How do you know?

So I am looking at several PDC options...some weekend courses, some intensives, etc. Here is the burning question I have that I cannot seem to get an answer to: how do you know the person offering the PDC is legit? I don't mean is the information legitimate, I mean how do you know they have even completed a PDC themselves? The database is no longer updated and there is no shiny certificate with a stamp of authenticity to go with a completed PDC. Who is to say that someone didn't download the topic outline or buy the book and then decide to charge a grand or three to teach a PDC course? Simply saying "buyer beware" or "ask around" doesn't answer the question. Someone might really know their stuff and teach an excellent course, but does that mean they themselves have completed a PDC? How would you ever know?

Ask them who they did their PDC with, and for the contact details of the teacher/s. Then contact the teacher/s and ask for confirmation.

Great question, adding on that I would like to know why are PDCs so expensive, at least 400€ (euros) here at Portugal, it's just too much money and the students work for free on farm projects for the teachers, so those teachers gain money and have their farms improved for free, wonder if it doesn't violate Permaculture principles somehow.

This is sort of a perennial issue, the complaining about cost, as if the instructors are uniquely greedy. People always complain about how much PDCs cost, but I never see one of the complainers taking a PDC to get certified and then teaching for less or for free. It's a problem which is easily solved: A group of people who want to take a PDC chooses one person to go take the course and get certified. The group pools their money to send the one person, who gets the teaching certificate, comes back and teaches the entire group for free. Then every one of those people can teach for free if they want to.

There are also a couple online courses which are less expensive and have been recommended to me by folks who have taken them:

http://permaculturevisions.com/

http://www.beaverstatepermaculture.com/events/osu-online-permaculture-course

It actually costs a lot of money to put on a PDC, think about the food, lodging, print outs, field trips...

Tyler Ludens wrote: This is sort of a perennial issue, the complaining about cost, as if the instructors are uniquely greedy. People always complain about how much PDCs cost, but I never see one of the complainers taking a PDC to get certified and then teaching for less or for free. It's a problem which is easily solved: A group of people who want to take a PDC chooses one person to go take the course and get certified. The group pools their money to send the one person, who gets the teaching certificate, comes back and teaches the entire group for free. Then every one of those people can teach for free if they want to.

There are also a couple online courses which are less expensive and have been recommended to me by folks who have taken them:

http://permaculturevisions.com/

http://www.beaverstatepermaculture.com/events/osu-online-permaculture-course

Not everyone wants a PDC certificate to teach, in my case it would be just to learn more about Permaculture, I don't want something for free but for a fair price.

Isaac Hill wrote:It actually costs a lot of money to put on a PDC, think about the food, lodging, print outs, field trips...

That could be true only to some PDC, those I know:

1- Food comes from their own farm, mostly grown with permaculture ways, also people bring the food they need
2- lodging is any place on the farm, cost them nothing
3- print outs, few and cheap, they write on a board and people copy the stuff with pen a paper
4- field trips, none or just a walk to a near place/farm

Returning to the original question, besides asking the person that gave the PDC to the teacher how can we assure that we get what we paid for? are there any rules for those who teach PDC?

Is there any way someone who doesn't want or can't pay for a PDC to take a test/exam or to make a project for the PDC certificate? I ask this question because there are all the resources online, including a huge PDC with Geoff Lawton and Bill Mollison, I really don't want a free PDC certificate but something to test my knowledge and certify it.

I suppose you can ask for contact details and whatnot and I am not debating cost at all...I am simply concerned that the person who says they have a PDC actually does.

kbde ett wrote:I suppose you can ask for contact details and whatnot and I am not debating cost at all...I am simply concerned that the person who says they have a PDC actually does.

Sorry about stealing your topic with my questions, I'm also concern if all students that pay and stay there for all the PDC get the certificate, even the bad ones?! do they get some grade or whatever?

Paulo Silva wrote:

Sorry about stealing your topic with my questions, I'm also concern if all students that pay and stay there for all the PDC get the certificate, even the bad ones?! do they get some grade or whatever?

Good question...basically it is just a certificate of completion I assume...

I haven't done a PDC yet, but have investigated a few courses and listened to what graduates say. For me the value in the PDC is not the certificate, it's in the learning and the experience. People who have done PDCs and got alot out of them rave about the experience of the course. This of course depends on the course and the teachers, and so checking out who is teaching and what their approach is seems a good idea. I don't think the certificate is meant to be a stand alone qualification, it's an indication that you have done the course. Theoretically once you have done a PDC you can teach a PDC, but I think that depends on the individual (not everyone makes a good teacher or has the real life experience).

Btw, PRI Australia are running the Permaculture Global Network that will eventually be a resource for checking out teachers and their qualifications. PRI are also running a teacher registration system.

http://www.permacultureglobal.com/