Seattle Free School

New classes!

2011-10-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

Dorothy's back! Yes, that's right, Dorothy our paper arts (and other talents!) teacher is back and teaching again this winter. In November she'll be teaching Sending “Artful” Mail. Can you see better holiday letters in your future?

And December she brings us “Jeans Never Die” Art. Here's a look at some of the great little storage pockets you'll be bringing to life in this class.

Remember to register at www.seattlefreeschool.org

Chicken Resources

2011-10-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

If you can't make it to our Keeping Chickens in the City class these resources should help you get started.

Resources
www.backyardchickens.com – This is a great site for everything related to your chickens. Not only does it have all the info you need to raise chickens but there’s a forum to help you find chickens, help deal with any health issues, you name it!
www.mypetchicken.com – You can order a small number of chicks here and also learn about breeds etc.
Seattle Tilth – Seattle Tilth site of chicken information
http://www.cityfarmer.org/chicken84.html - just some general info on keeping chickens in our the city including some funny stories

FOOD!
Chicken Food

Del’s Farm Supply- multiple locations
http://www.delsfarmsupply.com/

Organic Chicken Food
DeYoung’s Feed- Woodinville
425-483-9600

Hay’s Feed Store- Burien
206-242-8000

Walt’s Organic Fertilizer Co- Seattle
206-297-9092
www.waltsorganic.com

Skagit Farmers Supply
Multiple locations
http://www.skagitfarmers.com/

Bothell Feed Center- Bothell
425-481-8882

Grange Country Store Co-op, Issaquah
http://www.grangesupply.com/
(425) 392-6469

Chicks!
Lande Feed Store, Maple Valley
Monroe Feed Store, Monroe
Del’s Farm Supply, multiple locations
Bothell Feed Center, Bothell
Grange Country Store Co-op, Issaquah
Hay’s Feed Store, Burien
www.shankshatchery.com
www.mcmurrayhatchery.com – lots of rare breeds but have to order 20+ at a time
www.mypetchicken.com – can order as little as 3 chicks at a time!

Yahoo Group- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/seattlefarmcoop/join or their website here:
http://www.seattlefarmcoop.com/

New Article about Seattle Free School

2011-05-26T14:32:00.000-07:00

It's not a big surprise that as more people get to know us we're getting less press. We're not the new thing out there and that's just fine with us. That said, we always love it when folks decide we're worth sharing, either to their friends or in the news. With that in mind, check out this great article from Hello Seattle!

Just a reminder to all of our friends and fans out there that we LOVE it when you share what we do with your friends!

Why be a facilitator?

2011-04-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of reasons to become a facilitator at Seattle Free School. Many people just want to share their passion. Others know that it will help them with their presentation skills which can apply to anything from giving a speech to acing a job interview. Others want to inspire people to create art. This is Dorothy's reason. What's yours?

CHICKENS!

2011-04-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

Have you wanted to keep chickens but don't know where to start? Sharon, a recent "Keeping Chickens in the City" student had this to say about the class and her future plans:

"Thanks so much for the informative chicken class. You provided lots of useful information and answered so many of my questions. Next step for me is building the coop and picking up chicks -- hopefully ones that will turn out to be hens."

We have more classes posted and will keep having chickens classes all summer. Can't make it? You can learn a lot by vising BackYardChickens.com They even have a forum for chicken emergencies! Great resource!

Inchies!

2011-04-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

Our great instructor Dorothy is back at it with a new class on a very tiny form of art, Inchies! What are Inchies? Well here's Dorothy's description and some fantastic pictures. This will be a very fun class!

Incredible Inchies

Sunday, April 17, 2011
Time: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Location: Crown Hill United Methodist Church
8500 – 14th Avenue NW

Bus Routes #48 or #15
(Enter through the north parking lot door or the east handicap door and follow the signs to the Fellowship Hall.)

March’s workshop was Artist Trading Cards; April’s is Inchies--“very” miniature works of art that are 1 inch square to be traded or used to create a mosaic art piece. This workshop will provide all the paper materials and tools to make as many Inchies as you want. All crafters and artists, regardless of skill level, will enjoy creating and sharing their “masterpieces.” Come learn more about Inchies (and Twinchies, Rinchies, Rolos, and Moos). All ages are welcome--entire families are encouraged.

Facilitator
Dorothy Skans is a Seattle native and a life-long crafter. She joined Seattle Free School in order to pass along her love of paper art as well as to pass along her over abundance of paper.

Register by going to www.seattlefreeschool.org

Craigslist Foundation Boot Camp

2011-01-26T08:48:00.001-08:00

Did you know that Seattle Free School was at Craigslist Foundation Boot Camp last year talking about how to run a nonprofit without money? We were! And now there's lots of links for you to look at and listen to if you weren't able to make it.

Here's the link to the podcast.

Here's the link to our slides.

Here's a link to the brief interview we did after our talk.

And perhaps most importantly, here's a link to how Seattle Free School has helped bring grass roots activism to China!

Beacon Hill!

2010-12-15T18:35:00.000-08:00

Lots of folks are talking about our upcoming facilitator's class on Beacon Hill. Fortunately the Beacon Hill library has lots of great time availability so we're able to have a class there in the evening and hopefully bring Seattle Free School to the neighborhood.

Check out this great blog post about the upcoming class and thanks to both for helping us spread the word to the neighborhood.

Beacon Hill Blog post here

Mascarpone

2010-11-29T11:18:00.000-08:00

Check out this great write up on our Mascarpone cheese making class!

http://www.freshpickedseattle.com/freshest/2010/11/22/tips-from-seattle-free-schools-mascarpone-class.html

Urban Forestry and Paper!

2010-10-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

Well, that sort of goes together but we're actually talking about two very different classes. The first class is from our excellent teacher Dorothy who is teaching us yet again how to do great things with paper. Think that folding paper might be dull? Check out this great picture Dorothy sent with her class description!

Here's the full class description:
Paper Power—Folding, Cutting, and Rolling
Time: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Location: Crown Hill United Methodist Church
Here is your chance to get an early start on the holidays. This workshop consists of nine paper projects. Each project will be set up at a different station and you will move from station to station working on your favorites. Step-by-step instructions will be located at each station, and the facilitator will provide demonstrations as needed. All supplies and tools will be provided. You just need to come and have fun creating any one or all of the following projects (left to right on the photo): German stars, kirigami snowflakes, teabag folding, tree ornaments, iris folding, 3D snowflakes, pillow boxes, paper beads, and origami boxes. The workshop will start at 1:00 p.m. and you can stay until you are done (up to 4 hours). All ages are welcome—entire families are encouraged.

Date and Time:
Sunday, November 14, 1:00 to 5:00

Location:
Crown Hill United Methodist Church
8500 – 14th Avenue NW
Bus Routes #48 or #15

Facilitator:
Dorothy Skans is a life-long crafter and a Seattle native. She decided to join Seattle Free School in order to pass along her love of paper art as well as to pass along her over abundance of paper.

The next class is on Beginning Urban Forest Restoration and is actually a series of classes complete with Field Trips!

Beginning Urban Forest Restoration
Time: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Location: various
Enjoy being in a forest? Want to know more about what you can do to keep Seattle forests thriving? Learn some basic concepts & simple skills, and get connected with Seattle\'s network of volunteers taking care of our forests. 2 class days and 3 field days covering:

-Forest features
-Special issues for urban forests
-Plant structure
-Native plant identification
-Invasive plant identification
-Tool usage
-Invasive removal techniques
-Planting techniques
-Mulching
-Forest Management Plans
-Community connections
For the classes please bring: Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Pojar & Mackinnon
Optional: Wild Plants of Greater Seattle by Jacobson

For the field days please dress for the weather, with sturdy clothes & work boots Be prepared to get dirty. Gloves and tools will be provided.

Meeting Times and Locations:

To plan your trip by bus (expect some walking to get to Golden Gardens and Carkeek work parties). http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/

Class - Sunday December 5, 9:00 - 12:00. 9543 Greenwood Avenue North. Enter through the alley to the building\'s fenced patio door.

Field Day - Saturday December 11, 9:00 - 12:00 Monthly work party at Golden Gardens Park. 8498 Seaview Place. Gather south of the Dog Off Leash Area in the upper forest region.

Field Day - Sunday December 12, 9:00 - 12:00 Monthly work party at Landover Park 145th St. & 3rd Ave. NW. Meet at the park\'s entranceway.

