Option 1: Apprentices commit to all classes, more teacher contact, more hands-on experience, hands-on herbal work in gardens, in herbal shop, in lab setting. Visit Student Responsibilities & Benefits, and/or inquire about details by contacting Chris directly.

Apprentices may pay in 2 ways:
$2000 /per year (1 payment) or
$2250 /per year (10 payments of $225)

Option 2: Students wishing to “test the waters” by taking a class or two before committing may take the classes as General Students. The courses are the same, but there are no extra benefits (see above). Payment for courses is by the class, and the cost is clearly spelled out under the appropriate class in Workshops.

Benefits:

• Auditing: full-time students can sit in on classes already taken (if space allows) in the following courses: "Foundations of Chinese Herbal Medicine," "Foundations of Western Herbal Medicine," and "Herbal Preparations."
  
• Invitation: if appropriate (and on an individual basis), full-time students will be invited on unscheduled nature walks, and to take part in personal unscheduled wildcrafting expeditions, herb processing and medicine making days.
  
• Events: if appropriate (and on an individual basis), full-time students will be preferentially invited to events and ceremonies led, hosted, or attended by me at free or reduced rates (if possible).
  
• Counsel: Free personal counsel throughout 2-year program, whether in person, by phone or email. Counsel includes:

  (A) one official full-time consultation, to be viewed both as a health visit and as a personal, extra-curricular educational seminar
  (B) craft advice: verbal advice for preparations, wildcrafting, gardening, herbs, etc.
  (C )practitioner advice: helping with questions regarding people you are beginning to help.
  (D) career advice: visioning a future health practice

  NOTE 1: Such counsel, whether by phone, email, or in person, normally bills out at $50/hour

  NOTE 2: Free Counsel does not continue into Third Year Program, “Cultivating Clinical Herbalism.” Formal mentoring (toward professional membership in herbal guilds and associations) bills out at $50/hour and follows specific parameters and criteria.

• Certification: a certificate from Clearpath School of Herbal Medicine will be awarded to those who successfully meet the criteria of the First and Second Year Programs.
  
• Herb Discount: upon completion of 2-year Community Herbalist program, graduates receive a professional discount (30% off) on Clearpath Herbal's pharmacy products, both for personal and professional use.

Responsibilities:

• Payment: prompt and consistent payment is expected. Each year costs $2000 (one payment) or $2250 (ten payments, to be paid by the 15th of each month for 10 months). Each year consists of approximately 200+ formal contact hours with the teacher, extensive written materials, and all benefits described above.
  
• Good Attendance: students are required to make up missed material and homework. Students are STRONGLY advised not to miss any “Foundations” classes or second-year "Cultivating Community Herbalism" classes.
  
• Homework: students are expected to take the class seriously, which includes doing the homework, whether it is reading, writing, field work, practicing diagnostics, self-investigation, communication, and energy techniques, etc.
  
• Record Keeping: Students are expected to be responsible for keeping good records of attendance, payment, working in gardens, working at shop, auditing classes, etc.
  
• Behavior: I bring my best to class, and I expect that of everyone. Have high integrity. Do the work (that includes homework and inner work). Be accountable for choices and behavior. Time and care is taken to create a safe and sacred container for everyone attending classes. Students are expected to be at their best in thoughts, words and actions. Classes are not clinics. Class time is not an individual's time, it is everyone's time. Requiring “spotlight” attention and attempting to monopolize energy will not be tolerated. Disrespect (toward anyone or anything) and dramas will not be tolerated.
  
• Horticulture: As much a Benefit as a Responsibility, students will be expected to put in some “dirt time” spring through autumn at herbal gardens at Brook's Bend Farm in Montague. It is part of being an herbalist and apprentice, and should be viewed as an invaluable extra-curricular education. Working with and learning directly from the earth is rewarding, spirit enriching, and fun. At times, students will work side-by-side with experienced gardeners, farmers, permaculturalists and outdoor educators. Responsibilities include preparing and tending beds (sowing, weeding, watering), becoming familiar with medicinal plants (annuals, biennials, perennials) seed through harvest, and creating and tending new gardens in field and forest.
  
• Herbal Work: Clearpath Herbals has a special relationship with Acadia Herbals, Northampton's premier herbal shop. Full-time students are expected to put in time working at the store doing herb-related work. This is as much a Benefit as a Responsibility. It is quite a rare opportunity, and should be viewed as an invaluable extra-curricular education in how a successful herb business functions. Students will interact with and help the proprietor. Students will also be exposed to “live” clinical experience through observation of and interaction with me and advanced apprentices (Third Year Program: Cultivating Clinical Herbalism) as we work with herbal preparations, customers and clients.

I (Chris Marano) reserve the right to deny applicants (general students or full-time student) to any class or program. I also reserve the right to suspend or expel any student from a class or program for non-compliance of agreements and conditions or for unacceptable and/or inappropriate behavior toward teacher, other class mates, clients, customers, or the environment.