Blue Hill Cooperative Design Lab
Oct
19
Oct 22

Blue Hill Cooperative Design Lab

  • Gatherings

Do you have a sense that the future is trying to emerge? That connection with nature, in society and with self are all possible?

That is exactly what the Farming Artist sense too! They want create an intentional community of farming and festival with a cooperative attitude toward co-living and creating viable enterprises. That is why the Farming Artists have been selected for the next iteration of Cooperative Design Lab. 

In one hands-on weekend...

Introduction to Cooperative Enterprise
Jan
6
Jan 7

Introduction to Cooperative Enterprise

  • George Perley House

Sensing that something has to shift to allow an economic transformation? Curious about cooperatives models of business? Cooperative models have been around for a long time but they are also a key to future job creation and the emerging economy.

In this two day course...

Cooperative Design Lab Weekend Three: Culture Design
Jan
7
Jan 8

Cooperative Design Lab Weekend Three: Culture Design

Weekend Three, we gather to cultivate a culture for cooperation to thrive. Participants have set roots and they have a story to tell. They have a Co-op Plan including key documents. They have a set of processes for member and community engagement. By this time in the program, projects have secured their niches. They have answered a lot of questions and they more. They are skilled at framing questions for a group and holding perennial questions for future refining. With clarity of vision and a mission rooted in their community needs, they are ready to spark a chain reaction that will carry them forward. The final weekend is time for stitching up their cooperative plan as a living document. They have a systems point of view. They have a commitment to relationships. They have new goals for the year and a long term plan for their cooperative.    

Cooperative Design Lab 2016 Weekend Two: Membership and Member Skills
Oct
15
Oct 16

Cooperative Design Lab 2016 Weekend Two: Membership and Member Skills

Weekend Two of Cooperative Design Lab participants reconvene to focus on membership structures and membership skills design. Policies, sections of the bylaws, participatory processes, group dynamics, weaving of community needs into their project. Participants will revisit their cooperative plans and find some patterns that will serve their cooperative development forward. Participants will personally sharpen their skills and experience tools to cooperate and collaborate with others. Leadership strengths, conflict skills, diversity awareness and more skills and practical tools for managing cooperative projects through changes and challenges in membership. 

Cooperative Design Lab 2016 Weekend One: Organizational Design
Apr
9
Apr 10

Cooperative Design Lab 2016 Weekend One: Organizational Design

  • George Perley House

Opening Weekend of Cooperative Design Lab participants begin an iterative process of designing a cooperative project. They will shape common cooperative values, engage in a design challenge, map out the steps, assess their projects assets and challenges, and capture the questions they hold going forward. Exploring multiple forms capital, discussing ethics, assessing needs for governance and for management, are all part of this weekend. Participants will map out a current state on their project and a future state for their projects.