Field Day - Saturday December 18, 9:00 - 12:00 Monthly work party at Carkeek Park 950 NW Carkeek Park Road. Follow the STARS signs to the meeting place. If you\'re not driving, you may want to consider taking the long, safer walk through the entrance on NW 100th Place & McAbee. Nice walk. When you get to the meadow past the water treatment facility, take the upper sidewalk to the meeting location.

Class - Sunday December 19, 9:00 - 12:00 9543 Greenwood Avenue North. Enter through the alley to the building\'s fenced patio door.

Feel free to call the facilitator with any questions 206/898-1006.

Rhonda Goebel
Golden Gardens Forest Steward

As always you can register for our classes by going to the Seattle Free School website: www.seattlefreeschool.org

Another Great Sew-Up Seattle Event!

2010-09-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

Here's something from Sew Up Seattle!

Sew Fun Bags 2010 – The Challenge

Hi All you Community Sewing Enthusiasts!

We are having another sewing recycling adventure this time with a twist. We are creating cloth bags at the Ballard Library Community Room (it is becoming a fall time habit – 3 years now) in conjunction with Sustainable Ballard and 350.org’s World Day of Service in order to call attention to climate change on Sunday 10-10-10. The twist is the challenge aspect. We will have only 10 machines and 3 hours to create as many bags as possible in that time. (I don’t think it is mathematically possible to do much more than 90 bags with experienced sewers who have had prep time.) Sew Up Seattle has procured plenty of fabrics, and Ballard Quality Sewing and Machine is loaning the machines. By providing an opportunity for people to come sew their own bags we will reduce the number of disposable bags generated. By teaching folks to sew, we increase the likelihood that even more reusable bags will be made, and used and reused.

We need people to volunteer for all shifts to guide work party participants through the process as well as brainstorming and gathering minimal material donations pre-event. If you have helped out before you know how much fun this is. We also need help getting the word out.

The volunteer roles that need to be filled are: Pre-event; -challenge brainstorming and notions gathering, Day of event; guides, coaches and machine monitors and clean-up reallocating of resources (We believe that no scrap is too small, we just don’t have room to store it all.) The work party day shifts are 12:30-2:30, 2:00-4:00 and 4:00-5:00. The Challenge will run from 1-4 but we will need time to set up and clear out.

Please let us know if you are interested in volunteering, what time you are available your preferred role (challenge brainstorm, gatherer, guide, coach or machine monitor. If you have questions or need more information let us know. sewupseattle@yahoo.com

Let the Challenge Begin!

Brand New Class- Discover Decoupage!

2010-09-21T18:10:00.000-07:00

Discover Decoupage

Always wanted to be an artist but thought you did not have the talent? Well, you do!

Decoupage is one of the most forgiving of the arts. In fact, you have probably been doing it since kindergarten or
before. After all, the basic materials are just paper, scissors, and glue.

We will start out discussing color, texture, pattern, design—and how to bring them all together. We will go over
where to find the “paper”—from junk mail to high-end coffee table books and everything in between. We will talk
about the five steps of the design process—picking the surface, theme, colors, background, and pictures. And then
we will start putting it all together.

The instructor has taken care of step 1 by providing basic, well-used, less-than-attractive, cardboard magazine
holders. She is also bringing along her collection of literally thousands of pictures, wallpaper samples, patterned
papers, and 3-D embellishments. She will have lots of decoupage medium (just white glue and water), brushes,
scissors—everything you will need to complete your art piece. You just need to promise to wear clothes that can get
dirty—it will get messy—and to help clean up at the end.

The session will start at 1:00 p.m. and you can stay until you are done (up to 4 hours). All ages are welcome—entire
families are encouraged.

Location:
Crown Hill United Methodist Church
8500 – 14th Avenue NW
Bus Routes #48 or #15
Enter through the north parking lot door or the east handicap door and follow the signs to the Fellowship Hall.

Facilitator:
Dorothy Skans is a grandmother, life-long crafter, sometimes frustrated artist, writer, editor, and document designer
as well as a Seattle native. Nearing retirement, she and her husband are planning to move to the Washington coast
and take up their hobbies full time. In the meantime, she has decided to join Seattle Free School in order to pass
along her love of paper art as well as to pass along her over abundance of paper.

Travel Info, FREE!

2010-09-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Hostelling International hosts free classes here in Seattle about different parts of the world and travelling? While I'm not going to this one (my travel bug is too strong to resist going and I don't need this temptation!) this would definitely be a great class to attend if you wish to go off the beaten tourist track. See a different world or stoke your travel fires with this great free event!

Travelling the Trans Siberian Railroad

Web Design Class

2010-08-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

Check out this great report from Jon, our Web Design class teacher!

For a short while, I wondered what I'd gotten myself into. I'm a web designer and developer. I'd done this for many years, and I was eager to teach it to other eager minds. But web design is not a small, nor easily defined, topic. The sheer volume of acronyms and buzzwords can induce uncomfortable head spinning.

On the other hand, coordinating with Seattle Free School was a breeze. Jessica was a perfect balance of professional and approachable. She gave me great insights on planning, and what to cover. What's more, she knew folks at Seattle Public Library were interested in very generously lending us some space in their computer labs. It was a perfect match.

So, I decided to put it out there. One class, an hour and a half long. We'll see who signs up, and what we can get done in that time. Both the Free School and the Public Library listed the event on their calendar, and the class seats filled up in a hurry!

I put together a loose outline of what I wanted to cover, authored a few Powerpoint slides, and decided on a good approach for teaching such a large topic. I designed a basic layout, that we could tackle in class and code ourselves.

Teaching day came. I showed up early to get the room setup. The facilities were perfect, replete with dry erase boards, nice computers, a projector screen, the whole nine yards. Library staff were super helpful, and went out of their way to help get the computers setup for the class. Folks started filing in early, taking seats and eager to learn.

The class was nearly a full house, and a lot of fun. We talked about HTML and how to structure good semantic markup. We had a good side talk about how Google works, and how to make your site easy to find. Then, we moved on to start building the design I'd laid out for them, and styling it with CSS. I'd walk through brief explanations of what different pieces of code do, then we'd all write them in our code editor (Notepad!). Along the way, I could see eyes light up across the room when small bits of code they'd written turned into something they were proud of, piece by piece. Not unlike giving someone a robot making kit, and watching their machines come alive.

We couldn't get through every piece of the design I was hoping we'd finish -- my time constraints proved to be a bit too optimistic. But, I promised that we would have more classes like these in the future, and allot more time to the subject at hand. Once time expired, they all filed out with warm smiles and a sincere thanks. It felt really awesome to teach folks a new skill, and I hope to do many more of these in the future.

I want to extend a huge thanks to Seattle Free School, all of the nice folks at Seattle Public Library, and everyone who came out to learn a little web design! I look forward to doing it again in the future. :)

First Official Partnership!

2010-08-05T08:57:00.001-07:00

Check this out! We now have our first class where we are officially partnering with the Seattle Public Library. Very exciting and hopefully more great computer classes to come. Thanks a ton to our instructor Jon for helping us get this scheduled!

Free Homesteading Classes

2010-07-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

Our friend Leslie at Fresh Picked Seattle has written this great post about free classes all over the city to get your homestead going. Lots of great resources so check it out here.

Two brand new classes!

2010-07-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

Oddly both of these classes are for the same day so you'll just have to choose which one you want to go to. The great news is that at least one of these instructors has shown interest in teaching again so hopefully it won't be the last time for either class.

Here's the info:

Tue, Aug 24:

HTML CSS An Intro to Design for the Web
Time: 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Location: Central Library
HTML / CSS - An Introduction to Designing for the Web

You know, the web! That thing we use everyday to find answers, buy stuff, check email, and Facebook our buddies. There is a lot of interaction and publishing happening there, but how does it all really work? How does all that code translate to a pretty interface on your screen?

This hands-on class aims to teach you the basics of HTML and CSS -- the two languages of the web that make pretty things happen on your screen. Learn how to author well-structured HTML pages, and layer on a gorgeous coat of CSS paint. Come tackle these skills in a fun, approachable learning environment.

This class is at the Central Branch of the Seattle Public Library. Located at 1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle, WA 98104 the class itself will take place at the small computer lab on Level 4, Room 3 (on the “red floor”).

