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Certified programme

Ecovillage Design Education (EDE)

Our flagship 125-hour programme across the four dimensions.

Certify this programme →

Gaia Education has delivered over 350 programmes across 54 countries since 2006, reaching more than 22,000 students — from tribal and traditional communities to intentional ecovillages, and from urban neighbourhoods to universities. Certifying your Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) means your programme meets a consistent international standard and carries the Gaia Education name.

How it works

  1. Apply. Create your free host account and complete the application form below, attaching your schedule, instructor CVs and host-site photos.
  2. Pay the certification fee once you’ve submitted (shown above).
  3. Review. Our certification team checks your application, may send it back with notes for you to update, and can forward it to an experienced EDE reviewer.
  4. Approval & listing. Once approved, your programme is published on this website and you add the Gaia Education logo to your site.

After your first re-certification, programmes renew automatically every three years if there are no significant changes — provided your schedule and proof of payment are sent to certification@gaiaeducation.org.

Why certify

  • Quality assurance and consistent teaching standards
  • International visibility for your course
  • Access to the educators’ forum and the continually-updated curriculum
  • Regional mentoring from experienced EDE providers

Certification

What it takes & the fee

Certification fee

275.00 GBP to certify, 150.00 GBP to re-certify within a year.

Criteria

Eligibility criteria

  1. A minimum of 125 contact hours (for example, 20 days at 6.25 hours per day).
  2. A strong intention to cover all 20 modules within each of the four dimensions (Social, Ecological, Economic, Worldview).
  3. A minimum of 15 hours devoted to applying design methods and processes to real-life scenarios (Design Groups).
  4. A teaching team with sufficient expertise, including at least one certified Gaia Education trainer (completed EDE, ToT and one GEDS dimension).
  5. An appropriate venue, ideally demonstrating integrated application of regenerative design.
  6. A commitment to complete and submit course evaluations and a final report.
  7. Adherence to Gaia Education branding guidelines.
  8. A commitment to contribute to Education for Sustainable Development activities in your region.

Documents to submit

  • Course schedule with the breakdown of hours across the four dimensions and design work
  • One-page CV for each primary faculty member, with a high-resolution photo of each
  • A short host-site description (max 60 words)
  • 2–5 high-resolution photos of the venue (interior/exterior, no people)
  • Organisation and venue logos (high-resolution JPEG/PNG)
  • Any host-site materials (brochures, posters)

Review timeline

Applications are reviewed in quarterly cycles: submissions in Jan–Apr are reviewed by 31 May, May–Aug by 30 September, and Sep–Dec by 31 January. Please apply at least six months before your programme is due to start.

Start your certification →

Around the world

Upcoming Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) programmes

No upcoming certified programmes listed right now — check back soon.