Herbal Medicine Level 1: Foundations of Herbalism, Sept 2020 – May 2021

Full tuition for the 8-month course is $3500. Register early and pay in full by August 31st, 2020 to get up to $500 off!

Reparations Scholarships available (particularly for African American, Indigenous American, and Latinx students). Contact us for more info or apply here by April 30th, 2020.

ABOUT THE COURSE:

This course is taught by Ginger Webb and various wonderful guest and level 2 student teachers throughout the year.

Level 1: Foundations of Herbalism involves both experiential and intuitive learning as well as lecture style and scientific observation out in the field. Ginger is passionate about connecting people with herbs, and is dedicated to empowering a generation of new herbalists and furthering the craft of herbalism to help the planet.

The 8-month Herbal Foundations Program is the primary program being offered by Ginger Webb and the Sacred Journey School of Herbalism. We have updated the curriculum to include as much outdoor time as possible! The program includes Saturday classes (outdoors as the weather permits), Monday night classroom hours, two camping trip weekends, and several local harvest days. The full program has been expanded to 200+ hours.

The course includes lectures, experiential learning, medicine making, botanical field identification, plant families, wild harvesting, intuitive plant meditation (“plant sitting”), chakras, and a holistic perspective on human physiology and wellness. It also includes weekend retreats of wild-harvesting and medicine making, a special project of your own choosing, and the opportunity for personal herbal mentoring with Ginger.

Course Updates due to Covid-19: 

While learning about plants and gaining a deep understanding of herbal medicines is always of value, we feel that during a pandemic it is especially valuable. This is an important time to be doing this work and we are committed to continuing our classes in engaging and safe ways.

The greater Herbal Community is by and large united in our commitment to flattening the curve. With that in mind, we are making sure that all Sacred Journey School of Herbalism classes are operating in accordance with the guidelines suggested by the American Herbalists Guild and our Local & State Governments.

While we cannot see the future, we are basing our plans on the current guidelines and will always have the option to adjust if they become more or less restrictive at any time. It is our goal to have as much outdoor time together as a class as safety allows, however we have experience from this past Spring teaching the course entirely online and guiding students in their individual outdoor explorations and know that is a viable option if needed.

Here are our current plans so far for this upcoming session:
*Due to the higher risk of large groups meeting indoors for prolonged periods of time, our indoor lecture-style Monday night classes will be held online via Zoom (and recorded for viewing afterward).
*We will provide packages of herbs to each student for you to experience as a tea or tincture during our classes. These will be available for pickup at scheduled times on Ginger’s porch in Central East Austin.
*Your first herb pick up & brief small group meet and greet in Ginger’s yard on Saturday, September 12th (the Saturday before our first scheduled Monday class). We will be back in touch with you with times and sign ups for small groups (7 people max). We would like to repeat this monthly to allow for masked face to face check-ins as well.
*Our goal is to keep our Saturday Outdoor classes in person as much as possible. To keep everyone safe, we will divide the class into small groups (of 7 people) and rotate through “sections” with Ginger, Lauren and Apprentices. We will also require all staff and students to wear masks, stay 6 feet apart at all times, do temperature checks, and ask folks to stay home if they feel sick at all or have a fever. We encourage frequent handwashing and will provide hand sanitizer at all gatherings.
*In lieu of campouts, we will have two Wild Immersion Weekends (one in October and one in April), again breaking students into smaller groups and rotating locations (more details on this to come). These weekends will include a Zoom gathering on Friday night and Outdoor time on Saturday and Sunday from 10am – 4pm.
*We will make sure that each student is made aware of location options for visiting plants on their own in their area. Some Outdoor class time may be in the form of “curated” plant walks or explorations later in the session (these will be fun- a bit like a scavenger hunt for plants in particular locations).

We are really excited about not just adapting this class for the times, but evolving it and providing materials and experiences that were not available to previous classes. If you have any questions or concerns that you would like address, please feel free to contact us.

For folks who live outside of Central Texas or those who can only participate virtually, we now have an option to sign up for just the Monday evening lecture-style portion of the class here: https://gingerwebb.com/classes/virtual-herbal-medicine-level-1-foundations-of-herbalism-mondays-only-sept-2020-may-2021/

As a Level 1 Student, you will receive:

• Lifetime access to our private SJS Student Forum where you can connect with instructors, students and alumni
• 25% Student discount on all Texas Medicinals herbal products while enrolled in the school
• Exclusive access to participate as a vendor in our Farmer’s Market Booth
• Access to our curated library of recommended herb resources
• Curated hikes on private land and reserved natural areas around Austin
• Access to harvest and make medicine on private land
• Lifetime relationships with Herbal Elders

ADMISSION INTERVIEW:
If you are interested in this course, please call Ginger at 512-766-3574 before you make your deposit to chat and make sure the school is a good fit for you.