The class size is limited due to the size of the lab so please register early and let us know if you won\'t be able to make the class so that someone else may take your space.

Overweight and Overwhelmed?
Time: 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Location: Greenlake Library
Overweight and Overwhelmed?

So was I. Let me share with you my journey from the unknowing, confusion, fad diets, food deprivation, exercise obsession, self doubt, loss of control and surrender to acceptance, understanding, action and self actualization.

Are you interested in starting your own unique journey to wellness?

In our time together we will learn how to identify your unique journey, gather the tools needed for this journey, create an action plan and learn how to design a fitness program that works for you.

Facilitator: Joles Tahara, founder of Walkabout Journeys, has over 35 years of experience struggling to manage weight. Over the course of her valiant weight battles, she has gained and lost over 800 pounds. Joles combines her years of management leadership skills with her personal fitness training background to integrate a whole system approach to optimum wellness.

Register on the website here.

More free classes!

2010-07-02T17:18:00.001-07:00

Check out this great blog post from our friend Leslie Seaton on free and low cost cooking school classes! Yup, she talks about Seattle Free School too.
Seattle Budget Events Examiner

What free classes on cooking would you like to see offered at Seattle Free School? Reply to this post to let us know and maybe we can get a class on the books!

New Classes!

2010-06-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

We've got two new classes posted!

The first is a series on Happiness by author Cecile Andrews. Explore research findings about the nature of authentic happiness, how to make individual changes, and the importance of a Gross National Happiness standard.

Second we have Making Informed Decisions about what you Eat and Drink with Summer. You'll explore food and the choices you make.

Learn more about both classes by going to the Seattle Free School website here.

Green Festival

2010-06-07T10:31:00.001-07:00

This weekend we spoke at the Seattle Green Festival. 25 people passed up hearing Amy Goodman of Democracy Now to learn more about Seattle Free School and what we do. Not one of these people had ever been to a Seattle Free School class so hopefully we've recruited a few new students and at least one person expressed interest in teaching. Did you go? What did you think?

We also got a great write up on Culture Mob by Alyson Lewis. Check it out here.

Updating our Website... we need your help!

2010-05-26T06:23:00.000-07:00

Howdy all! As some of you know we got a new website a year or so ago that works great for posting classes. Sadly we've been slackers on updating the other bits and pieces of the site and so now it's time. Here's the help we need from you:

PICTURES!
We've got some great class pictures but because we tend to be the people standing up front teaching we also don't have nearly as many as we'd like. Do you have some great Seattle Free School pictures? If so please post them on flickr and tag them seafreeschool or just email them to us at seattlefreeschool@gmail.com

OTHER FREE CLASSES!
Sadly a number of the free class spaces we have posted on the site have gone away but at the same time we know there are lots of other places offering free classes. If you know of a place that regularly has free classes please email us at seattlefreeschool@gmail.com so we can get these posted on the web!

Thanks all and see you at a Seattle Free School class soon!

The Art and Science of Listening

2010-05-25T06:18:00.000-07:00

Blah Blah Blah Blah, wait, what did you say?

Want to become a more effective listener? Want to build a better team?

Well we have two new classes posted in a series of six set to help you learn the Seven Critical Competencies of Teams.

The first class is the Art and Science of Listening and will focus on our different listening styles, and how those styles impact our success in working with others.

The second class is an introduction to the concept of polarities – the key to the most intractable problems.

And eventually we'll have four more classes posted in the series.

You can sign up for one or both of the currently posted classes here.

Get Soapy!

2010-05-24T06:16:00.000-07:00

Maybe you've always wondered how soap is made. Maybe you've seen Fight Club and wonder if it's true about Lye. Maybe you just like fancy soap but don't want to spend the fancy dollars for it.

Well we have a class for you. On June 9th we'll be hosting a Hot Process Soap Making class at the Cascade People's Center. The class starts promptly at 7pm and will go for just a bit less than 2 hours.

Come ready to take notes and learn how to make your own soap at home!

Sign up here.

Notes from our Leadership Class

2010-05-04T19:44:00.001-07:00

Today we had a great Leadership class. If you missed it here are the notes including information on how you can grow your leadership potential:

“Leadership is the artful capacity to induce desirable results with and through others. Great leaders think, listen, speak and act in a way that inspires people to give more than is needed to produce more than what is expected (without the use of fear).”

This was the starting quote for this evenings leadership class put on by Lain Kahlstrom and Seattle Free School. Here are the talking points incase you missed it.

Leadership changes over time and our ability to lead changes over time. It’s not that you’re born with it but that you can grow into it.

Stages of Leadership (wherever you are right now, try on a stage further along to help you grow) You’ll understand people in an earlier stage but you’ll be confused by someone at a later stage of development. When things are going well we are at the leading edge of our development or growth. When things are challenging or really hard we will revert back to earlier stages. Tend to dislike people in stages before you or be hostile to how things are done in the stage directly before you.

Opportunist- Kids stage. 1st person, time frame is now, world is hostile, actions are only bad if caught, compete for power and goods, everything is win/lose, focus on immediate needs, self protection and opportunities, react to feedback as a threat or attack, relationships are volatile, influence by coercion/taking over, ego-centric. No concept of trusting others. Conflict is solved with whatever helps me get what I want which is commitment as well. They say: “They’re all mad at me” “My way or the highway”

Diplomat- Kids stage (teens through college). Past and today time frame, conforming, Sense of importance from status of group, focus is socially acceptable behavior and approval, feedback is disapproval or reminder of norms, people are either friends or enemies. Ethnocentric “us vs. them” “we”. This is the way things have always been done so that’s how we behave now. Trust those in inner circle, conflict is to be avoided at all costs, commitment is to following rules, attention is keeping up with others and approval from others. They say: “Family comes first”, “I just want things to be stable”, “I’ve got one of those (we do that) too”

Expert- 35% of leaders adult (college age), time frame is in months, want to be accepted because different or special, sense of superiority, have it all figured out, focus is expertise, procedure and efficiency “should” “ought”, many solutions to problems but prioritize poorly. Sense of humor is to ridicule or become hostile, early world-centric “all of us” Tend to say we should do something but prioritizing is lacking and thus follow through/deliverables suffer. Trust those in their inner circle and experts in their fields but no one else. No interest in fields outside of what they know. Conflict is OK because it’s a chance to tell people what they know. Like perfection, want everything to be 100%, tactical, problem-solving orientation. No larger view of creating a team or group. Feedback is taken very personally, defends position and dismisses feedback by those not seen as an expert. Dismiss anyone that isn’t ahead of them. Style is to either strongly assert themselves or hold back to accommodate others. Supervisor not manager. Focus on small improvements inside of unit rather than bigger pictures. They say: “Yes, but”, “I’m sooo busy”, “They can’t do it without me”, “I know a better way to do that”, “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about”. Inspire an antagonistic feedback from others show a rigidity towards other ideas. Focused on impressing those above them. Refusal to accept others ideas, especially those under them in rank. Don’t motivate to develop themselves.

Achiever- 45% of leaders Time frame 1-3 years, self esteem depends on achievement, can lead to exhaustion, focus is on delivery of results, effectiveness, goals, and success within system, leads with logic, experience, information. Guilt is central emotion, self-criticism can be severe, world-centric (all of us). Getting things done, hard rational truth. Trust is on all previous experience and objective science. Conflict as assertiveness, opportunity though a little less attacking, attention is to results, did we get done what we said we would do- outcome! Was the outcome efficient and effective. Leadership is strategic. Will accept or even initiate feedback if helpful to outcomes, leads teams in meetings to gain buy-in to own views, initiatives include strategies to gain buy -in still includes how I get everybody to agree with me. “it’s all about the results” “how can we do this more efficiently” “what is this statement based on (what are the facts)” “I need to take a class to do my work better”

Individualist- Timeframe is 1-10 years, able to see through other’s eyes, their view is valid as one’s own. Distrust conventional wisdom and focus is on self in relation to system/integration with system. Leads by ignoring or adapting rules, inventing new rules, airs difference and discusses issues. Can speak and listen from multiple perspectives without being attached to them. Planet-Centric “sentient us” Trust is in inner voices and subjective processes. Conflict is non-violent communication and “I” messages. Attention to results is focused on did we lose sight of the quality and authenticity of the process along the way? Leadership is visionary, facilitative orientation. Welcomes feedback (feedback junky), wants a highly participative team, more facilitative and wants open exchange of views. Initiatives often include organizational development and team development. They say: “That depends on the context” “Rules are made to be broken” “Let’s meet to talk about it and make sure we hear from everyone” “All people are good, society makes them bad, there is no evil”

