Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Some notes:


1) After reviewing the completed calendar and class description page, we found a few mistakes, so here are the updated links:

http://derekgoodwin.com/downloads/NOFSN_Jan_2012_Calendar.pdf
http://derekgoodwin.com/downloads/NOFSN_Jan_2012_Class_Info.pdf

Some of the calendars being posted around town may not have these updates on them.

2) Some corrections that need to be highlighted:


*Intro to Harm Reduction will be taking place at the LGBT Community Center at 2114 Decatur Street
*Sew Hip NOLA will be taking place at the Latter Branch of the library at 5120 St. Charles Ave, not the Argonne Blvd address, which is a different library
*Computer Classes at the Community Center of St. Bernard need to be registered for after 9 AM (not PM) on January 2nd


2) The blogspot now also has an updated "calendar" and "current classes" page. Just click on either of these links at the top of this page.


Some reminders:


1) Several of the classes this semester require pre-registration. These include:


*Computer Classes at the Community Center of St. Bernard (by January 2nd after 9 AM)
*Computer Literacy at Resurrection After Exoneration
*Microsoft Office PowerPoint Levels 1 & 2 at the Main Library
*ACT Strategies Workshop at the Main Library
*All-Ages Knitting at Community Book Center
*Reading for Radicals at Community Book Center


See the class description page for contact information to pre-register.


2) Class proposals for the February semester are due on January 15th!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

THE JANUARY CALENDAR IS HERE!

Below are the links to the New Orleans Free School Network calendar for January 2012, as well as the class descriptions/teacher contact info. You can also find these links on our Facebook page, as well as physically posted up around town in community centers, libraries, coffee shops, etc. Have a great semester y'all!

link to calendar:
http://derekgoodwin.com/downloads/NOFSN_Jan_2012_Calendar.pdf

link to class descriptions/teacher contact info:
http://derekgoodwin.com/downloads/NOFSN_Jan_2012_Class_Info.pdf

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Hello Free Schoolers! 

Class proposals are closed for the January semester. But a couple of notes:


1) If you would like to propose a class for the February semester, the class proposal deadline is January 15th.


2) If you feel inspired to teach a class, but didn't submit a class proposal to us in time, TEACH IT ANYWAY! We won't be able to put it on our calendar, but if you e-mail/facebook message us, we can put up a post about it on the blogspot or on facebook.


3) The January calendar comes out on December 20th, so don't forget to check out all the amazing free classes happening around the city.


Happy winter!

Friday, December 9, 2011

To propose a class for the January semester:

e-mail: nolafreeschoolnetwork@gmail.com
call: (504) 484-9814 or (504)252-7129

Thursday, December 8, 2011

And don't forget CLASS PROPOSALS are due on December 15th! (see the post below this posting about Hollygrove)....


Ok, this is not free, but it is an awesome educational opportunity that is ALMOST FREE ($5) and is the type of class/workshop we will be including on the ALMOST FREE section of our upcoming calendar! Plus, Hollygrove rocks, so we should all support it in any way we can!


Composting and Soil Building

Hollygrove Market and Farm, 8301 Olive Street








This Saturday!
December 10, 2011
3 PM to 5 PM 
Come by Hollygrove Market and Farm this Saturday afternoon to learn about composting and soil building! Alyssa Denny, the produce buyer and market manager of Hollygrove Market, will talk to us about the steps to composting and soil building and show us around the farm. Dress for the weather, because we will be outside for some of this workshop getting to turn the Hollygrove compost pile ourselves!
  
Saturday's program will include:
  • A tour of Hollygrove Market & Farm 
  • An exploration of Hollygrove's composting and soil building projects 
  • What is compostable?
  • Examples of kitchen compost containers
  • A timeline for home composting projects  
  • Information about what inputs you'll need to start your own projects
  • Carbon & nitrogen mixtures, air & water needs 
  • Techniques for composting including piles, worms, and containers

Please dress appropriately. Closed toed shoes and gloves are recommended.
  
COST:  $5.00 (with free vegetable, herb & flower seeds available)
Free for NOFFN Members! Become a member today. 

Please RSVP by Friday, December 9th! 
To get your name on our list, contact Nico at nico@noffn.org or 504-483-6967


GROW MO' BETTA is a 12-part monthly training series @ various locations throughout NOLA.    

Please note: Our office phone number has changed!
Promotion
New Orleans Food & Farm Network
www.noffn.org

  Free seeds
4840 Banks St.
NOLA 70119

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

CLASS PROPOSALS DUE DECEMBER 15th!!!

