Placeholder canvas
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Search in posts
Search in pages

Go Home

Shipping class: Free Shipping

free shipping for membership

Common Earth – Developing a Systemic Understanding of Climate Change

Common Earth – Developing a Systemic Understanding of Climate Change

Description

Common Earth offers a comprehensive course to help people develop their ability to see interconnections and recognize their inherent agency and resiliency. Thereby forming a compassionate community of people developing holistic responses to climate change.

Develop new perspectives on the various systems contributing to the climate crisis to better identify high-leverage points and maximize your efforts. The course gives participants the opportunity to develop their thinking and understanding. It also encourages people to commit to moving towards a more sustainable and compassionate planet.

Common Earth Academy offers a multi-dimensional program on environment and sustainable development to address questions surrounding how we might move to a caring society that puts carbon in its place. Common Earth Academy’s comprehensive program deepens participants’ understanding of climate and socio-economic issues from a broad perspective. Here we see the interconnection and dependencies of seemingly disparate issues. By examining the role of thought in our human experience, one discovers how to think more creatively and more clearly to approach our concerns, including the climate crisis.

If you are interested in learning more or concerned about climate change and unsure where to start, the Common Earth course will equip you with new insights about what you can do. Join a growing community committed to understanding the systemic structures underlying the problem and devising real solutions.

Module 1: Shifting Perspectives and Making Connections

  • The Principles of Human Experience
  • Systems Thinking
  • The Origin Story
  • The Climate Crisis

Module 2: Identifying Leverage Points and Harnessing Community

  • The Economy
  • Thermodynamics
  • Biomimicry
  • Regenerative Agriculture
  • Community

Additional Course Information:

  • Organization: Common Earth Inc
  • Price: Free!
  • Start Date: Jan 16 – Mar 7, 2024

    • 12:00 to 14:00 EST
    • 18:00 to 20:00 EST
  • Duration: 2 modules. 8 weeks per module, 2 sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays per week.
  • Session length: 2 hours
  • Commitment: 8 hours per week
  • Format: Online – Live & interactive sessions
  • Language: English
  • Primary Focus: Sustainability
  • Email: info@commonearth.com
  • Group size: 14 participants or less

https://www.commonearth.com/adult-program

Conference Sponsorship

Conference Sponsors have access to a wide variety of benefits

  • Exhibitor$1,750
  • Supporter $3,500
  • Champion $7,000
  • Dynamic Partner $25,000

On-Site Conference Additional Sponsorship Opportunities

  • Break Sponsor $15,000
  • Reception sponsor $30,000
  • Banquet sponsor $50,000

 

Exhibitor | $1,750 | 1 complimentary registration

  • Space to exhibit your organization at onsite conference
  • Organization’s name on all conference literature and emails
  • Logo w/ link included on conference websites
  • Announcement of sponsorship via social media
  • Inclusion in special thank you letter to all conference sponsors sent prior to conference

Supporter | $3,500 | 2 complimentary registrations

  • All above +
  • One 30 minute meeting for exhibitor demos during conference
  • Special placement on marketing materials, emails, and websites
  • Dedicated Zoom meeting room to connect w/ attendees

Champion | $7,000 | 3 complimentary registrations

  • All above +
  • 3 minute advertisement featured before one plenary
  • Additional 15 minute meeting for exhibitor demo (45 min total)
  • Individual email announcing sponsorship to 10,000+ mailing list
  • Premier placement on marketing materials
  • Amplification on Society social media

Dynamic Partner | $25,000 | 4 complimentary registrations + 12 complimentary memberships (24 if students)

  • All above +
  • Preeminent location on all marketing materials
  • Conference moderator will explicitly thank you
  • Bespoke opportunity designed in partnership with Executive Director which might include hosting a special event, hackathon, scholarship, internship, or prize.

