Ecosa Institute

The mission of Ecosa Institute is to restore health to the natural environment, and thus the human environment, through education in design. Our vision is of a world that blends the ethical values and ecological patterns, which are essential to the health of the world, with the vitality and dynamism of the design arts.

Ecosa Institute of Prescott, Arizona, was founded in 2000 to provide cutting-edge ecological design education that would influence current and future leaders to restore the health of our planet. Ecosa's Regenerative Ecological RE-Design Certificate Program is an immersive, experiential, and "transformative" semester for adult students who seek a 21st-century perspective on design for our future. Drawing on the expertise of faculty and speakers in topics of architecture and alternative building methods, urban planning and design, landscape architecture, biomimicry, and the fields of graphic, communication, product, interior, and whole systems design, the Ecosa curriculum helps students choose their design careers.

The American Institute of Architects has cited Ecosa's RE-Design Certificate Program as an example of a school "outside the traditional universities" that offers "a host of known experts and intensive coursework for young students." They've also said that, "In many ways, what students get in one semester is a more holistic understanding of sustainability than they could presently get at any traditional design school."

One of the unique aspects of the RE-Design Certificate is project work. Students develop and hone their skills in planning, self-discipline, collaboration, and creativity as they work on a diverse team and engage with actual clients, real sites and real budgets. View examples of current projects at https://www.ecosa.org/coalition-for-compassion-and-justice/ and https://www.ecosa.org/turquoise-mountain-gleeson-arizona/.

Testimonials

"The Ecosa experience has been a keystone in my educational path, precisely because it doesn't narrow its scope with a specialized mindset. Rather, it takes a diverse, integrated and interdisciplinary approach to the key issues directly related to our relationships with each other and the environment. Ecosa successfully balances our society's problems with re-generative solutions while educating and empowering individuals to implement change within their community as a whole. Plus, it's the most fun I've ever had!"

"I highly recommend the program to anyone interested in a self-directed deep dive into designing truly sustainable systems. It is a great change from the large university setting by providing a totally different approach to education - in a great way. It is a life-changing experience."

"Ecosa was not a supplement to my college education, it was the capstone. As an aspiring eco-designer, I feel like Ecosa gave me a solid understanding of what it means to design with nature that I couldn't have gotten anywhere else."

"Most challenging, inspirational and life-changing semester of my life and career."

"Ecosa has instilled [in me] a very real day-to-day practice of systems thinking and analysis."

"The program that kick-started my career."