Comments on: Internship Program a Big Hit – So Not Many Places Left….

By: Øyvind Holmstad

Øyvind Holmstad — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:00:07 +0000

To 60 IQ (160 IQ – 100 IQ = 60 IQ, which seems to be a more correct number for you), have you forgotten who is the teacher here? It’s Geoff Lawton! Can you imagine what he could claim for his services on the open market? Still he’s using of his time to teach students, when he could probably earn 10 or 100 times more in consultant services. I think this course is a fair deal, the students pay a little extra for the world’s best teacher, and Geoff earns a lot less. I should not complain about this deal.

By: Justin Sharman Selvidge

Justin Sharman Selvidge — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:50:07 +0000

So what normal internship are you talking about?
Because the internship on the farm is not like your average internship.
Not many places that are non profit,offer internships for starters,it’s not many places you get full experiential learning experiences 24 hours a day.
It’s not usual in an internship to live eat and work on site.
The farm does offer woofer places and this is without charge along the normal woofer lines.
What drew me to your post 160 I.Q is that it’s without any real evidence that you make these assumptions.
I will cast away your doubts for you.
I know a number of interns(“disadvantaged”) that have attended the permaculture courses and internships directly sponsored by PRI.
The candidates usually work on overseas projects that furthers permaculture after the internships,usually in places that are in great need.
My wife is one, she spent two years saving to pay her airfare from Paid to learn how to speak English,then contacted Geoff.
There are many others,both from Australia and overseas,that have been sponsored by PRI to carry out good work around the world.PRI from my understanding also offer some disadvantaged students PDC courses.This is all possible because of paid students.If you consider yourself disadvantaged 160 I.Q perhaps you should consider first to what extent you are disadvantaged in comparison to others around the world.Because it’s been my experience that “penniless” in an affluent western culture has a different meaning than “penniless” in a poorer developing nation.
Thanks
Justin Sharman-Selvidge

By: Nick Huggins

Nick Huggins — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:41:44 +0000

It’s great to see people like ‘160 IQ’ make such comments and don’t even put their real name. That’s brave!
I finished my internship in April 2010 and have been full time working on PAID Permaculture work and also doing 10hr community work per week. Investing in the internship was such a valuable thing and I have already made that money back and a lot more.
160 IQ, rather than complaining, why not do something about it a make a difference like setting up a Not-for-Profit fund to sponsor interns that can’t afford to go or low interest loans to them to attend and gain this valuable knowledge.
Also if Geoff and Nadia didn’t charge people to attend then, Craig Mackintosh and a lot of others employed at the PRI would be out of a job and there would be no platform for 160 IQ’s type to bitch and moan!

By: 160 IQ

160 IQ — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:50:04 +0000

Brilliant!

People paying to work on a farm. I imagine there’s not many (if any) disadvantaged people attending as, considering you’d have to not only quit your job, but also give up your savings as well. At least other WWOOF sites you can do an even trade: you stay for free, but you also have to work, so even if you were penniless, you could attend, learn a lot and also provide benefits for the farm.

For those reading, the way an “internship” normally works, is you actually get payed (albeit at a much lower rate than someone with credentials or experience). The trade win/win is that you get experience and they get cheap labour, plus potential people staying on to help teach the next generation.

By: pebble

pebble — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:56:56 +0000

Now, is that a picture of Geoff working while the interns stand round and watch? No wonder the courses fill up so quickly