at Earthaven Ecovillage
near Asheville, North Carolina
Participate in the everyday rhythm of life and work at Earthaven Ecovillage while learning new skills and getting to know the community.
Early registration encouraged!
Experience Earth-Centered Community at Earthaven Ecovillage
The life of a village is found in its work: the day-to-day agriculture, crafting, and maintenance that keep its people fed and sheltered. Earthaven Ecovillage is no different. The farms and businesses of this community work every day in pursuit of a truly alternative culture, where all members provide for their basic needs while centering the health of the Earth and their society.
The best way to experience this life is to pitch in yourself. During Service-Learning Week at Earthaven Ecovillage, you’ll work side-by-side with residents, making meaningful contributions while exploring new skills. You’ll learn by doing, get to know the community—and have a lot of fun in the process.
We believe that service learning prepares students to use their knowledge for the good of the whole and equips them to address social problems. This approach combines the head and the heart to understand learning as applicable to life, instead of just a means to a grade. In this way, learning becomes a more holistic approach to living, thinking, and serving others.
Founded in 1994, Earthaven Ecovillage is located on 329 acres in culturally rich, biologically diverse Western North Carolina, about 50 minutes southeast of Asheville and 30 minutes southeast of Black Mountain. Surrounded by like-minded, ecologically oriented neighbors, Earthaven is home to 80+ residents, including students and visitors. The community is dedicated to caring for people and the Earth by learning and demonstrating a holistic, sustainable culture.
“Earthaven is where the human community is bonding with the Earth in a manner capable of healing the devastation of the past and inspiring a new grandeur for the future. At Earthaven, even for a brief while, we experience what it is to return to ourselves.”
- Thomas Berry, author of The Dream of the Earth.
- Participation in seasonal community celebrations (Beltane and May Day) and potlucks
- Dedicated Q+A session with Earthaven community members
- Opportunities to explore specific Earthaven neighborhoods and membership possibilities
The participation fee for Service-Learning Week is $25, which includes all Earthaven fees, five nights of camping, and program organization. Participants are responsible for their own food, transportation, and personal needs.
APPLY: Fill out the registration form. Please give yourself plenty of time to complete the application, because it cannot be saved until submitted.
Payment: Payment can be submitted by check, money order, PayPal, or credit card. If paying online, use the widget below to select your tuition, then select "Add to Cart." After the page refreshes, select the "Checkout with PayPal" option and continue through the PayPal website.
If paying offline, please send a check or money order payable to the following address and note the program for which you are registering in the memo field:
School of Integrated Living
11 Full Circle Trail
Black Mountain, NC 28711
Crowdfunding and Fundraising: Check out our Crowdfunding and Fundraising page for creative ways to engage your community and launch a "Community Supported Education" campaign. This approach can help support your investment in yourself, your community, the planet, and future generations.
If you cancel, you may transfer your place in the program to anyone of your choosing, who will need to register online. You can also donate your place to someone who would not be able to participate without financial assistance.
A 50% refund is available until April 1, 2018.
After April 1, 2018, there will be NO refunds.
If SOIL cancels this program for any reason whatsoever, 100% of your tuition will be refunded.