Book “Leadership Agility” by Josephs and Joiner

Transformative Practices to help the Expert grow
Prioritize ideas
Visualize results 1 year out, 5 years out
Learn and practice Non Violent Communication
Daily or weekly self-reflection, meditation schedule comparing results with intentions-
goal is to reflect in the moment so you can respond in the moment.
Operate from the idea of Achiever and start to think the way an Achiever sounds and behaves
“Achieve desired outcomes consistent with your values”
Sell the idea of being an expert at achievement

Transformative Practices to help the Achiever grow
Invite and identify at least 3 perspectives per issues
Visualizing results 10-20 years out
Shift goal from results to more functional team, organization
Twice daily self-reflection schedule, meditation
Understand and operate from Individualist capacities
Know what the next stage looks like and “try it on”
Reflect in the moment and create context and processes that are meaningful to everyone
Sell the idea of Achieving success as an Individualist

Transformative Practices to help the Individualist grow
Prioritize perspectives to find the “best” one
Uncover assumptions- what assumptions am I making
Everyone’s perspective is true and partial (including your own)
Hourly or in-the-moment self-reflection schedule, meditation
Understand and operate from Strategist capacities

Strategist- Time frame is 3-21 years (own history and lifetime), Crucial new capacity-realize one’s own power to generate meaning and to tell a new story, consciously commit to creating a meaningful life, can perceive systemic patterns and long-term trends, better able to take a stand from a relative position, feedback doesn’t hurt, focus is on linking theory and principles with practice, dynamic systems interaction and personal development. Leads by reframing, reinterpreting such that decisions support overarching principles. Planet-centric- society and others with similar principles. OK with letting go and detaching from what we said we were going to do and going a completely different direction. Trust is based on their own principles, conflict is an opportunity and a projection of others is not necessarily a reflection on self but on other. Commitment is to process and outcome of a vision, making an impact on the world. Accountability is to realize a larger vision “have we achieved our vision while staying true to our principles?” Leadership is based on shared purpose and collaboration and is very flexible on vision. Invites feedback for self-actualization but hold someone else’s opinion as their own and don’t personalize it. Teams develop a collaborative leadership team, prefers consensus but will use authority when needed. Organizations characterized by relationships. They say: “In service to the greater good” “Help me understand your thinking” “How can we take this to the next level” “Let’s look at this as a growth opportunity”

Magician- Time more than 1 generation beyond own lifetime, Life is not what I want but rather what does life want from me, focus is on inner conflict around existential paradoxes and intrinsic problems of language and meaning making. First stage that looks at all experiences in terms of change and evolution, capable of perceiving the structure of their own thinking processes. Lead by reframing, clowning, reflecting back- often behind the scenes. Tend to be out of normal synch for others. Early cosmic-centered. Trust in the illusory nature of reality (reality doesn’t exist outside myself). Conflict can be playful, “cool, I’m a jerk but how?”. Commitment is to understanding complexity, questioning commitments and the assumptions behind them and everything else, clear definitions. Leadership is holistic. Feedback loops as natural and essential for learning and change but doesn’t own it. Team leadership is fluid and uniquely suited to situation at hand. Empathetic awareness of conflicting stakeholder interests. Synergistic intuitions. Can make odd synergies happen and can put together crazy discordant data points to come together to create new idea. They say: “It’s all made up anyway!” “It’s two sides of the same coin” “The map is not the territory” They will notice that which arises as an object of their own awareness.

Ironist and beyond…

General Transformative Practices Anyone Can Use:

Awareness practices (meditation, self-observation practices, journaling)- set a timer to go off every hour and take 30 seconds to notice how you feel mentally, emotionally etc.

Grapple with big questions: what are you up to in the world? What do you stand for? What’s the future that wants to emerge through you? What does the world want from you?

Join a learning organization

Appreciate that everyone’s perspective is both true and partial, including your own

Notice that which arises, as an object of your own awareness

Know and share your intentions

Mozzarella Recipe

2010-05-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

Mozzarella can be a very difficult cheese to make. It will turn out like cheese but quite often it will not stretch correctly. Lots of recipes are harder than they need be so here's a great simple recipe that (usually) works.

2 gallons cold milk
3 teaspoons citric acid (this may vary with the milk taking more or less)
Liquid Rennet
Mesophilic starter packet (optional)

dissolve citric acid in warm water and stir into cold milk
Bring milk temp up to 90 degrees
You may add lactic culture to develop flavor (1 packet of Mesophilic starter culture)
stir in 1 teaspoon liquid rennet diluted in 1 cup of water
Let set for 1/2 hour cut into small cubes
stir gently slowly raising temperature to 95
When curds settle to bottom of vat
drain off whey and cover curds with 145 degree water
Stretch curds , form balls and drop in cold water

Let us know how this recipe works for you!

Hey, look what we made! 3D Design Workshop

2010-04-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

Check out this great post from Larry our excellent instructor at the recent Seattle Free School class "Thought to Thing in 2hrs or Less 3D Print and Design Workshop"

And just in case you want to make your own, modify the design or just look at the process Larry has posted information on the make itself right here.

More about Chickens

2010-04-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Check out this article about Urban Chickens. We're wondering, have you started keeping chickens thanks to a Seattle Free School class? Let us know in the comments here!

PS, sadly two of the chickens in the above picture were lost to raccoons in a particularly bad raccoon year. The black chicken Ginger has been in multiple magazine publications (she's a super star!) and is still laying almost an egg a day even though she's over 5 years old! She starts laying in late February even before the younger chickens do.

Why Teach?

2010-04-15T08:25:00.000-07:00

We asked Cara, our friend and instructor of the very popular Pasta Making classes why she chose to teach with Seattle Free School. Here's what she said:

I have attended three Seattle Free School classes (cheese making, soap making and canning) and have really enjoyed them. I love the idea of the Seattle Free School, and the ability to go to a class for a night to learn something new and fun has been great. I taught making pasta because it is something I never realized you could make at home until a coworker explained that it is just eggs and flour.

The classes I have attended all seemed to be of the same idea, that you hear from someone how to make something on your own that you would never think to try, and hear the tricks to be successful. I hope to continue to take new classes and teach classes to give back to this great organization because it was nice to see how excited everyone was to learn this simple skill.

More Pasta Please!

2010-04-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

Wish you could have made it to our last pasta class? Don't fret, there's a new one posted just today and it includes Gnocchi as well! So come to this class and get your pasta on!

Get out your (3D) Glasses!

2010-04-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

We know that many of you are super excited about the upcoming 3D Print and Design Workshop that's coming up but here's a great post from our instructor about what this class is all about.
If you go to this class let us know what you think and if you'd like to share more exciting geeky knowledge (hope you don't mind me calling you a geek Larry!) then let us know because we'd love to hear from you too!

Tiramisu

2010-04-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this great post on our "From Cheese to Tiramisu" class, complete with recipes! You will make some of the best tiramisu you've ever had all because of the homemade cheese. One of the easiest and most impressive deserts out there!

Other Great DIY Resources

2010-04-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hey, check out this article by Audrey Barbakoff about DIY resources to give back in the Seattle area. And yes, we're there too!

Do you know other resources for giving back and DIY? We know about Sew Up Seattle but we're sure there's more. Share them by making a comment here!

Why teach with Seattle Free School?

2010-03-23T11:15:00.001-07:00

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

2010-03-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-03-12T07:38:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-03-10T21:40:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-03-04T15:38:00.000-08:00

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.

Look at us, getting national recognition

2010-02-23T06:33:00.000-08:00

Some time ago I was introduced to Dafna of the 50 in 52 Journey, an organization "helping you take your ideas off of the couch and put them into action in your communities". I thought that Seattle Free School would be a great project for her Journey as that's exactly what we're trying to do and we're doing it without money! So just last week we talked about Seattle Free School and here's a link to her great blog post

This year we work to bring this idea to other communities, not just about Free Schools but about how each community can make change without money. It's possible and you folks here have made that happen. People really do care!

