Rainier Valley Water Resiliency Course
About the Course:
Black Star Farmers is excited to offer a new vocational stormwater management training program called the Rainier Valley Water Resiliency course. We look forward to strengthening our network and community by providing this comprehensive training free of charge.
With support from industry professionals, this course will guide 5-7 participants through a hybrid, interactive and hands-on educational experience.
Upon Completion, Graduates will:
Receive a $4000 stipend and a certificate of completion
Join a community of Black and Indigenous stewards working together to create a more ecologically and socially-just environment
Learn from our community, past and present, to implement proven storm/rain water management practices and to own our collective impact in the water cycle.
Implement low-tech rainwater harvesting techniques, including the process of sourcing materials, preparing, and installing an above-ground cistern for stormwater capturing, management, and re-use.
Build a hands-on foundational understanding of integrated landscape design to provide onsite needs (shelter, water, aesthetics) with onsite elements (stormwater, runoff, greywater, compost).
Understand basic business ownership and management concepts.
Form connections that will lead to collaborative projects all over the greater Seattle Area.
Receive assistance from staff and community partners to help interested graduates find employment and/or clients.
Course in partnership with:
Over a 17-week period, participants commit to about 150 hours of training and stewardship work, including:
6 Pre-work assignments, approximately 1 hour each
6 Virtual learning sessions, approximately 2 hours each
8 Onsite learning sessions (field days), approximately 4 hours each
100 hours of self-led stewardship and project management
1 in-person or video recorded presentation (5 - 10 min)
For questions or accommodations, please contact staff at: contact@blackstarfarmers.org
We strongly encourage applicants who are from historically marginalized, BIPOC and underrepresented communities to apply.
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Applicants must be at least 18 years old and have the ability to:
Navigate uneven farm terrain
Work on your knees in the garden for extended periods of time with regular breaks.
Stand or be seated outdoors for extended periods of time
Lift or operate garden and yard tools
This course is ideal for, but not limited to, individuals with experience/interest in:
Landscaping or ecological-focused business
Urban Farming, Small Scale Agriculture, Agroforestry, Permaculture Design, Rain Water Gardens
The use of greywater and irrigation systems
Technical science behind watershed restoration and stormwater management
A desire to increase the productivity and potential of our limited freshwater resources
Understanding and preventing the commodification of water
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When is my application due? Please submit your application by 03/24/2023.
How do I complete my application? Complete the Google form and hit submit upon completion.
What happens after I apply? You will receive an email providing confirmation of your application submission.
When will I know if I have been accepted? Selected participants will be notified during the week of 4/17/23.
Is there an interview process? Yes. Interviews will be conducted virtually with two course staff members and will likely occur between 4/6/23 - 4/14/23.
What happens if I am not offered a spot this year? Applicants may be accepted into the 2023 cohort or the 2024 cohort depending on course demand.
What about childcare? Please let us know if you need support finding childcare.
Is there mobility accessibility? Most of our farms and field study sites offer some limited wheelchair accesses. Have a particular question about the physical requirements for this course? Please contact the course administrator at contact@blackstarfarmers.org and we will do our best to accommodate your accessibility needs.
We strongly encourage applicants who are from historically marginalized, BIPOC and underrepresented communities to apply.
For questions or accommodations, please contact staff at: contact@blackstarfarmers.org
Program Module Schedule Overview
| Module Session | Monday Virtual Sessions | Saturday Onsite Learning |
|---|---|---|
| Water is life | 5/15: Lecture Series | 5/13: Central District, Seattle 5/20: North Bend, WA 5/27: Duwamish Valley, Seattle 6/03: West Seattle |
| Innovation and irrigation | 6/05: Lecture Series 6/12: Lecture Series 6/19: Woodinville (in-person) |
6/10: TBD 6/17: Mentorship meeting touch base |
| Integrated design | 6/26: Lecture Series/Hybrid 7/17: Lecture Series |
6/26: Beacon Hill, Seattle/Hybrid 7/15: Auburn 7/22: Beacon Hill, Seattle |
| Learning in action | 7/24: Lecture Series 7/31: Mentorship Meetings |
7/29: Yesler/CID, Seattle 8/05: Yesler/CID, Seattle 8/12: Beacon Hill, Seattle |
| Stewardship in action | 8/14: Mentorship Meetings 8/21: Submit Hours & Evals |
8/19: Beacon Hill, Seattle 8/26: Make-up hours 8/27: Make-up hours |
Required Materials and Communications Tools
You will need the following to be successful during onsite sessions (Field Days)
Weather appropriate clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty (layers, hats)
Boots or close toed shoes
Sun screen for hot weather
Water bottle
Program materials, such as journals and a writing tool.
You will need the following to be successful during the online sessions:
Laptop/desktop computer with webcam and audio. All of our cohort sessions will take place via Zoom or Google Meets.
Wifi access
Slack (Sub projects) or Signal (general updates/ drop in)
Google Drive
Accessibility
If you do not have a computer to use these software tools, please contact course administration and we will help provide.
Childcare solutions may be available, please ask.
Course administrators email: contact@blackstarfarmers.org
