How can we respond to the challenges of more expensive and declining energy resources, a changing climate, and economic instability? How can we create more sustainable and resilient ways of life even while facing economic and financial uncertainty?
The Transition Town movement which has grown exponentially over the last three years to become an international model for organizing communities around the world to make their own energy transition plans provides a framework for addressing these challenging issues. There are now 278 Transition Initiatives throughout the world and 58 official Transition Initiatives in the United States.
The core concept of the Transition model: To provide people with organizing tools for energy transitioning, to act as a catalyst to educate and inspire communities to find their own, local, solutions. This nonpartisan, inclusive and positive movement believes we can build a healthier, more connected and more joy filled way of life - if we act now and work together.
Your invitation: As the 27th official Transition Initiative Transition Town OKC, www.goinglocalokc.org, cordially invites you to our first Training for Transition (T4T) Workshop. The T4T course is designed to give a detailed introduction to the most important skills necessary to successfully set up, develop, and run a Transition project in your neighborhood, town, city, church, school, community, business, or wherever people are gathered.
About Transition Town OKC: The mission of Transition Town OKC is to support the people of Oklahoma City as we transition from oil dependence to local resilience, energy security and sustainability. Via workshops, presentations, networking, book discussion groups, films, events, online resources, and working together creatively, our goals are to strengthen our local economy, support our local farmers, and to support the development of clean, renewable sources of energy. Transition Town OKC is a project of Sustainable OKC, www.sustainableokc.org, a local nonprofit working at the crossroads of business, the environment and social justice.
Who should attend T4T: Interested individuals, students, farmers, community and tribal leaders, sustainable advocates and leaders, grassroots organizations, local government, people wanting a deeper understanding of our oil dependency and those who wish to create a positive future in their neighborhood, community, town, village or city, campus, church or school, as well as Transition Initiative leaders, and those considering starting a Transition project or initiative in their communities.
Have a clear understanding of the context for Transition Initiatives, the current global situation and the transformational possibilities that arise from the intertwining challenges of climate change, resource depletion and the economic instability.
Know what the Transition model is and the tools it provides – including an in-depth look at the 12 steps of the model, and how to set up an initiating group, all the way to having active and effective working groups.
Have taken part in a joint visioning process.
Understand how to organize effective meetings such as public talks, open space days, and small theme working groups.
Understand the purpose and principles of an Energy Transition Plan, and of how to organize your community to prepare one.
Have formed useful contacts with workshop attendees.
The full curriculum for the workshop is available here.
This training will follow the Transition model in paying attention to both the outer work and the inner work necessary for a successful transition process. The course is participatory, action-learning-based and fun, with participants invited to share their own experience and learn from the different projects and organizations represented in the group.
2. Fill it out and mail the completed form to Marcy Roberts, 609 NW 47th St, OKC, 73118. Email Marcy to let her know you've mailed your registration form so she can be on the lookout for it. Questions? Email or call Marcy@ ouimarcy@cox.net, 405.550.5987.
3. Pay the $100 deposit, early bird or full tuition amount, one of two ways:Online via PayPal (see PayPal buttons below), or mail your check made out to Sustainable OKC for the deposit and/or remaining or full payment to Marcy Roberts, 609 NW 47th St, OKC, 73118.
Pay $100 for deposit or remaining $100 for Early Bird registration.
Pay $200 in full for Early Bird registration.
Pay $125 for remaining registration amount after March 19.
Pay $225 in full for deposit and registration after March 19.
4. When we receive your deposit via PayPal or your check, your reservation is confirmed, and you’ll receive an email from our registrar, Marcy Roberts, confirming your spot in the workshop.
Workshop space is limited to 30 participants so please register early. If we have more than 30 participants, we’ll start a waiting list in case of cancellations, and we will also develop a list of those interested and host an additional training in the future.
Scholarships
We need 20 people to participate in the training in order cover the costs of hosting the workshop. Once that goal is reached, we will be able to offer five 1/2 price scholarships (which means the scholarship recipient pays only $100 for the training). If you wish to donate a little extra with your tuition, this will help us offer scholarships and host future workshops. We are a 501(c)3, so any donation above and beyond your tuition is tax deductible.
“The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience” by Rob Hopkins. Prior to attending the training, please read the handbook, or at the very least be familiar with the book and transition model. You'll also find the Transition Primer helpful -- free download here. If you have the book, please bring it to the training.
Materials provided After the training, you will receive an email with a link where you can download the slide shows, narrative explanations, resources, exercises, tools and techniques used in T4T OKC training. The training is very experiential and interactive, and will give you time to engage in discussions, practice speaking about resource depletion, declining fossil fuel supplies, climate change, and economic instability in a way that offers hope and a vision for the future, plan community events, and consider projects and organizing groups for initiating an Energy Transition Plan (or Sustainability Plan) in your community.
