Student Projects

=Introduction=

Factor e Farm is offering independent study opportunities to unversity students. It is geared at those who are really interested and committed to changing the world.

=What is this about?=

We're building the world's first, replicable, open source Global Village. See Main Page for more information. Can this lead to unprecedented quality of life? We are convinced that it can, if we apply ancient wisdom with modern technology. If we seize the power of effective production - an essential part fo this Global Village Construction Set - then we remove ourselves from global geopolitical compromise. The best part is - if we have an Open Source Fab Lab for production and a permaculture, agroecology base, then the entire package is not only replicable - but self-replicating! Fantasy? No, it's just the destiny of a world cracking at the seams, in the computer age. We know we can all do better, and the world is ready to do it. Welcome to viral village - and world transformation.

=Do You Qualify?=

To qualify, you must begin with a sincere interesting in changing the world. We're inviting you if you want a different experience, and have a mind open to new possibilities.

Our program does not follow a standard format. You have to take the initiative to select and take on an aspect of our work that interests you. The goal is clear: building the world's first, replicable, open source global village. Anything that is part of that process is essentially open as a research project for which you can get credit by signing up for independent study, service learning, internship, etc - in conjunction with your institution.

Our lead adviser is Marcin Jakubowski, Ph.D.. See Marcin Biography.

The nature of the work is technical development of technologies. This includes both ecotechnology and agroecoloty - advanced appropriate technology of permafacture and permaculture. But this is not as much a technical question as much as it is a social orgnaization question. To succeed, we need problem-solving generalists - who organize research in the role of investigators who tap available resources for solutions. These investigators essentially serve as project integrators.

The scope of our work is such that you are actually at an advantege if you are an outsider to any field of study - as you will not be prejudiced in a way that allows you to seek creative solutions.

To engage a project, you must take these steps:


 * 1) Review an overview of our work by viewing the short videos that provide an overview of our work and topic areas. See the Distillations series - ten short videos of ten minutes each.
 * 2) After reviewing the above Distillations, contact us regarding which of the 40 or so technologies outlined in the second Distillation you are interested in.
 * 3) The status of our work is displayed by the Blog - so there you have a general idea of where we are with a project. Contact us by emailing opensourceecology at gmail dot com to find out the exact project status. Typical work that needs to be done is typically:


 * documentation
 * design
 * building
 * testing
 * research
 * publishing, marketing and publicity

These steps move towards delivering real technologies that can be used and replicated by others, as they are open source.

We are not interested in just any products, but the main 40 products outlined, since they offer the most potential. We then pursue products that are optimal, low-cost, simple, and thus replicable. There are many development steps that lead to this, and a research or development project on these will be defined to accommodate your level of involvement.

=Accommodations=

Students will live in Solar Cubicles. There are common bathroom and kitchen facilities.

=Time Scale=

We prefer long-term engagements, such as summer study projects, semesters abroad, and even longer term stays for students who don't find much meaning in standard career paths.

=Liability=

Visitors are liable for their own well-being.

=Accreditation=

At present, credit has to be organized in conjunction with independent study, internship, service learning, semester abroad, or any other capacity offered by their own institutions.

=Details About Us=

See Main Page for an overview of our work.

=Finances and Funding=

Students are encouraged to write a semiformal or formal proposal regarding their work prior to engaging their work at Factor e Farm. This proposal may be submitted to crowd funding or traditional funding venues for support. Main costs include materials for projects. Room and board can be provided by Factor e Farm, depending on the needs of the student. There is no tuition, as productive research is our payment received for our support of the student. Most food is provided from our farm, and students may buy additional items at their own expense.

=Application=

To apply to our program, email us at opensourceecology at gmail dot com. If you have any questions, please study this wiki more carefully - as all the relevant answers are already there. If you find any omissions, please let us know. You should be able to tell clearly - between our wiki, blog, and other research you do on our work - whether you are compatible with our goals. If you have major questions or doubts, it is likely that you're not a suitable candidate.