You can learn more about the 50 in 52 Journey here.

And for those of you that would like to see people in communities empowered to make the change they seek, please

vote for Seattle Free School here!

It's easy, just a click, no registration required.

Finally, thanks to all of you for making this possible.

PASTA!

2010-02-12T07:03:00.000-08:00

OK, this class has us hungry! If you've always loved fresh pasta but don't want to pay the high prices this is the class for you. Not only is pasta easy to make but it's extra delicious when you make it at home. This class will start by making pasta from simply flour and eggs, then we will move on to make our pasta into butternut squash ravioli.

This class is filling up fast so register here!

Improv Class

2010-02-03T06:40:00.000-08:00

Well, Julian our excellent Improv teacher has stepped up again. We just posted a two day workshop which starts on March 3rd. Sign up soon because each of our last classes have filled up very quickly.

Here's the info:
Whether you are a seasoned performer or have never been in front of a group of people in your life, this improvisation class is for the curious, the daring, or those who just want to have a heck of a lot of fun playing games that will sharpen your ear, mind and body and build on your ability to work and play as a team. Students are asked to commit to attending both classes which will be held on March 3rd and 4th from 7-9pm. The sign up for the series is posted on the first class date March 3rd.

The Cascade Peoples Center is at 309 Pontius Avenue North,Seattle, WA 98109

Sign up here!

Urban Farm Hub

2010-01-28T20:57:00.001-08:00

Check out this cross post at Urban Farm Hub. Let's see if we can get even more chicken classes (and some goat classes too). Soon Seattle will be overrun with farm!

Free class on how to be Veggie

2010-01-28T06:43:00.000-08:00

If you're wanting to stop eating meat (or probably even just eat less of it) there's a free class in the Greenwood area just for you. Vegetarians of Washington is putting on a free nutrition and cooking class at the Upper Crust on Greenwood Avenue. Most importantly the cooking class offers lots of samples to taste! For more information and to register check out their site here. And thanks Ann for the tip!

Free Science Educational Events!

2010-01-26T06:55:00.000-08:00

OK, so yes, Seattle Free School is working on getting robots (classes that is, not bots to do our dirty work, whatever that would be) but in the meantime you can learn more about all sorts of sciencey stuff by checking out Science on Tap. Not only do you get smart but you get smart for free! Just like at Seattle Free School! Check out their upcoming events here: http://scienceontap.org/

Another Russian Cooking Class!

2010-01-08T15:12:00.000-08:00

Irina, our wonderful Russian cooking instructor has decided to teach yet again! Her new class is called Borscht, Two Ways and will teach you how to make both a cold and a hot version of this classic Russian soup.

You can register for this new class here.

West Seattle peeps! Grow your community!

2009-12-31T06:24:00.000-08:00

Do you live in West Seattle? Seattle Free School has been trying to grow it's presence there since the beginning but we've not been successful. Now's the time to help out by sharing your skills in your own hood. So come to this class and learn what it takes to facilitate a Seattle Free School class!

Sign up here!

Change of day for "From Cheese to Tiramisu" Class

2009-12-30T11:46:00.000-08:00

If you are signed up for the "From Cheese to Tiramisu" Class there's been a change of date. The class will now be on Wednesday the 27th of January. If you have any questions just contact us at seattlefreeschool@gmail.com

Ride a Motorcycle? A great free class coming up soon!

2009-12-29T18:43:00.000-08:00

If you ride a motorcycle you know about not being seen. At least once someone has pulled out in front of you, pulled into your lane, or just cut you off. Hopefully you got through it without injury to you or your bike. One way or the other it'd be nice to know what you can do to protect yourself and stay safe on the road.

Well with that in mind, David Hough, author, motorcycle guru and recent inductee to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, will be offering a class "Why don't they see us?". The class is free, great price especially to hear such an expert talking about such an important subject.

The class is bright and early at 8am on Saturday, January 2nd and you'll want to register to make sure you get a seat.

Here's the link.

Great write up on the recent Russian Cooking Class!

2009-12-24T06:32:00.000-08:00

Check out what was written about the recent Russian Cooking Class. And if you missed it, don't worry, Irina has said she'd like to teach again!

Holiday cooking in the Russian tradition

Two New Daytime Classes!

2009-12-23T06:13:00.000-08:00

For those of you who work at night, on weekends or just want to take a long lunch break from work we now have two classes posted for daytime, weekday hours! Thanks to Street Bean Espresso we'll have semi regular daytime classes. If you'd like to see even more daytime classes then please do come to the first class, Facilitating a Seattle Free School Class and help spread your knowledge. Or perhaps you'd like to keep chickens this year and want to get information before the chicks come in this spring. Either way you'll be covered in the new year. Here's the information... and please remember to register for the classes by going to the website, www.seattlefreeschool.org

Thu, Jan 21:
Facilitating a Seattle Free School Class
Time: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Location: Street Bean Espresso
Come learn what it takes to facilitate a Seattle Free School class. How to plan for your class, locations, etc will all be covered in this class/meeting. It is easier then you think and you do not have to be a professional in the field to teach a class. Learn how to share your skills with your community!

Wed, Feb 17:
Keeping Chickens in the City
Time: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Location: Street Bean Espresso
This class covers the basics of keeping chickens in the city. It includes information on starting with chicks, feed, housing requirements and resources to continue your chicken education. Enrollment for this class is limited so please sign up early and let us know if you can\'t attend.

The class is at Street Bean Espresso. Street Bean Espresso is a nonprofit Belltown café that provides job training and employment for young adults working to exit street life. You can find it at 2702 Third Ave. Seattle, WA 98121. For more information on the location please see http://streetbeanespresso.org/

Nature Printmaking workshop- for adults and kids!

2009-12-04T06:32:00.000-08:00

Another great class from the Seattle Public Library! Learn how to create unique and colorful nature-themed block prints on tree-free paper with the Nature Consortium and Seattle Public Library. This class, like all other library events and programs, is FREE FREE FREE! Check out the class this Saturday here.

Genealogy

2009-12-03T06:22:00.000-08:00

A number of people who attend our "Getting your Irish Citizenship" class are also looking for help with the Genealogical research portion of the process. While we don't offer courses in Genealogy the Seattle Public Library does, and like Seattle Free School, their classes are free! They have a great class coming up in January that will help you learn how to research your genealogy (Irish or otherwise) using the resources available on the Seattle Public Library's Web site. You can find out more about this class here.

Holiday Make It Fair is in full swing... a report from last night's class

2009-12-02T19:15:00.000-08:00

Beth, our great facilitator from last night's sewing class had this to say about the class:

Last night's sewing class went really well! With a small number of students, most of whom brought their own machines, we were able to get everyone sewing relatively quickly. All the ladies left with fabulous skirts (some with two skirts), and I have no doubt they will be sewing up their tote bags, mod dresses, and more skirts in the future. Once again, I was impressed at how friendly and welcoming my students were, and deeply grateful to them for their patience and willingness to assist each other during the workshop. I can't wait to teach this class again!

And we're looking forward to Beth's next class too!

There's two more classes in our Make It Fair schedule so it's not to late to get your craft on! Sign up at www.seattlefreeschool.org

Print a flyer!

2009-11-23T06:36:00.000-08:00

Want to help Seattle Free School? Then print out one or two of these flyers and hang them in your local coffee shop, work, church or school. Easy to do and keeps us from having to flyer your neighborhood when you're already there! Thanks for helping us spread the word.

Link to the flyer here.

Facilitator Class Location

2009-11-18T06:56:00.000-08:00

Have you been thinking about facilitating a class with Seattle Free School but aren't quite sure where to start or if you're ready? We can help you with that! Monday, November 23rd at 8pm we'll be having a Facilitators class to address just those concerns. We'll discuss the spaces we have for use, how we promote your class and how to get rolling with facilitating. Coming to the class is really the best way to work one on one with an experienced facilitator to get you started sharing your knowledge with your community. This class with be held at Espresso Vivace located at 227 Yale Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109. Sign up on the website (www.seattlefreeschool.org) and hope to see you there!

Russian Cooking Class!

2009-11-16T18:20:00.000-08:00

Great new class posted just today! Irina was born and raised in Moscow and now comes to Seattle Free School to teach us how to cook delicious Russian food, just in time for the holidays!
Here's the description:
Salads and appetizers are an integral part of the Russian holiday table. Just in time for Christmas and New Year's, you can learn to make beet salad, Russian potato salad, eggplant "caviar," and other delicious and healthy dishes and add a Russian twist to your holiday cooking.