We are sorry for the short notice, but there has been some shuffling about with the organizers, and we have decided that class proposals will be due on the 15th of EVERY MONTH, including this one. A more advanced notice will be given in the future, we promise.

As for this class proposal due date, please know that if you propose a class, it will be for the JANUARY SEMESTER. That is, we will have a new calendar printed by December 20th that will display classes for the month of January. Your class does not have to exist only in the month of January. It can go on as long as you like, just let us know so we can continue to display it on the following months' respective calendars.

Our goal is to have at least 10 classes proposed by December 15th! If you need any help at all in finding/securing a location for your class, accessing material resources for your class, advertising your class, or teaching your class, please let us know, and we will be more than happy to help.

Thanks y'all! Stay warm, stay free!

Friday, November 11, 2011

One Time Workshop & New Class!

Hi Friends,
   Tomorrow there will be a guaranteed-to-be-awesome self-defense class! Learning these skills and continuously practicing them is vitally important for our confidence and personal safety. This is a much-requested class that we're excited to offer. Also, Asher is back with his second Free School offering that encourages self-care and giving love through the art and practice of massage. Hoorah!


Self-Defense Class
Saturday, November 12, 12-1:30pm
Practice some simple and effective self-defense techniques against common attacks.  
Shaolin-Do Kung Fu & Tai Chi
4210 St. Claude Ave, @ France St. NOLA 70117
(504) 944-1880. 



Anatomy & Massage Technique Skillshare
Thursdays Nov 17, 24. Dec 1, 8 at 7:30-9:30pm.
Esplanade & Marais St (contact teacher for details).
Basic technique, anatomy & theory for giving a great informal massage. Open to everyone, from beginners to practicing therapists. Participants are encouraged to share tips, tricks & wisdom gained from their experience. Class will include safety and hygiene issues and contraindications for giving or receiving bodywork. RSVP recommended! Participants should generally be in good health (no contagious illnesses).
Contact Asher at (504) 881-0242

Friday, October 21, 2011

Fall Kick Off Celebration

"More than just an opportunity to learn, we see Free Skool as a direct challenge to dominant institutions and hierarchical relationships. Part of creating a new world is resistance to the old one, to the relentless commodification of everything, including learning and the way we relate to each other." -Free Skool Santa Cruz


Please join us at Washington Square Park this Sunday, October 23rd, as we launch into a Fall full of great classes. We will be gathering from 12pm to 3pm with food, games, and music. This is a great time for students, teachers, organizers, and all interested community members to connect and share in the excitement of free education that challenges our institutionalized compulsory education system!

Check out your Fall class offerings under the above Current Classes/Calendar tabs. Please reach out to teachers if you're interested in the class, as it makes them wildly appreciative and will have you even more enthusiastic to engage in co-learning with them!

We're looking forward to expanding our knowledge and skills together while we build a strong network of collective autonomy. Thanks friends for all you do!

Thursday, September 29, 2011

We're back and on track!

Hey friends,
   We're back from our summer hiatus and excited to get the Fall session rolling! We've received a number of great class proposals over the summer and our sincerest apologies for being a little too MIA for a little too long!
   We are currently accepting class proposals until October 6th and are planning an outdoor recess kick off for October 16th. Please spread the word to all your wonderfully talented and knowledgeable friends and community, and of course, consider teaching a class yourself.
   We all make New Orleans Free School Network happen together! Keep checking back in for updates and feel free to email or call us with any inquiries.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Free School Summer Break

Hey Free Schoolers!


If you haven't yet noticed, The New Orleans Free School Network is taking a little break over the summer. Most of our core organizers are out of town until August, so classes are suspended until then.  However, that means we will be beginning another session in September, so start working on your class proposals now! 

See you in two months!

Friday, May 6, 2011

We're having a fundraiser!!

Hey folks.  We're having a fundraiser!!  Some of you might be wondering why the "Free" school needs funds...  Well, in order for us to keep on offering free classes to the residents of New Orleans, we currently/will in the future have to pay for the following things:
-Copies of flyers/pedagogy literature/teachers' handouts
-Purchase of physical materials for classes (e.g. plumbing/electrical supplies, books, food for cooking classes)
-Web hosting fees
-Purchase of a copy machine/printer
-Renting/Purchasing a space
-Bringing special guest speakers to New Orleans


With that said, the fundraiser will be on Saturday May 14th from 1-5 PM at the new Treehouse - 2826 St. Claude Ave. (@ Press st.)

