About:

Cooperate WNC’s KinShip program engages 5-7 community organizers from Western North Carolina at the intersection of agroecology and cooperative cultural transformation. Participants workshop and test integrated approaches to personal, interpersonal, and community-scale transformation, focusing on developing tangible, needs-based cooperative projects in WNC communities. The program is for those dedicated to relational and grassroots work, ready to deepen knowledge of plants and ecosystems, apply ancestral wisdom to current challenges, and build deep, trusting communities for resilience.

Our plan is for participants to spend 1 full day every other week at Earthaven, participate in a virtual session between in person meetings, and engage in an additional 4-12 hours on independent projects weekly- these projects can be designed around organizing that you’re already engaged in in your community* We will have a collaborative design process at the beginning of the program for participants to be involved in ironing out the schedule. Independent and small group work will directly support projects with Cooperate WNC, Earthaven Ecovillage, and various community-oriented land projects and cooperative economic activities across the 22-county region of western NC. These efforts support a network of hubs and projects directed towards regional resilience and mutual aid.

*Are you interested in this program but unable to commit a full day each week? Let us know and we can talk about flexibility.

Participants will Receive:

KinShip Cohort

  • No-cost program with some gas mileage covered for travel 

  • Consistent mentoring and collaboration with CWNC Director, Zev Friedman, KinShip Coordinator Alex Lines and other facilitators

  • Permaculture Design Certification course and certificate

  • Coaching and support for community interviews and asset mapping

  • Collaboration with landowners in WNC on Permaculture design

  • Hands on experience with mutual aid and cooperative economic practices

  • Mentorship in community-scale farming, agroforestry, and permaculture 

  • Training in conflict transformation and somatic awareness

  • Training in group facilitation, reflection, and feedback processes

  • Experience in collaborative event ideation, organizing, and facilitation

Participant Qualifications include:

Living in western NC long-term

  • They have developed trusting relationships with local community members and turned towards any conflict and accountability 

  • They can travel to Earthaven for 1 full day a week, and spend 1.5 additional days a week working on independent projects (2.5 days/week total), in exchange for learning and support (no money exchanged)

  • They have demonstrated dedication in clear ways to collective and cooperative ways of life, and to a regenerative vision of humanity's future

  • They have demonstrated a "service is leadership" approach to leadership and social change

  • They are eager to learn, receive feedback, work collaboratively, and contribute to hands-on projects in an informal and adaptive environment

Nominating Participants:

Do you know someone who you think would be a great addition to this KinShip cohort? If so, please consider nominating them here. That someone could be you, or it could be someone else you know. 


Nominations and self-nominations are due by Friday, June 21st. The program will begin in July, and will run through March, 2025.