The Permaculture Design Certification Course 

Ready To Skip The Revolution And Create The Renaissance? 

 

The principles of Permaculture are commonly associated with a rural or agrarian setting, but they are applicable everywhere. 

It is an adaptable set of problem-solving and decision-making ethics based on the patterns and systems of nature.

When we use this approach it creates a fundamental shift in our attitude, towards how to create innovative and sustainable solutions of abundance rather than scarcity and crisis.

 

At The Academy we forward students’ understanding of the field of scientific sustainability. 

We promote:

... Thoughtful Decision-Making

... Creative Problem-Solving

... But Reject “One Size Fits All” Solutions

 

Our Design Course uses the garden as a metaphor for learning how to balance ecosystems, building business enterprise, and establishing community resilience within an urban landscape.

 

The Permaculture Design Certification Course is our flagship program.

 

It is a rigorous 7-month immersive training chock full of:

Hands-on Learning

Real Design Projects

1-on-1 Mentorship

Action-Based Solutions

 

Dates

Classes are the one weekend a month for seven months from 9 AM to 5 PM.  Instruction will take place in Los Angeles, CA.

Dates for the Fall 2024-2025 Design Course are:    

October 5th & 6th, 2024

November 2nd & 3rd, 2024

December 7th & 8th, 2024

January 4th & 5th, 2025

February 1st & 2nd, 2025

March 1st & 2nd, 2025

April 5th & 6th, 2025

There Are Many Tools In Our Tool Box - But A Cookie Cutter Isn't One Of Them.

 

Within weeks of starting the program under the supervision of Larry Santoyo and his team, you will think more strategically and rationally than the majority of design professionals out there.


You will learn skills and principles that will allow you to thrive in any environment, in a sustainable and regenerative frame of mind that discovers stability in any turbulent situation.

 

Permaculture ethics and principles can be used in every aspect of life, large or small, from community to agriculture, craftwork and art, finance and education, law and security, architecture and science, the list goes on. 

 

Our revolution starts with you, fundamentally changing the way you view the problems of the world, to usher in the next steps of a cultural Renaissance.

 

 

The Permaculture Design Certification Course has transformed the lives and enhanced the careers of people all around the world. 

Here's What Our Students Are Saying About Us:

 
 
 
Course Testimonials
"It awoke my passion for the environment and living a better life."
"It awoke my passion for the environment and living a better life."

"Before taking the class I didn't have a direction for my life. The Permaculture Design Course opened up a whole new world of possibilities and gave me a new direction that I was excited and inspired by. Larry has such a charisma and is hilarious. He brings  personality and has such a good way of explaining concepts that pulls you in and grips you."

-Craig Kupolsky  

"I always knew that I could be doing more but I wasn't sure how."
"I always knew that I could be doing more but I wasn't sure how."

After taking the course, I could see more clearly how everything is interconnected, and I’ve been able to apply the design principles to many areas of my life. I fucking love Larry. He has no filter, which made it much easier to discuss topics that can sometimes be uncomfortable. His approach and teaching style have challenged my beliefs and inspired me to live with a deeper sense of compassion and respect.

- Stacy Fisher Gunn founder and CEO of Living UP

"It changed the way I think about life and gave me a sense of purpose."
"It changed the way I think about life and gave me a sense of purpose."

I completed the course in March of 2017 and had revelations and affirmations about the importance of this work. I worked for years in the film industry as an actor and in script development and found myself unfulfilled. I was concerned with issues of ecology and climate and wanted to do something about it. I was able to change careers and started working for somebody I met in the course. I couldn't be happier about the change or more excited about my future!

- Cameron Miller Site and Projects Manager, The Birdhouse

"The Permaculture Design Course with Larry Santoyo has been an unbelievably fun and rewarding experience!"
"The Permaculture Design Course with Larry Santoyo has been an unbelievably fun and rewarding experience!"

"The Permaculture Design Course with Larry Santoyo has been an unbelievably fun and rewarding experience! And you don't have to be a gardener green thumb like me to use permaculture design in what you do!"


-Dakota R.

"It has changed the way I think about the world... And it has made me a better business person"
"It has changed the way I think about the world... And it has made me a better business person"

"Big thank you for the permaculture design training it has changed the way I think about the world..... And it has made me a better business person, something I didn't think a “gardening class” could do."


-Leslie D.

 

This program is for those seeking with strong certitude a right-livelihood.

It is for those who are ready to create lasting change and learn from the foremost Permaculture instructors in the world. 

 
 

When you take the Permaculture Design Certification Course with the Academy you are getting much more than a gardening course.

 

• Learn. Collaborate. Implement.  Our trainings are about action, creating meaningful tangible action - have everything you need to build your sustainable future.

• Fast-track your learning with 96 hours of expert instruction AND over 24 hours of hands on learning at real sites all over Southern California.

• Never be confused or stumped again by a problem... our problem solving tools show you how to observe, design, and implement solutions that work time and time again.

• Be leagues ahead of others upon graduation... Complete a full-fledged design project with guidance from our expert staff.

• Learn the right way through mentor-student relationships. Learn one on one with an expert... You learn the way humans are meant to learn: through focused, individualized training passed down from a teacher to their student.

• Understanding the principles behind real, long-term, ecological sustainability (Plus become an agent of change by gaining skills you can use to excel on any team or project.)

• Become a champion at finding the right solution for the right project... apply what is needed not what is wanted.

• We help people escape burnout, fatigue, and being overwhelmed by learning the principles behind living a simple, impactful, and purpose-filled life.

 
 

The Permaculture Design Certification Course is the foundation of Permaculture education.

 
Courses Weeks
Weekends One & Two

Nature teaches us the language of patterns and shows how the garden can act as a metaphor for systems design.  Observing and understanding the information presented by natural habitats reveals foundational design principles.

  • Mollisonian Design Ethics

  • The Origins of Form

  • Natural Succession Modelling

  • Biomimicry

  • Indicators of Sustainability

  • Design Methodologies, Sectors & Zones

  • Geolocational Profiling

Weekends Three & Four

All locations and situations have a designated set of zones and sectors that determine site design decisions.  Factors that are identified and addressed include solar, hydrological, geological, cultural, and political conditions.  These conditions also inform the palette of techniques and technologies that are applied.

  • Base Mapping & Property Design

  • Reversing Erosion & Watershed Management Practices

  • Greywater Systems

  • Soils, Compost & Mulch

  • Conservation of Energy

  • Passive Cooling & Heating Techniques

  • Strawbale, Cob and Adobe Buildings

  • Horticultural Designs

Weekends Five & Six

Site development includes a self-analysis of human dynamics, capital and socioeconomic study.  It shows methods for community-wide sustainability, creating right-livelihoods and a sense of place.  Personal and communal development pushes the designer to integrate themselves into the design, which aids in its success.

  • Micro-Economies

  • Wilderness Preservation

  • Eco-neighborhoods and Intentional Communities

  • Business Guilds and Cooperatives

  • Alternative Banking and Economic Strategies

  • Community Celebration

 
 

What Does This All Mean? 

Expert Lead Immersive Learning

 

On The Ground – In The Moment –  Real Life Design Training

 

Official Permaculture Designers Certification Upon Completion 

 

You Risk Nothing And Have Everything To Gain!

 

Ready to jump in, take action, and become a fully alert and orientated designer of the culture that surrounds you??