Oklahoma Disciples Foundation, 301 N.W. 36 Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73118. The Foundation is located in the heart of Oklahoma City, easily accessible from the Centennial Expressway (Hwy 77/I-235), located just west of the intersection of Centennial Expressway (Hwy 77/I-235) and NW 36th Street on the north side of the street. The Foundation is surrounded by oak trees and in close proximity to two beautiful Oklahoma City parks. Free and ample parking is available in the front of the building. A google map showing the location is here.
Transportation Car Pooling: We encourage carpooling. If you’d like to carpool, are willing to offer a ride, or need a ride, please let us know on the registration form. Once registration is complete, we will provide a carpool list which will show those offering carpooling and those need carpooling, along with contact information to allow workshop participants to work with each other on transportation details.
Car Rental: If you are coming from out of state, Will Rogers World Airport offers all the major rental car companies. You may wish to use online services such as www.expedia.com to check for best prices. Often you can get a better deal by booking online. Another tip, using a car rental company at an off-airport location often provides savings.
Sat., April 10 & Sun., April 11, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. on Sat., with the program beginning promptly at 9:00 a.m. One-hour lunches and two 15-minute breaks are scheduled each day.
Friday Flick and Rap: 7 – 9 p.m.: To open our weekend of learning, we’ll screen “The Great Squeeze,” at Java Dave’s, 10 N.E. 10th Street. “The Great Squeeze” is an award-winning film that explores our current ecological and economic predicament stemming from dependence on cheap, abundant energy. After the film, we’ll host an informal discussion, facilitated by James Stovall, a professional mediator, with news from our workshop trainers, Bill Aal and Zaida Amaral, about the Transition movement around the world. This event is open to the public. Workshop participants are encouraged but not required to attend.
Saturday Evening Potluck: Transition Town OKC will host a potluck from 7-9 p.m. at Rose Ranch, a 48-acre farm just a few miles east of Oklahoma City, dedicated to biodiversity, sustainable living and having fun! The Roses will provide grilled hamburgers (prepared with grass-fed beef raised on their farm) and we’ll also have a vegetarian option and some side dishes. The event is BYOB. Workshop participants are welcome to bring a dish and their spouse/partner/significant other as well. If you can’t bring a dish, please feel free to attend anyway and just come for some fun. Directions to the ranch will be provided at the workshop.
Morning: We will provide coffee, tea, fruit and breakfast rolls.
You have the option to order a catered lunch, bring your own lunch, or go out to eat. Catered lunch will be provided by a local caterer using as many local foods as possible, and will include a veggie option, estimated cost – $9-11. We will provide a vegetable platter, crackers and hummus to augment lunch for all those who stay on site for lunch. If you select the catered lunch option, we’ll collect lunch payments at the workshop.
Afternoon: We’ll provide coffee, tea, fruit, cheese and crackers.
Going out to eat for lunch: We encourage staying on site for lunch in order to get to know each other better. If you choose to go out to lunch, please return to the training site within the one hour time frame provided for lunch. We will begin our afternoon program promptly. A variety of local restaurants are within 1-2 driving miles of the Foundation, including Iron Starr Barbeque, Paseo Grill, Sauced, VZDs, Sushi Neko, Café Nova, Mushashi’s, Cheevers, Flip’s Wine Bar & Trattoria.
A range of hotels, beds-and-breakfasts in the Oklahoma City area are within five-10 minutes of Oklahoma Disciples Foundation. The Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau offers an online searchable lodging database available here. The Downtown and Northwest Oklahoma City areas are closest to the training location. If you need more information, please let us know.
Waste management: We will be using reusable utensils, mugs, plates, and so on at the workshop, and we’ll be composting and recycling any disposables. You are welcome to bring your own utensils, water bottle, napkins or other supplies.
About Oklahoma City If you are coming to Oklahoma from out of state, welcome to a land of gracious people, epic stories and soul-inspiring landscapes. As Oklahoma’s capital city, Oklahoma City has it all – a bit of the Old West in Stockyards City, the funky and eclectic in the Paseo Arts District, energetic entertainment in the Western Avenue, Bricktown and Adventure Districts, and a booming downtown in the midst of a renaissance. Museums and cultural centers offerings include the Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City Museum of Art and National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. And don’t miss the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum, currently under construction in the heart of the city at the crossroads of I-40 and I-35, a visionary undertaking destined to serve as a living orientation center for promoting awareness and understanding of Oklahoma’s 39 American Indian nations and tribes, culture and heritage.
We look forward to seeing you in April and to an inspiring, action-filled training on Transition!
Zaida, Bill and the Transition Town OKC initiating group
Who should attend T4T: Interested individuals, students, farmers, community and tribal leaders, sustainable advocates and leaders, grassroots organizations, local government, people wanting a deeper understanding of our oil dependency and those who wish to create a positive future in their neighborhood, community, town, village or city, campus, church or school, as well as Transition Initiative leaders, and those considering starting a Transition project or initiative in their communities.
Food
