The Herbalist Apprenticeship is designed to guide you to fully embody the herbal experiences and plant knowledge you have been building. One of the most powerful ways of doing this is through teaching. Our goal at Sacred Journey School of Herbalism is to provide you with deeper study, practice, support, and the opportunity for the real-life experience of teaching herbalism to to our Foundations of Herbalism & WIld Texas Herbalism students in the field. The Herbalist Apprenticeship will provide an unparalleled opportunity to teach on a regular basis during our outdoor classes. It will also include regular preparation with Ginger, Lauren and the other apprentices to help you succeed and ensure that you have all the tools you need to be able to teach.
PROGRAM DATES
The Herbalist Apprenticeship lasts 9 months, beginning in early September 2024 to prepare for teaching the last weekend of September. We will meet regularly on some Wednesday evenings via Zoom and some Saturdays over the course of the 9 months (complete list of dates in the dropdown below).
Our herbal apprenticeship program includes:
Apprentice Program Details
Completion of our Foundations of Herbalism full program or a similar program is required for entry into our Herbalist Apprenticeship program. While we prefer that you have completed Foundations of Herbalism with Sacred Journey School of Herbalism, if you are a graduate of another program and would like to be considered, please contact us.
If you are interested in joining us as an Herbalist Apprentice, we are thrilled you wish to participate in this way! Please apply below to get started.
RESOURCES
During the Saturday Apprentice meetings, you will have the opportunity to use Ginger’s extensive library and files to research and prepare. During these apprenticeship meetings (as well as for homework), we delve deeper into the plants & concepts taught in the the upcoming outdoor weekend classes. You will hone your botany skills, as well as dive deep into specific herbs, similar to the way you did with your presentations at the end of level one.
PRACTICE SESSIONS
Some meetings, we will have practice sessions where you will be able to present what you have prepared. Ginger will be there to coach you and make sure that you teach the most salient points, and that what you teach is accurate, coherent, and that you feel confident sharing your knowledge! You will also be guided in creating handouts on specific topics.
READINGS
We will spend a portion of our time together reviewing class readings and new texts (to be determined by the group).
TEACHING SKILLS
For many of our weekend classes, the Herbalist Apprentices (in teams of two) will teach Wild Texas Herbalism students a predetermined and prepared topic (e.g. particular plants, an aspect of botany, a plant sit, or an aspect of medicine-making) in the wild.
Teaching on our class weekends and attendance at few of the Tuesday night Zoom classes are a required component of the course, but Apprentices will also be invited to participate in all Tuesday night Zoom classes to review material covered in Intro to Herbalism.
Individual Apprentices do not have to be at all weekend classes- we will work out a schedule together to rotate through who teaches. Apprentices are invited to participate in all Outdoor weekend classes even when they are not teaching.
COST & PAYMENT PLANS
- Full Apprenticeship cost is Sliding Scale $3,000 - $1,500
- Payment Plans Available
- Returning Apprentices (have completed 1 previous year of Apprenticeship): Sliding scale of $1,500 - $750
PAYMENT PLANS
*We realize that these are challenging times for many. Please pay what you can on the sliding scale. If your employment is steady, please consider paying on the higher end. If you are experiencing financial hardship and would like to participate, but the low end of the sliding scale is still not tenable, please reach out to us so we can help brainstorm other options.
Monthly automatic payment plans are available at registration. Please see pricing options above and email us with any payment-related questions or to inquire about a payment plan.
What our apprentices are saying:
“Ginger’s excellent reputation precedes her, and Sacred Journey School of Herbalism. Bioregional herbalism is alive and well throughout this program. The work that she and Lauren do to facilitate a course that lives and breathes and adapts to the needs of every being involved, including the more than human beings, has been so refreshing to witness. The hands-on co-teaching experience has been a great tool for growing into teaching & guiding people more on my own. My time as a first-year apprentice has been full of sweet times with new friends & growth. I’m happy to be a part of it all.”
Angie Mendoza, Apprentice 2021-22
"It has been such a wonderful, beautiful and sacred journey and experience. My Maestras Ginger Webb and Lauren Peterson have gone above and beyond to make sure that those of us with indigenous ancestry have a voice and are given the opportunity to share our knowledge that comes from our families; from the yerberas and curanderas in our families. They have been very respectful and give credit where credit is due.
I appreciate that they give me the opportunity to offer prayer, canto and medicine to the land. I truly feel that my ancestros guided me to this school. I am growing a lot of medicinal plants in my own jardín and at Kalpulli and making medicine. Myself and other SJS alum who are members of Kalpulli, will be making medicine for our Moon Dance ceremony and community. I am so thankful to have found Sacred Journey School of Herbalism."
-Santa Akouatzin Yáñez-Montemayor, Foundations of Herbalism graduate 2022 & Apprentice
“When I signed up for this course, I was looking to find my footing in something I had a growing passion for (herbalism and energetics) and in a way I learned best (experientially). The opportunity to sit with the plants in their own spaces and learn how to ethically harvest from them continues to shape how I make my herbal medicines today. As I advanced in this course I began to grow a new level of respect and love for the land I cohabitate on. This course was just the beginning of my journey into what it really means to be in stewardship of the land.”
-Maggie Kopp, Foundations of Herbalism graduate 2020 & Apprentice
"Apprenticing and clinical study with Ginger offered courage to step more fully into this lifelong courtship with the green world, as student and teacher. SJS has reactivated an eros, a desire to celebrate and care for people, place, and plants. In return, my life has been imbued with depth and beauty, grief, joy, and fortitude to reconnect to my own ancestral medicine ways. It brings me happiness to connect people and plants in the service of activating and affirming our capacity for joyful embodiment and healing. At present, I guide plant walks, teach with SJS, see clients, and make medicine. To learn more visit: seedfolkherbs.com"
-Kate Proietti, Foundations of Herbalism graduate 2020 & Apprentice
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. We begin gathering class supplies months before class begins and cannot fill your spot after class has begun. 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.