As always you can sign up for the class by going to the website, www.seattlefreeschool.org and if you'd like to know more about Irina you can check out her website here.

From Cheese to Tiramisu

2009-11-13T15:50:00.001-08:00

That's right, we have a brand new class posted. In this class you not only learn how to make cheese but you also learn how to turn it into fabulous tiramisu!

A great beginning cheese class and also a great class for anyone that wants to make truly fantastic tiramisu.

As noted on the website, please sign up for this one early as our last class was well over 100 people and we're limiting attendance for this one to 100 people.

Here's the link to the class. Hope to see you there!

Supporting the Library

2009-11-11T06:44:00.000-08:00

As many of you know Seattle Free School got it's start at the Seattle Public Libraries and we continue to use the facilities at the libraries regularly. Indeed without the ability to use the libraries it's likely that Seattle Free School wouldn't have gotten off the ground, or at least not been as successful. For that reason, Clare, one of our great facilitators, spoke out about the cuts to funding and hours for the library. Here's the report from the Friends of the Library:
http://friendsofspl.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/1979/

Holiday Make It Fair!

2009-10-06T06:25:00.000-07:00

Wish you could get off the spending bandwagon for the holidays and give gifts with a bit more meaning? Well Seattle Free School is going to help you with that. Come to our Make It Fair and learn how to make quick, easy and inexpensive gifts. We'll be having the fair at the Cascade People's Center (309 Pontius Ave N) during the first week of December so you can get started making gifts early! Here's a quick look at the classes offered for this years fair (you can register and get the supplies list on the website, www.seattlefreeschool.org ):

Tue, Dec 1:
Quick and Easy Gifts and Treasures from your Recycle Bin
Time: 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM

Come learn to make quick and easy gifts and treasures from your recycle bin.
You will learn various techniques to stretch holiday dollars. Tin stars, Ornaments decoupage office sets, cork trivets all will be made!

Wed, Dec 2:
Rubber Stamping Gifts
Time: 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM

Wish your cards were a bit more personal? Want to give a letter writer a beautiful homemade gift? Well then join us for this great Rubber Stamping class. Make packets of greeting cards and gift tags to give as holiday gifts or make holiday cards to inscribe and mail. Teacher will provide stamps, ink, and card stock (sorry, no envelopes!). Bring your own supplies if you have them and get started making your own holiday gifts!

Thu, Dec 3:
Hot Process Soap Making
Time: 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM

Come learn to make soap the easy way. Hot process soap making means your soap is ready to use as soon as it's cooled off! We'll also be discussing cold process soap making while our soap cooks.

Fri, Dec 4:
The 20 Minute Skirt and Recycle that T-Shirt!
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Want to learn how to make a quick, easy skirt and/or dress and/or tote bag out of materials you may already have? This class is for you! Whether you are an expert sewer or a beginner, you'll be able to make at least one of the items taught in this class. You are welcome to bring a sewing machine and the materials listed at www.seattlefreeschool.org for the project you'd like to do, or just bring some paper and a pen for taking notes about how to make these at home.

Write a Novel- New Class Posted!

2009-09-30T06:28:00.000-07:00

Fri, Oct 9:
National Novel Writing Month
Time: 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Location: Pilot Books (219 Broadway E, Seattle, Wa 98102- Capitol Hill area)
Ever wanted to write a novel but lacked motivation? Well November is your month. Get the skinny on what NaNaWriMo is, how to prepare for it, how to get involved and stay motivated, and the joy of writing a novel in 30 days!

Go to the website to register and get ready to write!
www.seattlefreeschool.org

Free is GOOD!

2009-09-24T06:25:00.000-07:00

Wishing you could save a bit more money and still have fun? Well there's a website that can help you with that! http://freeattle.wordpress.com/ is the project of Leslie Seaton who also does www.freshpickedseattle.com

At this site she lets us know where we can go for free resources to help with all sorts of things, from health issues to getting a job to just having fun.

Check it out and let us know if you find something free that we all really should know about!

Free Investing Class

2009-09-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

Wondering what to do in this market? Well here's a link to some free classes to take the guesswork out of investing. Check it out here.

New Record for Class Size!

2009-09-17T06:46:00.000-07:00

Last night Seattle Free School held the biggest class on record thus far! 120 people came to the Cascade People's Center to learn to make cheese. While the size of the class limited any hands on participation students left with a good idea of how and where to start their cheesemaking journey. Thank you to everyone who attended for helping us break our record and prove to everyone that you can indeed get the word out about what you do without paying for marketing (something we were told was virtually impossible when we started!).

One thing we discussed at the class is how hard it can be to make mozzarella. Not so much that making the cheese is difficult but that getting it right can be very difficult for the home cheese maker purchasing milk from the store. As promised here's a recipe that is a bit easier and less likely to fail, meaning that you'll wind up with actual mozzarella instead of perfectly delicious but not quite what you intended pizza type mozzarella.

Enjoy!

Mozzarella
2 gallons cold milk
3 teaspoons citric acid (this may vary with the milk taking more or less)
1. Dissolve citric acid in warm water and stir into cold milk.
2. Bring milk temp up to 90 degrees.
3. You may add lactic culture to develop flavor.
If so add one small packet of Mesophilic starter and let set for 30 minutes.
4. Stir in 1 teaspoon liquid rennet.
5. Let set for 1/2 hour
6. Cut into small cubes, stir gently, slowly raise temperature to 95.
7. When curds settle to bottom of vat , drain off whey and cover curds with 145 degree water.
8. Stretch curds , form balls and drop in cold water.

Biggest Class Ever!?!

2009-09-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

Last week at our Canning and Home Food Preservation class we had 75 students. So far that's the biggest Seattle Free School class ever but we have another class coming up that looks to blow that attendance out of the water. Tonight we're teaching how to make cheese and we have 140 people signed up! We'll see how many turn up but this might well be the largest class we've ever had. Why such a huge turn out? Because lots of great folks have cross posted the class information all over the city. Here's an example.

Check back and see if we've managed to break our class attendance record!

Seattle Public Library

2009-09-15T06:30:00.000-07:00

Did you know that the Seattle Public Library offers a large number of free classes at various branches? Well they do! Here's a link to their calender of events and classes.

Don't forget to join us tomorrow

2009-09-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

At the Seattle Tilth Harvest Fair! Here's a link to more info.

Another Quick Class- Sewing!

2009-09-09T06:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a great basic sewing class from our wonderful facilitator Beth!

Here's the 20 minute skirt:
Here's a quick and easy basic skirt, even for you "I can't sew" people. :)
This works particularly well as a way to get rid of any scrap fabric, as many weights and types of fabric will work well for this project, though I recommend using cotton for your first try.

Materials you will need:
A length of fabric (one yard of 45" wide for size 2-8, two yards for size 10-16, and so on)
A threaded sewing machine
Scissors
Safety pins
Elastic (less than 1" wide)
Iron (optional)

1) Fold your material in half (so the two selvage edges meet, and you have a fold in the middle.

2) Cut down that middle fold, making sure to keep both pieces equal in size.

3) Sew the two pieces, right sides together, so you have one long piece of fabric. You can press the seam open if you wish.

4) Sew a casing for your elastic waistband. To do this, fold over the top raw edge about 1", wrong sides together. Sew as close as possible to that raw edge, so you create a sort of tube of fabric.

5) Measure your elastic by wrapping it around your naked waist as you would a ribbon or measuring tape. Yes, naked. Subtract 2-3 inches from the length you wrapped around yourself, and cut. You now have your waistband piece of elastic.

6) Thread your elastic through the casing. The cheater way to do this is to attach a safety pin to the folded edge of one end of the elastic strip, and feed it into the casing. You'll have to inchworm your way through the casing, being sure to keep from losing the non-safety-pinned edge into the casing. The goal here is to have the elastic through all of the casing, and both ends of the elastic in your hands.

7) Once you have both ends of the elastic in your hands, stitch each end of elastic to its respective casing end, closing the casing and security the elastic in one fell swoop. At this point you will have one long piece of fabric, with a casing tube at the top, which is filled with elastic, the openings of the casing being stitched shut with the elastic secured.