There will be food, drinks, and semi-educational/fun activities! Including:
-Raffles
-A Piñata
-Music & Dancing (Feat. Sweet Street Symphony, Woodsmen Brothers, & Brett Richardson)
-Sex Ed. Theater
-Bike Fixings
-Acroyoga
-Double-Dutch Jumprope
-Four Square
-DIY Instrument Building
-Poetry
-Finger Painting
-& More!

$10 suggested donation
($10+ donation gets a Free raffle ticket & a drink!)

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Official start date of next session pushed back

Hey y'all,

Due to the low number of class proposals that we have received for the May-June session, the start date of that session has been pushed back to May 14th and the class proposal deadline to get on the paper calendar is now May 7th.  We really need more classes during May and June!  Last session we did really amazing and there were classes in almost every one of our calendar squares.   We want to do that again, but we need all of you to propose those classes that we know you've been thinking about. Help us keep this project growing!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Free School reception

Hey! Word on the street is that we're having a little party/info reception thing Monday April 18th, 6-8 pm at 935B Dauphine st. There will be refreshments provided and it will be a time for last minute class proposals for our next session.



Friday, April 8, 2011

We may have found a new weekly meeting space

Dear friends,

Since the closure of our beloved Iron Rail,  the New Orleans Free School Network has been homeless.  Many of you may have seen Free Schoolers flocking to cafes in the Garden District, backyards in the Bywater, and everywhere in between for our weekly Monday meetings.  It has been a bit of a sad sight, and has likely been a contributing cause to the decline in our number of core organizers.

But, our dark days may be over, as the 7th Ward Neighborhood Center has graciously offered to host our meetings.

So, now that we will (hopefully) have a consistent meeting place again, we'd love to see more folks show up and give their input.

New Orleans Free School Network meetings:
Mondays
7 PM
7th Ward Neighborhood Center
1943 Pauger St.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

I know all of you have been eagerly waiting for a chance to support us...

Well now you can! There are two new Paypal donation buttons on the home page of our website.

The top button is a one-time donation of any amount you wish.
The bottom button is a recurring monthly donation of a set amount.

Please encourage your family and friends to donate.  We strive to offer quality educational experiences, and sometimes that is just easier with a little bit of funds.  Some things your money will be going toward:

-Printing & copying costs
-Applying for LLC or non-profit status
-Renting/owning/renovating a space
-Purchasing educational materials (projector, books, cooking utensils, plumbing materials, video/sound recording equipment, etc.)
-Website hosting fees


Our classes will always be free, but if our grand visions of a Free Schoolhouse are to come true we need your support!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Street Medic Training coming soon

Hey New Orleanians! We've got an extremely exciting weekend intensive coming up.  Noah will be holding a 20 hour street medic training course from Friday April 15th through Sunday April 17th.  Learn how to protect  your brothers, sisters, and yourself from police aggression and brutality. Limited space is available so please RSVP to medicmadness@riseup.net
Street medic training flyer

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

A quick update...

Hey Free Schoolers!  The end of March is imminent and were looking back on a few successful first weeks of classes.  But don't get too cozy, because there are several more classes starting up in the next week or two.  So keep an eye out!

Remember that the deadline for getting your class on the calendar for our May-June session is April 17th!  Get your proposals in early.  You may use the form under the "Propose a Class" tab on this website, or fill out a class proposal form that you should be able to find at various libraries and community centers around the city.

We're putting a lot of effort into making the Free School Network available to everyone in New Orleans, not just folks in our own social circles, so please talk about us on your facebook, drop our name when you're at the bar, and tell the folks at the second line how amazing the Urban Zoology class that you're teaching next session is going to be.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Project Launched & In Full Effect

Hi friends,

The NOLA Free School Network is well on its way with classes having started this week after a wildly successful opening day at the Really Really Free Market! There have been many changes made to the class schedule in terms of locations & dates, so please keep checking the calendar!

We invite and encourage everyone to utilize the nolafreeschoolnetwork.wikispaces.com site as a tool for fighting the top-down organizing structure of traditional schooling and voicing your interest, ideas, and opinions with the facilitator and other students. This will also be where you can find class readings and requirements.

