Bonnie Linden, (re)Skilling the Masses

With the urban homestead movement steadily gaining popularity around the country, it’s exciting to have an organization right here in Santa Cruz specifically dedicated to building self-sufficiency.  The  Santa Cruz Reskilling Expo hosts a series of fun and practical workshops designed to teach Santa Cruzans many of the useful skills we didn’t learn either in school or at scout camp.

The driving force behind the increasingly popular Reskilling Expo is Bonnie Linden, a veteran sustainability advocate dedicated to growing the movement toward local self-reliance. With a Winter Expo featuring a Seed and Biodiversity Forum coming up at the Museum of Art and History on Sunday, February 5th, as well as the newly launched Time Bank Santa Cruz added to her list of community resilience-directed objectives, Linden is certainly keeping the movement, well…moving. I did manage to catch a few moments between projects to get the lowdown on these progressive initiatives to learn a bit more.

EB: Santa Cruz is definitely a community that embraces hands-on learning, as evidenced by the many workshops scheduled in the community. What gave you the idea to combine so many into one event?

BL: The model is based on the learning centers of an elementary-school classroom. I'm a retired teacher. The intent is to create a content-rich environment. Ideally these events would go on for days so that all participants would have time to study with each teacher.

The best compliment I ever received on my teaching was from a tiny, chubby-cheeked second grader. Lizbeth said, “Usted es comprensiva. You teach everybody everything.”

It's the creative part for me, choosing the palette of themes and topics and teachers, and then seeing what connections and new depths and enthusiasms arise. I want everyone to learn everything.

EB: Other than the obvious cost issue, what do you see as some of the key benefits to learning to make or do things yourself rather than paying someone else to do it?

BL:  It's a basic human aspiration to do, to create, that has been largely set aside or lost in our daily lives. The confidence that comes with knowing how to make and tend things oneself is invaluable to personal development. The key benefit, however, is social, not personal. Reskilling imbues the community with a wealth of shared knowledge. The stealth purpose of the Reskilling Expo is to create a knowledge commons.

EB: What are some of your favorite things you’ve learned through the Reskilling Expos?

BL: I'm laughing! The event requires a lot of minding throughout the day so I never seem to catch any of the presentations. I haven't learned a thing!

EB: Clearly there is a lot of time and energy required to keep these events going. What inspires you?

BL:The presenters I work with inspire me. Their skill and generosity, their consummate professionalism. They are the heart of the event. I just provide an infrastructure for this great outpouring.

The learners inspires me with their appreciation. A woman commented on the September documentary: “This makes me so glad.” Who could not love it, making people glad?

EB: With a number of small organizations in Santa Cruz devoted to sustainable living, moving your event to the Museum of Art and History definitely gives it some legitimacy that belies the homespun status that undermines lots of efforts. I see this initiative really gaining traction, how do you see it evolving from here?

BL:  It's great to have the support of Nina Simon at the MAH. The one-day events probably shouldn't get any bigger. Five hundred people came to the September Expo. That's big enough. It needs to remain locally-sourced and of a manageable size.

I want to offer a Reskilling Expo template to other communities. Every town should have one. We're doing a Kickstarter Pledge drive to raise some funds to support the Expo, the Seed Library and the TimeBank so that we can do more outreach. It's not a difficult model; one person can put together a Reskilling Expo. Pick a date. Rent a hall. Make a schedule grid. Fill in the names. Invite the public.

EB: Based on the successful projects you’ve gotten underway so far, I’m guessing you’re not someone who spends a lot of time on the sofa. What’s next for Bonnie Linden?

BL:  I spend a lot of time on the keyboard. The Time Bank is a huge and daunting endeavor. It's a baby now and I anticipate a rambunctious toddlerhood. This leadership doesn't sit easily on me; I do get overwhelmed. We've also just decided to hold some one-off Reskilling classes monthly at an outpost in Soquel, perhaps the first Saturday afternoon of the month. The toddler, the new series.....we'll figure it out. Some good folks have stepped up to help.

Not to Miss: The 2nd annual Seed and Biodiversity Forum/Winter Reskilling Expo to be held at the MAH on Sunday, February 5 from 10:00 to 4:00.

The theme will be Local Food Sovereignty. The SC Reskilling Expo is collaborating with Slow Food Santa Cruz, Food in the Hood and Santa Cruz Fruit Tree Project for this event.

Visit the Move Your Money table with reps from local banks and credit unions.

Doors open at 9:00.
Seed and Plant Exchange at 4:00.
Admission by Sliding Scale donation: $5 to $25.

Learn More: www.reskillingexpo.org