8) With the right sides of the fabric together, sew those ends to make a tube of fabric. Press the seam open if you'd like.

9) Sew yourself a hem at the base of the skirt. With a 45" piece of fabric, your skirt will fall to about your knees. If you want to shorten it, now is the time! To sew a hem, make sure the skirt is inside out. On the bottom (non-elastic) edge of the skirt, fold the raw edge 1/4-1/2" up, wrong sides together. If you're feeling shakey about this part, you can sew it here, as close to the raw edge as you can get. Then fold the hem bit up again, so your line of stitching is now the bottom of the skirt, and sew a second line. If you're feeling confident, fold twice and sew once. Thus, a rolled hem.

10) Turn the skirt right side out, and voila! A brand new skirt, in less time than it takes yo have a good soak in the tub.

And of course, you can always spiffy it up.

For instance, you can sew a strip of lace to the inside of the bottom of the skirt, making it look like you have a lacey skirt petticoat on underneath your 20 minute skirt.
Or you can sew some patchwork contrasting squares of fabric onto your 20 minute skirt (for this, I love using visible thread with a zig zag stitch, to make it look 'handsewn').
Or you can add brickabrack around the hemline and/or waistline.
Use your imagination! And most of all, have fun.

POCKETS!

2009-09-03T06:41:00.000-07:00

According to Ellen DeGeneres we wear clothes because they have pockets, and thus a place to put our hands. But frankly pockets are great for everything. Not losing those little things that would be difficult to carry without them, for placing important things that you don't want to damage banging around in your bag, and well, for your hands too.

Wish you had more pockets in your life? Well then Sew Up Seattle can help you. Here's the information about their upcoming class:

Pockets - September 26 from 11 - 1 at
Goods for the Planet, 525 Dexter Ave N (Dexter & Mercer)
Guys and Gals
We'll put pockets on and in clothing, bags, hats, etc. or just make pockets for the fun of it. Bring your own articles, equipment and supplies or use and choose from our stash.
Let us know that you would like to come by emailing sewupseattle at yahoo.com or call 206-784-7117.

Blog About Cheap/Free in Seattle

2009-09-02T06:38:00.000-07:00

Hey, so we found this when we were looking to see who posted info about Seattle Free School. The site seems to have a lot of great free and cheap Seattle information, including stuff about Seattle Free School. Here's a link to the post about us but check out the rest of the site for more free opportunities.

Friends of the Library

2009-09-01T06:34:00.000-07:00

Seattle Free School really wouldn't have gotten off the ground were it not for the Seattle Public Libraries. And now they've written about us on their Friends of the Library Blog. Here it is.

Meet a Facilitator

2009-08-27T05:53:00.000-07:00

Here's Christian!

“I heard about the Seattle Free School from a flyer posting near Green Lake and love the idea of information sharing within our community. We are all experts at things others are interested in and the Free School helps people share what they know without cost. I decided to facilitate a class because I wanted to hear questions that other people have not been able to answer that I feel I know something about. My primary interests is achieving personal sustainability while maximizing quality of life. Some of the classes I am interested in facilitating are Home Energy Auditing and How to Measuring Personal Sustainability: Beyond the Carbon Footprint.”

Meet a Facilitator

2009-08-26T05:51:00.000-07:00

We put this info out in one of our emails but currently we're having issues with pictures so here's our lovely Beth and her write up about Seattle Free School!

My name is Beth and I'm a 28 year old transplant from California. I've been teaching with SFS for a year now, everything from astrology to brewing to writing to job hunting.

I first heard about SFS from a flyer posted at Wayward Coffee House in Greenwood (one of my most favorite spots in for java in the city). I was looking for an inexpensive belly dance class, and happened upon the flyer for becoming a facilitator. I've taught multiple subjects in a variety of venues my entire life, so I jumped right in and began teaching.

At first it was a little intimidating, but all my class attendees have been fabulous, and the other facilitators are a lot of fun. I've taken several classes through SFS, and am always eager to learn more. It's truly amazing how much knowledge is out there, many of which is very 'niche' and hard to find in a standardized pay-for-course setting.

Facilitating has helped me hone my public speaking skills, learn the layout of Seattle better, and meet new people in my new hometown. It has also prompted me to learn more about subjects that I'm teaching, and exposed me to new skills (through other facilitators).

Anytime a student of mine says they know how to perform some skill, I always try to encourage them to teach it. You never know who might be really wanting to learn those skills! Seriously, I'm still hoping someone will sign up to be a facilitator for a belly dance class. Please? ;)

Vision Board Workshop

2009-08-25T06:36:00.000-07:00

The Vision Board Workshop was a great success! We had about 20 crafty and chatty ladies in attendance, which made for a great group.

We started out the class with a brief explanation of how vision and dream boards work and then went through a guided visualization in order to engage all five senses in imagining our ideal lives. That got the wheels turning and a few minutes later, the Cascade People's Center had been turned into a whirlwind of magazine clippings and glue sticks. Everyone walked away with a board to inspire and guide them in the months to come and a few people even had some "ah-ha's" about their next big step.

If you missed out on the fun, plan on joining us at the next workshop in November!

Great New Motorcycle Class Posted

2009-08-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

Here's the info:
Sat, Sep 5:
Motorcycle Maintenance
Time: 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Location: Cascade Peoples Center
Basic two valve BMW motorcycle tuning and maintenance. This class will cover routine pre ride safety checks, valve adjustment, basic carb tuning and various other service issues on 1970 through 1995 BMW twins. Riders of all brands are welcomed and may benefit from many portions of the class.

Cascade Peoples Center is located at 309 Pontius Ave N

While the work done in this class will be done on a BMW the theories and skills are applicable to most motorcycles so come learn how to wrench on your bike!

Two more classes

2009-08-06T06:48:00.000-07:00

Wondering what you'll be up to in September and October? Well hopefully coming to a Seattle Free School Class. We have a new cheese making class posted in September and a Getting Your Irish Citizenship class posted for October. Make sure to register early for the Irish Citizenship class as class size is limited! Information can be found on the classes page here.

Finally, DIY Silkscreening!

2009-08-06T06:35:00.000-07:00

Want to learn silkscreening but don't want to spend a fortune on equipment? Wish you could make those t-shirts to advertise your organization, band, favorite food group? Want to make cool signs but not so great at painting by hand? Well come to this class and let Dani show you what she knows about silkscreening. You don't have to spend a fortune to make great silkscreened items. Here's the info:

Sun, Sep 27:
DIY Silkscreening
Time: 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Location: Cascade Peoples Center
Silkscreening allows you to transfer graphics onto a variety of materials (like T-Shirts!). This is an informal show-and-tell class; come watch, talk, and learn how to silkscreen - the easier, cheaper way!

Cascade Peoples Center is at 309 Pontius Ave N, Seattle.

As always, register by going to the website: www.seattlefreeschool.org

Great Canning Write Up!

2009-08-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

Want some insight into canning? Here's a great write up about canning and our classes at Fresh Picked Seattle. Thanks for spreading the word Julie!

Fresh Picked Seattle article

New Classes Posted

2009-08-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

Economy got you down? Trying to figure out how to eat well without going broke? Well then we have the class for you! Check out our "Meal Planning & Grocery Shopping on a Budget" Class! Deb will lead you through how to shop creatively and feed your family well even on a reduced budget.

We've also posted another facilitators class. Have you been wondering how to give back to Seattle Free School and your community as a whole? It's not as hard as you think to be a facilitator with Seattle Free School. Not only do you get to share your knowledge with truly appreciative people, but you get to work on your own public speaking and become more confident being in front of groups. It's a true Win/Win!

If either of these classes interest you check out our schedule here.

Extra special info for you blog readers... soon we'll be posting a class on DIY screenprinting! Want to print your own shirts, patches, etc but don't want to spend a fortune on equipment? This will be the class for you. Info to come....

Chicken Coop?

2009-07-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

Can't make it to the Seattle Free School class on building a chicken coop? Just want a bit more experience building before going out on your own? Want to learn to build containers for your garden? If so check out the great free classes being offered by the ReStore here.

Share your skills

2009-07-27T06:01:00.000-07:00

Do your friends come to you asking questions about something over and over again? Are you the neighborhood guru on fixing lawn mowers, math, grammar, sewing, something else? Well then you have the skills to facilitate a Seattle Free School class! Come to our facilitator class and learn how to share your skills with the larger Seattle Community. Our next facilitator class is on August 12th, 7pm at Cafe Vita on Capital Hill. Caffe Vita is at 1005 East Pike Street, Seattle. Hope to see you there!