COSTS:
Full Tuition for 8-month program: $3,500
Deposit to hold spot: $350

Discounts Available:
Early Bird Discounts
$300 off when you register and pay deposit by Dec 31st, 2019
$200 off when you register and pay deposit by Feb 28th, 2020
$200 off when you register and pay deposit by April 30th, 2020
$150 off when you register and pay deposit by May 31st, 2020
$100 off when you register and pay deposit by June 30th, 2020

Pay in Full Discount
$200 off when you pay in full by Aug 31st, 2020

PAYMENT SCHEDULE
Deposit (to hold spot in class) at time of Registration = $350
Full Payment due by by Aug 31st 2020 OR Payment Plan set up prior

PAYMENT PLANS
Individual monthly automatic payment plans are offered as needed (serviced by PayPal). A minimum of $2000 is due by Sept 7th (1 week before class begins). Please see price options above and email sacredjourneyherbalism@gmail.com with any payment related questions or to inquire about a payment plan. We prefer that payment plans be complete by Dec 31st, 2020. It is best to sign up for the course early to receive all discounts and begin your payment plan in advance.

CLASS REFUND POLICY
Deposits and class payments are non-refundable, but may be used toward future classes within a one year period if you contact us to withdraw at least 2 weeks BEFORE the class begins. If you withdraw after this time period, all payments made are not refundable or transferrable AND your full balance is still due if your payment plan is not complete. Please understand that your tuition pays for a seat during that school year and that is why we have to stick to this policy. If you have to miss classes, we will work with you to help you make up the material. We know that circumstances change and life challenges come up, but we cannot make exceptions. Please read our full Class Refund Policy.

REGISTRATION
To register, pay your deposit online and respond to our application questions (during online checkout process). We will confirm your registration via email and/or contact you if we have further questions. Reach out to us via our contact form or give us a call if you have further questions. You are also invited to attend an open house- look for them on the class page and join our email list to be notified when new dates are added.

Space is limited, so please make sure to sign up early!

STUDENT DISCOUNT
Start receiving your student discount of 25% off all of Ginger’s products and services as soon as you register and pay your course deposit. Discount remains active throughout your enrollment in Level 1: Herbal Foundations and select Level 2 courses.

TUITION
Covers all classes, Fall camping fee, a wealth of on-line library access, and all herbs consumed in class. It also includes most of the ingredients used in apothecary hours (with the exception of alcohol and fresh herbs purchased from farmers).

ADDITIONAL EXPENSES
Several books will be required for the course. The tools of a wildcrafter and for medicine making will need to be purchased or acquired over the course of the first few months. This includes clippers, jars, alcohol or vegetable glycerin, etc. Individual state park entrance fees are not covered by tuition (typically $5 – $10 per day). Spring campout fee of $30 is also not included in tuition.

SCHEDULE & LOCATIONS
Monday evening classes will be held virtually via Zoom from 6:30 – 9:30pm. Saturday classes meet in various outdoor locations around Austin and the environs, usually from 10:30am – 3:30pm (times may vary with the season and location). Locations and addresses will be provided on the syllabus at our first class. Schedule is always subject to slight changes based on weather and other factors. SJS will confirm all outdoor class locations and times during the week before each outdoor class.

CERTIFICATION
There is no official certification process for herbalists in the US. We give a paper certificate for Level 1 and Level 2 completion stating the number of hours of the completed course and general topics covered. Attendance at at least 80% of classes and a final project presentation are required to officially complete the course and receive a certificate. Feel free to contact us with questions.

DATES (subject to change and/or time adjustments on Saturdays):

2020
Sat 9/12 Herb Pick Up (times TBD)
Mon 9/14 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Mon 9/21 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Mon 9/28 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Sat 10/3 10:30am – 3:30pm
Mon 10/5 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Mon 10/12 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Fri 10/16- Sun 10/18 Wild Immersion Weekend
Sat 10/24 10:30am – 3:30pm
Mon 10/26 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sat 10/31 10:30am – 3:30pm

Mon 11/2 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sat 11/14 10:30am – 3:30pm
Mon 11/16 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sat 11/21 10:30am – 3:30pm
Mon 11/30 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Mon 12/7 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Mon 12/14 6:30pm – 9:30pm

2021
Mon 1/4 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Mon 1/11 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Mon 1/18 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sat 1/23 10:30am – 3:30pm
Sat 1/30 10:30am – 3:30pm

Mon 2/1 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Mon 2/8 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sat 2/13 10:30am – 3:30pm
Mon 2/15 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Mon 2/22 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sat 2/27 10:30am – 3:30pm

Mon 3/1 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sat 3/6 10:30am – 3:30pm
Mon 3/8 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sat 3/20 10:30am – 3:30pm
Mon 3/22 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sat 3/27 10:30am – 3:30pm

Fri 4/2- Sun 4/4 Wild Immersion Weekend
Sat 4/10 10:30am – 3:30pm
Mon 4/12 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sat 4/17 10:30am – 3:30pm
Mon 4/19 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sat 4/24 10:30am – 3:30pm
Mon 4/26 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Sat 5/1 10:30am – 3:30pm
Mon 5/3 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sat 5/8 10:30am – 3:30pm Student Presentations
Sun 5/9 10:30am – 3:30pm Last Class/ Student Presentations