Why teach with Seattle Free School?

Our wonderful teacher, Irina tells you why she teaches with Seattle Free School right here:

I enjoy facilitating Seattle Free School classes because they bring together a really diverse mix of people from our community to learn something new in an informal and friendly setting. I teach Russian cooking classes, and it's so much fun for me to share my skills and knowledge with people who come to class unfamiliar with Russian cuisine and leave inspired to try and make a new dish in their home kitchen. People are always so appreciative of the instructor's willingness to take the time to teach the class and of the overall concept of the Seattle Free School and the broad array of classes that is available.

Thanks for sharing Irina!

Sew and Sew

Yet another great class coming up from Sew Up Seattle!

We're back to our regular class schedule in March, and we'll be Mending and Remaking. Bring your clothes that aren't quite up to par and see how you can extend their life or give them a whole new look or use. We also have garment parts left over from SewExpo's Upcycle-Rama to experiment with and plenty of fabric, notions, etc etc etc. This should be a fun one!

March 27, 2010
11am-1pm
at Goods for the Planet, 525 Dexter Avenue North, Seattle

www.sewupseattle.blogspot.com tells you more - like the time for the swap and how to register for the class.

DIY Eco-Friendly Hair Gel

Whether you regularly wear hair gel and are looking for a low-waste, body-friendly alternative, or are an historic reenactor looking for a period-correct way to style your hair, this easy do-it-yourself recipe for making hair gel is sure to fit your needs.

You’ll Need:
1 cup flax seeds
Enough water to cover the seeds
A pot for boiling
Non-reactive container for the resulting gel
Cloth scrap for filtering

Step 1. Boil the flax seeds for 15 minutes.

Step 2. Strain the flax seeds from the water mix, keeping the water mix in the non-creative container. Toss the flax seeds.

Step 3. Let the mixture set, until it has the consistency of mucus.

Step 4. Refrigerate and use as needed. This will keep for about 3 weeks, and can be used just as normal hair gel would be.

Bonus! This mixture isn’t tacky/sticky like regular gels can be. It washes out with water, and has a medium strength hold. In making your own gel, you’ll be reducing the waste generated by the production and packaging of gel. Also, this natural gel is more gentle on your hair and scalp, as it is 100% natural. Enjoy!

Thanks to Beth for this great quick class!

Free Permaculture Class!

There's a great new class/lecture from Sustainable Seattle "Can You Eat Your Lawn? Using Permaculture Tools to Create Edible Landscapes" on April 6th. This is a free public talk about productive, healthy, environmentally sound gardening by Laura Sweany, a puget sound native. There's more information about the class and Laura here.

We're All About Games!

Have you heard of that new game Urgent Evoke? It's basically a game with a cause. It's tag line is "a crash course in saving the world" and it's all about, well, all sorts of things around saving the world. Stuff that applies to real life. While we haven't played it a ton of our friends have, and more importantly it, and real life of course, is inspiring people to want to teach for Seattle Free School. How cool is that? Check out the post from "glim" here... looks like we'll be getting some great Organic Gardening classes soon!

So tell us, have you played Urgent Evoke? Do you like it? What did you learn? You know, because we're all about learning and we love games where you learn something. And, shhh, we were partially inspired by a game. Really! Second Life. Games you learn from are extra awesome. What have you learned from a game?

More GPS Classes!

Some of you may remember the fabulous Laura Seaver who taught our last GPS class. Well while she's not teaching with us this time she's offering FOUR more free GPS classes in partnership with Ride West. You can get to the official link here but for a run down of all the classes, here's what she sent to us...

There’s some more GPS Training coming up!

I’m teaching a 4 part workshop series at Ride West. This is designed to be a hands-on series where you learn and practice with your own GPS.

The classes are free, but because space is limited, you need to register ahead. To do so, call Ride West BMW at (206)527-5511 or (888)527-RIDE and speak to PARTS. Be sure to say for which sessions you are registering. You’re encouraged to attend all, but I know that won’t work for some folks.

All classes run Saturdays, 2 – 4 pm.

Part 1: Saturday, March 20, 2010: Introduction to GPS
What’s this gadget good for? A GPS can be a handy addition to your navigational tools. Learn how to make use of this powerful device. This session will cover what a GPS is; what it can do and what it can't do; and how to use your GPS before, during, and after an excursion. The session will also include a demonstration of some advanced GPS skills designed to show the potential of these devices.

Part 2: Saturday, March 27, 2010: Workshop A: Basic GPS skills
Bring your (fully charged) GPS! This is a hands-on workshop designed to teach you how to use the basic features of your GPS. Participants in this workshop are STRONGLY encouraged to attend March 20: Introduction to GPS. Feel free to come even if you don’t yet own a GPS – you’ll be able to see a variety of models in action.

Part 3: Saturday, April 3, 2010: Workshop B: Using a computer with the GPS
How can you get more out of your GPS by using it with your computer? What can you do before you travel and after you return? This is a primarily Garmin specific workshop covering MapSource for the PC and BaseCamp, RoadTrip, MapManager, and MapInstall for the Mac. Other topics include GoogleEarth and an overview of other GPS related software currently available. This will be largely a demonstration workshop, but feel free to bring your own laptop to follow along.

Part 4: Saturday, April 10, 2010: Workshop C: Intermediate GPS skills
Bring your (fully charged) GPS! This is a continuation of Workshop A – a hands-on workshop designed to teach you how to use your own GPS. We will continue exploring more advanced skills including customizing your GPS, designing and following intricate routes, and understanding advanced features.

For those of you who don’t know me, I’ve been using a GPS on my motorcycles for 10 years and have navigated through 34 countries so far (and still found my way home!). I also have teaching experience ranging from teaching middle school girls sea-kayaking to teaching college calculus and a whole lot of things in between.

As a side note (from Jessica), Laura was my own personal coach on my new GPS before my solo motorcycle trip to Baja. We spend an evening looking like complete dorks walking around the Greenlake area with our GPS units. ("Where are we? Oh look, there we are!"). Thanks to her I had a very successful trip in Baja, knew how to use my routable maps in the US to get me to the parts store bike barely running just before it closed for the weekend and generally had a much better idea of how to use my new toy then I ever would have without her help. She's a very personable teacher and is great sharing her love of this "toy" with others so make sure to check it out. It's well worth your time.