Sign up for the class here.

Volunteer for Seattle Free School!

2009-07-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

Many of you have told us that you’d like to be able to volunteer for Seattle Free School and give back to the Free School community. That’s great! We’d love to have your help. And to help you with that we’re having a Volunteer meet and greet at Café Allegro in the U District! Come meet facilitators, learn what you can do to help Seattle Free School and just have some fun chatting.

Café Allegro can be hard to find. It’s in the alley between 15th Ave NE and University Way NE. To get there walk from University Way towards 15th on NE 42nd and take a left into the alley.

In the meantime you can also print out a flyer or two and hang them at your work, local coffee shop, church, community group, wherever! Click here to get our current flyer.

Canning Class

2009-07-25T08:40:00.000-07:00

Miss the free canning classes posted earlier this year? Well we've got one more posted. As part of Seattle Tilth's Annual Harvest Festival we'll be teaching another class on canning and home food preservation. The class starts at 10:30 and the doors will close at 10:35. Students will not be admitted late so please arrive a bit early and be ready to take notes and learn!

Cascade People's Center Block Party

2009-07-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

Want to come out and chat with Seattle Free School about what we do? Have questions about making soap, canning, keeping chickens, keeping bees, getting your Irish Citizenship? Then join us on August 4th at Cascade People's Center, 309 Pontius Ave N for the Cascade People's Center Block Party. We'll be there from 4-8pm answering questions, talking about Seattle Free School and teaching mini classes about making laundry soap, etc. Hope to see you there!

Strengthening Local Economies, Everywhere! Fair

2009-07-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

Wondering what you missed at the Strengthening Local Economies, Everywhere! Fair? Here's a great post from our wonderful volunteer and facilitator Deborah.
Seattlejo blog

Our Great Soap Givaway!

2009-07-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

We received this great card from one of the women at Broadview Shelter after we delivered our soap for Mother's Day.

Vision Board Workshop- New Class!

2009-07-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

New class posted just today. Come learn how to create a positive future!

Vision Board Workshop

Date: 8/19 6:30-9:30p
Cascade People's Center
309 Pontius Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109

Come learn, play and create together! In this workshop you'll have the opportunity to work with a life coach to get clear on your goals and outline your life vision. We'll start with some exercises to get you "thinking big" and then spend some time creating! Vision boards are a fun and creative way to turn your dreams into reality and explore the limitless possibilities life has to offer. Both the scientific and metaphysical (Law of Attraction) theories behind this work will be discussed.

*Registration for this class is limited to 20 students. If you decide to cancel please make sure to notify Seattle Free School by emailing seattlefreeschool@gmail.com so someone else can take your place.

Materials needed: poster board (any size will work, approx. 20" x 30" recommended), glue stick, scissors. Magazines will be provided but feel free to bring any images or resources you are interested in working with.

Free Classes today!

2009-07-18T11:48:00.000-07:00

Remember to join us today at the Strengthening Local Economies, Everywhere! Fair. We'll be joining several other organizations to provide free classes and we'll be there presenting information about Seattle Free School. Check out the list of classes here.

Free learning event-Tech-enabled Events!

2009-07-16T06:09:00.000-07:00

A great event put on by another nonprofit, Seattle Net Tuesday. Learn how to use social networking and technology for events! While this is partially a networking/social opportunity there will be several speakers from excellent (and large!) organizations talking about how they've used these technologies so come out and learn and plenty of time to ask them questions and learn more from their experiences!

Ever wonder how amazing events pull it all off? How everything from ticketing, to promotion, to interactivity all knits together? Wonder no more. Seattle Net Tuesday is bringing in some big event talent to showcase their tricks of the trade. Learn from local event innovators who turn out huge events utilizing technology. And, don't worry, there will be applicable insights for smaller events, too. Speakers will be announced soon--in the meantime, put our event on your calendar.

Oh, and we've got good news! After a searching for a new, permanent venue for months, we think we've found venue nirvana at Sole Repair. Sole Repair is a large, private event facility on Capital Hill, right behind Quinn's on Pike St. With two airy floors, big screens, a projector, a bar, seating, and (gasp!) street-level access, it's a superb location for us to grow into. But to keep coming back month after month to Sole Repair, we'll need to draw bigger, consistent crowds. --And we're starting with the July 28th event.

So, friends, invite your friends to Seattle Net Tuesday this month. Bring a few with you. We're gonna pack the house with techies-for-good, hardworking nonprofits, event planners, social entrepreneurs, and everyone who's interested in using technology to make a positive impact.

Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: Sole Repair
Street: 1001 East Pike
City/Town: Seattle, WA
Phone: 2069092684

Ballard Blog

2009-07-15T06:33:00.000-07:00

Yay, our class is posted at the Ballard Blog. Do you know of other blogs that would like to post information about Seattle Free School? If so let us know!

A mention

2009-07-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

A nice little mention about Seattle Free School and other free events (mainly green ones) all over Seattle. Check it out here.

Do you know Quickbooks?

2009-07-11T16:42:00.000-07:00

We just received a request for a class in Columbia City. If you're interested in teaching QuickBooks to some very appreciative folks please contact us at seattlefreeschool@gmail.com And if you're not in that area but think you'd like to teach this or any other class, contact us at the email address listed too!

Building a Chicken Coop! New Class!

2009-07-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

So just today we've posted a very new class, one we've never offered before, Building a Chicken Coop. Here's the info:

Wed, Aug 26:
Building a Chicken Coop
Time: 6:45 PM to 8:45 PM
Location: Ballard Public Library
After two unsuccessful attempts at the perfect chicken coop, our instructor Jessica finally came up with something she is pretty happy with. She will lead this discussion based class on the things to consider when building a chicken coop, materials to use (she used old pallets!), design, placement, etc. Those who have had bad designs are welcome to come and share their experiences as well! So bring your plans, your personal considerations for a coop and be prepared to work together to come up with good options for all.

As a note, we will not actually be building anything in this class.

As always, you can register by going to the website www.seattlefreeschool.org

A Mention

2009-07-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

Just a small mention in an article about the Cascade People's Center... a place Seattle Free School loves! Link here.

New Free Sewing Class

2009-07-01T06:59:00.000-07:00

New Free Sewing Class
Sew Up Seattle is having another fabric swap/sewing class on Saturday, July 25th from 11am to 1pm at Goods for the Planet- 525 Dexter Ave N. This class will be focused on Needle Cases & Pin Cushions. They'd love it if you'd email them to let them know that you're coming so give them a shout at sewupseattle@yahoo.com and check out the blog here for upcoming events and classes.

Pictures from the Motorcycle Maintenance Class!

2009-06-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of pictures from the Motorcycle Maintenance for Women Class. So fun to see a motorcycle inside of the Cascade People's Center. I wonder if that's the first time that's happened?

Another Free Gardening Class!

2009-06-23T06:59:00.000-07:00

Another free class from Seattle Tilth.... Container Veggie Gardening this Wednesday!!
Click here for more info.

Herb Gardening Free Class

2009-06-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

Basic Herb Gardening in Containers is being offered by Seattle Tilth for free! On July 8th from 5pm to 7pm Seattle Tilth will be showing apartment dwellers (and those of us that just like having our herbs in containers!) how to begin and maintain your edible container garden. Here's the link for more information.

WOW!

2009-06-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

We've had 2479 total visits to our pages on Teach Street and 125 click throughs to our website. Pretty cool. Where else should we be promoting our free classes?

New Free Sewing Class

2009-06-15T07:13:00.000-07:00

Sew Up Seattle is having another fabric swap/sewing class on Saturday, June 27th from 11am to 1pm at Goods for the Planet- 525 Dexter Ave N. This class will be focused on sewing tricks. They'd love it if you'd email them to let them know that you're coming so give them a shout at sewupseattle@yahoo.com and check out the blog here for upcoming events and classes.

New Class Posted- Keeping Chickens in the City

2009-06-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

Wed, Jul 29:
Keeping Chickens in the City
Time: 7:30 PM to 8:45 PM
Location: Greenwood Library
Covering the basics of keeping chickens in the city. Includes information on starting with chicks.