The NOLA Free School Network is commited to decentralized education and excitedly awaits what will come from our first session of classes. It takes the whole community to make this happen in a wonderfully inspiring way. Please come show support through learning a new skill and gaining subject knowledge!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

It's almost time!! Check out our calendar!

Our March-April calendar is finally filling out! We've got a number of wonderful classes happening all around the city lined up for our first session. The classes we have so far are:
-Farming a city: permaculture intensive
-Worm Composting Extravaganza 
-Human Sexuality 
-Introductory Bicycle Mechanics 
-Suzuki Violin Practice Group
-Men & Feminism
-Films of the Czech Republic
-Food Manipulation
-Plumbing Basics 666
-Computer, Resume, & Internet Skills 101   
-Beginner & Intermediate Knot Tying
-Anarchy 101: An Introduction to Anarchist Thought & Practice
-Creative Writing
For dates, times, and other info, visit our calendar page.  You should also start seeing physical calendars posted up at different places around your neighborhood.
We have many more classes that we are still working toward getting on the calendar.  Most of the teachers of these classes only need to provide specific dates and/or locations.  So if you are a teacher who has proposed a class, or someone who is thinking of proposing a class in the future, please do everything that you can to have specific dates and locations for you class before you fill out a proposal form. This will make the next round of classes much easier for everyone.

Also, the Really Really Free Market has been set for March 13th at the Art House (1614 Esplanade).  Please come out!  The New Orleans Free School Network will be there along with some of the teachers for the courses in the upcoming session.  Students will be able to meet the teachers and sign up for courses at the Free Market.

Also, anyone planning on attending our next meeting (which would have been Monday, March 7th), should know that that meeting has been moved to Thursday, March 10th at 7pm at the Iron Rail due to Lundi Gras. Anyone is welcome to attend.

Happy Mardi Gras!


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Class proposal deadline extended until Feb. 18th

The New Orleans Free School Network has extended the class proposal deadline. Proposals for the March-April session will be accepted until Friday, February 18th. Many proposals have not included specific dates for classes. Please be specific when submitting a proposal.

For those of you that have submitted class proposals, thank you! We are getting very excited about the launch of the Free School Network in March. At the moment, we've got over a dozen wonderful sounding classes that are in the works for our first session. Please spread the word! We will be holding a Free School Network "meet & greet" at the Really Really Free Market on March 13th (location TBA, we'll keep you updated). So come out, meet some of the instructors, and grab a Free School calendar with the rest of your amazing free goodies.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Now accepting class proposals for March - May session! Due February 13th!

The New Orleans Free School Network is ready to start accepting class proposals! If you or someone you know is interested in teaching a class, you can either fill out the class proposal form on this website, or you will soon be able to find paper copies of the form at several locations including: the Alvar branch library, the Iron Rail, and the Ashe Cultural Arts Center. There will also be drop boxes at these locations to submit your class proposal. Class proposals for the March Calendar are due February 13th.

Following the submission of your proposal, you will be contacted with further information and you may be asked to produce a syllabus for your class to prove commitment to being a teacher.

Want to teach a class but don't know what? Visit our "Classes" page to see a list of sample classes that may jog your imagination.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Looking to begin offering classes on March 13!

The New Orleans Free School Network is coming!  For anyone who has ever wanted to learn new things from their community... For anyone who has something to share... For anyone who believes that the exchange of knowledge should not be dependent on the exchange of money... The Free School Network is here for you!

Beginning on March 13th, 2011 (coinciding with the New Orleans Really Really Free Market) the New Orleans Free School Network will be offering classes for members of the New Orleans community.  These classes will be taught by community members who have shown interest in holding a class on the subject of their choice.  Classes will be spread in different locations around the city with the intent to address specific communities needs (e.g. No dance classes in the Marigny, urban farming classes in the lower 9th, etc.)  Please let us know if you would like to teach a class or would like to see a class be taught!

The Free School Network aims to create a common ground where knowledge can be shared without threat of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, or dictatorial teaching style.  We are all teachers as well as students and we aim to create spaces in which everyone feels comfortable sharing skills and information.

The New Orleans Free School Network will also be acting as a nexus of information for free educational opportunities throughout the city.  We will be keeping a database of skillshares, discussion groups, and other classes in New Orleans that are operating outside of the Free School Network.

New updates we surely be coming, so check back soon to see about classes coming up!

If you'd like to get involved with the organizational work that is going into getting the Free School Network started, please come to our next meeting on Monday, January 31 7pm @ the Iron Rail (511 Marigny St.).