3 cups
Flour
2 tbsp.
Salt
1½ cups
Butter
The Project
Our Goals & Objectives
A sustainable community & English learning center
Our goals are to be a model for sustainable communities in Thailand and beyond. And be a case study in unprecedented success with ESL kids.
What is a sustainable community?
“A sustainable community is one that is economically, environmentally, and socially healthy and resilient. It meets challenges through integrated solutions rather than through fragmented approaches that meet one of those goals at the expense of the others. And it takes a long-term perspective – one that’s focused on both the present and future...” (Institute of Sustainable Communities, 2018)
Beyond this general definition definition, Mathieu knows what it takes to actually achieve a healthy environment, social wellbeing and a prosperous local economy.
Our objectives are as follows:
• Nurture our fertile land with desirable traits that ensure conservation of local biodiversity.
• Growing and distributing organic food locally, using natural organic fertilizer (i.e. compost),
• Using specific control methods to limit nutrient excess in the environment.
• Development and use of natural and ecological fertilization methods.
• Share knowledge and inspire use of permaculture design and sustainability to local farmers.
• Using renewable energy for our facilities and projects.
• Do ongoing research that may improve our permaculture systems.
Source: Institute of Sustainable Communities (2018). Definition of Sustainable Community. Retrieved from: https://www.iscvt.org/impact/definition-sustainable-community/#
English Corner™
Confident, inspired kids are just around the corner.
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From day one to the end of the English Corner semester, speaking and pronunciation are the main focus. Why? Because speaking is what brings confidence to ESL students and inspires them to learn to read and write. Not the other way around. Our kids love English because we constantly support and praise their speaking success, no matter how small.
Community and Education
Helping locals | Creating opportunities
An important part of Utiopioa is to help the locals to have more opportunities and broader perspectives of life, like it was the case for Utit Choomuang (the creator). As the city of Hua Sai isn't located on the usual path that tourists takes to visit Thailand, the English language is rarely used. As you might expect, the demand for english teachers in the region is very high. For the same reason, the children of Hua Sai are much eager to learn the language, as it is not easily accessible.
To solve the situation, the Utiopia project is willing to fill in the basic needs to the teachers that are willing to give their time building opportunities for the children, as the english language is a very important necessity to find jobs and be able to move freely in this world.
If you are interested to know more about helping us, you can visit the Volunteering section or you can contact us directly through email in the Contact section.
Facilities
Western standards in a rural setting
Construction is underway on the basic facilities on the land to maximise the productivity of the project and make sure our volunteers will have a comfortable stay. This includes the main building dedicated to the main activities, as well as secondary building dedicated to dorms. Now need some handy fellows!
The main building has an office, a bathroom, a kitchen, a dining area, bedrooms and even a laboratory! The perimeter buildings are dorms for the volunteers. The design considers traditional Thai architecture.
The main building utilizes laboratory type R & D rooms required to implement our sustainability objectives.
Materials for the buildings include concrete, wood, glass, tiles, as well as glass windows and doors. Conscious of the environmental impacts of construction works, will try as much as possible to used recycled and low ecological footprint materials.
Permaculture
Consciously Designed Sustainability
One of the basic principle of permaculture is to work with nature and not against it. As the Permaculture research Institute states:
“Permaculture is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of landscape and people — providing their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way. ” [Permaculture Research Institute, 2018]
Permaculture is brilliant tool for sustainability, giving us the power to make choices that nurture the land. Based on how nature itself acts, every aspect of permaculture is carefully considered so all beings (including us) can flourish in harmonious relationships.
Source: https://www.permaculture.co.uk/
The 12 principles of permaculture
We own abundant land to create our permaculture project. It is by its very nature a perpetual much work in progress. You can make a difference. Join us in building the perfect place (a UTIOPIA!) for both locals and foreigners to learn, share and grow together!