Get Involved

Become an Instructor

Would you like to share the knowledge you have built up inside? Working with your hands, mind, or soul, we'd love to see if you're a fit for our school!

Apply Now

Volunteer Opportunities

Whether you are a local looking for a fun way to give back to your community or a visitor joining us for a special event and wanting to pitch in, you are welcome and needed here.

Apply Now

Venue Hosting

To involve the community and reduce the overhead cost to the school we are establishing the use of private venues. Someone’s kitchen, shop, artisan’s studio, barn, wineries, farms, libraries, churches, empty classrooms, etc.

If you have an indoor or outdoor space you would enjoy hosting workshops, facilitating the joy of learning, and creating lifelong memories, contact us and we can work together.

Apply Now

Become an Instructor

We appreciate your interest in teaching with the Okanagan Folk School.

Process

The first step to making your class happen is to Propose a Workshop Idea.

Our Programs Director will contact you to discuss your workshop idea and determine if it fits within the mission of the Okanagan Folk School.

Once you are ready to schedule your workshop, you will be asked to submit a Complete Workshop Proposal. Within the form, you will be asked to write a workshop description and provide details about the workshop. We encourage you to be creative and thorough with your report. Include several photos to help portray the learning experience and, of course, at least one of yourself, along with biographical information. We are happy to help you through this process.

Background Check

The Okanagan Folk School strives to be a safe place for everyone. Suppose this is the first time you’ve taught a class with the Okanagan Folk School. In that case, we will follow up your submission with a phone conversation and require background information/references to ensure a safe learning environment for all students and members.

Support

As an instructor, you can expect complete support from the Okanagan Folk School, including:

A comfortable space to hold your workshops.
Advertising and promotion for your class throughout Western Canada.
Registration and administrative support.
Provide the Instructor with opportunities to sell their products.

Instructors are independent contractors and will be provided a written contract and responsible for paying any required taxes.

Class Fees and Instructor Compensation

Instructors are compensated for 70% of the registration fee for the workshop. Any material fees are paid directly to the instructor. As an instructor, you may agree to this standard student fee and compensation, propose a different price and compensation rate or choose to donate the instructor’s cost to the Okanagan Folk School.

Workshop Proposal Form

Instructor Name

Workshop Title

Proposed Dates

How long would your Workshop be?

Workshop Description

A workshop description should both inform and entice. You want to provide potential students a very good sense of what they can expect when taking the class. As you compose your workshop description, address what skills and information students will learn in this workshop as well as what tools or methods you will use.

When is the best day and time for your workshop?

Instructor Information

Phone

Select an Address

Contact Preference

Phone

Instructor Bio

Please give us a short biography, including your experience relating to this workshop. See examples on our "Instructors" page (under "workshop").

Photo for Bio

Upload File

Other Workshop Details

Photo(s) for Class

Upload File

Please provide at least one, but ideally a half dozen, photos relevant to the workshop. They can be of finished products, the process of doing something, whatever will excite potential students about taking your workshop.

Minimum and Maximum Number of Students

How many days between your workshop and the last student booking do you need to order supplies?

Student Prerequisites

Pre-Registration

Yes

We generally require pre-registration for our workshop, closing five days before the workshop starts. If we don't meet the minimum registration, we'll cancel the workshop at that time. Is five days sufficient lead time?

Instructor Fee

I agree to the standard instructor compensation.

I propose a different compensation rate (describe below).

What is your Fee or Compensation Proposal?

Instructors are compensated for 70% of the registration fee for the workshop. Any material fees are paid directly to the instructor. As an instructor you may agree to this standard student fee and compensation, propose a different fee and compensation rate, or choose to donate the instructor’s fee to the Okanagan Folk School.

Material Fee

Materials fee per student (if any). If you order and supply materials, this fee is fully yours. If OKFS provides any supplies we have on hand, the amount will be split between us.

Backgrond Check

Yes

The Okanagan Folk School strives to be a safe place for everyone. A background check may be required. OKFS will inform you if the background check is necessary. Please select "Yes" to indicate you agree to this policy.

Social Media Accounts

Do you have any social media accounts where you tweet or post about interesting projects you're working on? Particularly about the topic of this workshop? If so please let us know the account names or handles so that we can find them and retweet or share your posts to help promote your class.

Comments

Thank you for your proposal!

Venue Hosting

If you have an indoor or outdoor space you would enjoy hosting workshops, facilitating the joy of learning, and creating lifelong memories, contact us and we can work together.

Please fill out the application and we will contact you to discuss your space and how best to use it and still respect your personal space.

Volunteer opportunities

Volunteer Opportunities

Okanagan Folk School Volunteer Program

Linking Community Service and Traditional Craft

Our mission to inspire the hands, heart, and mind through teaching traditional Okanagan crafts comes alive through many behind the scenes tasks. Volunteers have always been at the center of helping Okanagan Folk School function through lending a hand on projects of all sizes. Whether you are a local looking for a fun way to give back to your community or a visitor joining us for a special event and wanting to pitch in, you are welcome and needed here.

How it Works

The volunteer program is structured around these ideas:

Volunteering should be fun! Our volunteer opportunities are often social and involve many hands pitching in to make busy work go quickly. Tasks that we need to have happen on a very regular basis for our functioning as an organization. Anyone may sign up to be a volunteer.
Many of our volunteer roles can be completed sitting, with minimal physical exertion. If you are concerned about mobility or physical tasks, let us know and we can work together to find the best volunteer roles for you.
We appreciate you! Volunteering is giving time and energy to something for no monetary gain. So why do it? As our volunteers will tell you, they help because it’s a great way to be a part of the Okanagan Folk School community, and because it feels good to work for something you believe in. No matter how much or little time you have to give, we are so glad you want to take part in supporting Okanagan Folk School’s mission.

Special Skills

Do you have a special skill you think could benefit Okanagan Folk School? Do you want to donate your time to do something you think we may need? Let us know! Drop us a line.

More Information

Inquiries are welcome anytime. Please contact info@okfolkschool.ca.