Growing Hope Participates in this Years NASCO Conference.

November 3-5th 2006
A Cooperative Education & Training Event
Each November, over 400 participants from all over the United States, Canada, and beyond converge in Ann Arbor, Michigan to share ideas, learn new skills, and look at issues affecting the cooperative movement worldwide. The North American Students of Cooperation’s (NASCO’s) Cooperative Education & Training Institute, which has been providing cooperative training and education annually since 1977, is widely recognized as one of the most important training and networking opportunities available to cooperative members, directors, staff and managers.

Friday, Nov 3rd from 2-4pm
How to Build Rainbarrels and Raised Beds
Learn about the benefits of and design of rain barrels and raised beds! Come and do some hands on learning about ways to improve your co-op with cheap and environmentally friendly gardening. We will be making rain barrels together out of found and recycled materials (and donating them to the local community gardening organization). We will also be discussing a variety of types of raised beds with construction demonstration.

Sunday, Nov 5th 1:40pm-3:10pm
Intensive Gardening: Growing Vegetables in Urban Settings
Urban gardening is an old activity with recent popular resurgence around the world. We will be discussing community and school gardening, learning about local gardening projects and how you can get involved in your community. This workshop will touch on intensive gardening, an inexpensive way to grow vegetables in a very small space, and teach some basics that will help you get started gardening in your co-op's backyard.

NASCO is an association of cooperatives in Canada and the U.S., which serves students, youth, and others who embrace cooperative education. NASCO provides its member cooperatives with operational assistance, encourages the development of new cooperatives, and serves as an advocate for cooperatives. NASCO teaches leadership skills, provides information, and serves as the central link facilitating the fruition of the cooperative vision for students and youth. By strengthening our part of the co-op movement, we believe we can strengthen the future of cooperatives generally.

To register for the conference, or find out more please see http://nasco.coop/