“All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you. The only lasting truth Is Change.” — Octavia Butler

When One-Size-Fits-All Training Doesn’t Fit Anyone

You’ve been there: implementing a “proven” training program only to watch it struggle in your unique context. The rural community center with spotty WiFi. The small organization with no budget for fancy platforms. The team that learns differently than the original audience.

What if learning design could grow as naturally as a garden?

Homegrown Learning offers a novel alternative to transplanting generic solutions—a field guide for cultivating learning experiences that emerge from local wisdom and thrive in real-world conditions.

Why This Book Exists

After years of designing training programs across the Great Plains, I’ve encountered recurring challenges that standard instructional design texts rarely address:

• Context-sensitive design that works with available resources, not against them
• Sustainability beyond launch through community ownership and biomimicry principles
• Low-tech, calm-design alternatives when high-tech isn’t accessible or appropriate
• Authentic community voice integration that goes beyond token consultation
• The designer’s transformation through the process of genuine co-design

Most learning design approaches assume ideal conditions. This book works with reality.

A Different Kind of Design Guide

Homegrown Learning differs from typical instructional design texts by:

• Structure follows function — The book models the organic, adaptable approach it teaches, allowing for both linear reading and flexible reference use
• Integration of natural systems thinking — Drawing inspiration from nature’s resilient design patterns, with space for quiet reflection and observation
• Emphasis on exploratory research — Understanding your learning ecosystem before designing solutions
• Recognition of reciprocal change — Acknowledging how authentic community engagement transforms both learners and designers

This approach embraces Octavia Butler’s insight that “The only lasting truth is Change.” Rather than creating static solutions, you’ll develop flexible frameworks that evolve with communities and contexts.

What’s Inside

The book follows the Spiral Model of instructional design (Define, Design, Demonstrate, Develop, Deliver) by Cennamo and Kalk, integrating principles from life-centered design, biomimicry, calm design, and sustainable systems thinking.

The book is broken out into five sections/phases:

1. DEFINE — Understanding your learning ecosystem through patient observation
2. DESIGN — Cultivating solutions that honor community context
3. DEMONSTRATE — Testing soil conditions through low-risk prototyping
4. DEVELOP — Planting and pruning with sustainable resources
5. DELIVER — Sharing the harvest and ensuring long-term growth

Each section contains three types of pages:

• INFO pages sharing insights and perspectives
• TOUCHSTONE pages offering natural inspiration and reflective moments
• FIELDWORK pages providing practical activities and exercises

Perfect For:

• Learning designers working in rural or resource-limited contexts
• Trainers seeking community-centered approaches
• Educators designing culturally responsive programs
• Anyone who believes learning should work with communities, not against them

Current Status

Homegrown Learning is (and always will be) in continuous development, with ongoing revisions based on feedback from learning designers, educators, and communities. I’m sharing this freely to invite collaboration and make these ideas accessible as they evolve.

For those who are interested in a physical version of the book, you can obtain a print-on-demand copy from Amazon through the link below. Keep in mind that this version may have slight variations from the current digital draft.

Join the Growing Community

I believe the most effective learning design emerges from genuine care for communities and their unique contexts. Whether you’re designing professional development for rural teachers, training programs for community health workers, or learning experiences for organizations with limited resources, this approach offers both practical tools and philosophical nourishment. I encourage you to share insights, ask questions, or discuss applications to your context through the form below:

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Homegrown Learning: A Seed Packet for Trainers is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.