grenadines

This 3 month period will be spent working closely together with Richmond Vale Academy (RVA) and local communities around environmental projects on the island of St Vincent.

The concrete tasks will depend on the time of year and the specific needs at the time. Together with your team, you will be part of developing the permaculture farm at RVA, and farming activities in the local communities such as Home Gardens, to support food security for the population.

Be ready to help with what is most needed!

Third period: Bringing It to the Public

You return to CICD with your head and heart full of what you have achieved together with students and staff at RVA and local communities on the island.

Now it is time to conclude on what you have learned and achieved, pass on your experiences to the next team, and share your experiences and results far and wide: a call to action for a sustainable future!

You are well prepared with lots of photos, films, interviews, statistics, songs etc. 

The Gaia Scholarship Programme is a combination of theoretical studies and practical tasks.

Together with the team, you raise your scholarship by supporting the school in these areas.

• Clothes & shoes recycling project
• Garden farm and park
• Maintenance of our buildings
• Marketing and enrolment of new students

Depending on availability, you can join the Gaia team from 2 1/2 – 6 months. This way you can raise a scholarship towards the full course fees or part of them..
The name of our Gaia programme comes from the Greek mythology. Gaia is the name for Mother Earth and was used by the English chemist James Lovelock to describe his theory that the earth is alive. We have used the Gaia theory as the basis for taking action. The programme of the Gaia course is a combination of practical actions, studies, investigations and presentations. The Gaia Team has played an essential part in building up our organic garden farm.

The proceeds of the Gaia team activities are used to cover the costs of running the Gaia programme, and for scholarships for students who cannot afford the course fees. Most participants in the Gaia team qualify for a scholarship and continue in one of our volunteer programmes.

The Gaia Team functions as one team, even though students may start at different times and can be enrolled for different teams after the Gaia period. The Gaia programme is on-going and starting dates are flexible, according to availability.

Studies, work shops and presentations!

Each week the Gaia team has 1,5 study day. There is one study weekend per month. The Gaia programme is designed to give you an understanding of the reasons for poverty and the climate crisis, and to give you tools and skills so you can take your own stand and be active in fighting for change for the better.
The Gaia programme is intensive, result-oriented and hands-on. Be prepared to be very busy!

Some of the areas of study are:

• Earth Systems Science and the Gaia Theory
• Climate Change
• Reducing the Impact of Climate Change
• Environmental Justice

The Gaia programme is project oriented – we do something about the things we discuss and learn about. Some projects are ongoing and decided by CICD. The Gaia team helps to operate the clothes and shoes collection, by maintaining and repairing our boxes as well as finding new places to “host” more collection boxes. They also have the opportunity to help in our promotion and enrolment office to recruit the students for the coming teams and go out for meetings and presentations in schools or other places. There can also be opportunities to help with other parts of CICD-s activities such as gardening and maintenance.

Besides, many smaller projects have found their way into the Gaia team programme – practical exercises in, for example, building fire-wood saving stoves, composting, maintaining and developing the park at Winestead Hall.