On-Site Additional Opportunities:

Break Sponsor | $15,000 | 4 complimentary registrations + 4 complimentary memberships (8 if students) 

  • Conference Benefits
    • 1 minute plenary announcement of break
    • Special placement of name or logo on all conference literature, website, and emails
    • Custom sponsor Zoom background for your attendees
    • Private conference Zoom room to connect w/ attendees
    • Optional 45 minute exhibitor demo of product or service
    • Recognition during our annual conference
  • Society Benefits

Reception Sponsor | $30,000 | 4 complimentary registrations + 4 complimentary memberships (8 if students) 

  • All previously mentioned benefits under Break Sponsor +
  • Opportunity to welcome reception attendees during 3 minute plenary announcement
  • Premier location on all marketing materials
  • Marketing materials highlighting your organization at the conference Reception displayed on stand at Reception entrance

Banquet Sponsor | $50,000 | 4 complimentary registrations + 4 complimentary memberships (8 if students) 

  • All previously mentioned benefits under Reception Sponsor +
  • Opportunity to welcome banquet attendees during 7 minute plenary announcement
  • Marketing materials highlighting your organization at the conference Banquet displayed on stand at Banquet entrance

MIT System Dynamics Group Literature Collection

The MIT System Dynamics Group Literature Collection contains over 3,500 items selected personally by Jay W. Forrester, now available in downloadable format!  These include Dynamics Memos (D-Memos), theses, and publications from the early days of System Dynamics.  They also include the Guided Study Program, the Road Maps series, and miscellaneous papers.

The MIT System Dynamics Group Literature Collection is a powerful tool that will advance your knowledge of the important history of the field at MIT and help build a foundation for understanding future growth. The collection, based on the famous D-Memos, spans nearly 50 years of work in System Dynamics and reveals a rich historical point of view.

Contents:

  • D-Memos, including working papers on the National Model
  • MIT Doctoral, Master’s and Bachelor’s theses by well-known practitioners
  • Assignments and solutions from the self-teaching Guided Study Program, a three-year experiment in the 1990s to teach System Dynamics as a distance learning course
  • Instructional materials from the Road Maps series
  • Selected published papers (additional D-Memos)
  • Miscellaneous other published papers reference section with complete citations & abstracts

 

You may view a table of contents for each section:

MIT

Notes and instructions:

  • The collection’s lists are searchable by author and words in the titles, however, the PDF files cannot be searched for text due to the electronic scanning and compression process used.
  • Includes searchable and sortable Excel spreadsheet for the collection’s D-Memos only – not the
    entire collection.
  • The ReadMe file contains full user instructions.
  • Some works are in draft form and were later published. For citing purposes, please use the final, published work.

First reactions from users…

  • “An essential historical reference for anyone serious about System Dynamics.” John Sterman, MIT
  • “The definitive source for the serious practitioner – this is a ‘must-have’ reference for regular use.”
    Nick Pudar, General Motors Corporation
  • “Fascinating history, significant now, helpful in the future.” George Richardson, University at Albany
  • “This is a gem.” Rod MacDonald, Initiative for System Dynamics in the Public Sector
  • “Over the years, I’ve paid $500 or more for copies of a few Ph.D. System Dynamics theses from the MIT library. The inclusion of Ph.D. and masters theses makes this collection an incredible bargain.” Jim Thompson, Cigna Health Care

Models for Growth of a New Product

Updated models in modern software for the book Growth of a New Product: Effects of Capacity-Acquisition Policies by Ole C. Nord.

This product ONLY includes the simulation models, which can be downloaded in Vensim, Stella, and Studio. The book can be purchased separately and includes the models in the purchase of the book.

The System Dynamics Society updated the models from this book in 2023 and have made them available in modern software. The models run as the original DYNAMO models did. You will need to have the simulation modeling software to be able to open, view and, run the models. The models are available in Vensim, Stella, and Studio.

Learn more about the Historical Classics originally published by The MIT Press that are now back in print!

Natural Resources Management Course MOOC UiB

Do you want to learn more about how to manage natural resources such as water reservoirs, fisheries, climate, and animal herds? And, do you want to learn about modern policies to deal with the tragedy of the commons? Consider taking the Free Online Natural Resources Management Course (GEO-SD660) at University of Bergen (Norway). At the end of each semester there is a 3-hour exam, which gives 10 ECTS at the master level. Get detailed information and sign up at the University of Bergen site.

Course Summary:

  • While there exists much relevant knowledge about natural resources, they are frequently mismanaged, often with dramatic consequences for those involved.
  • This course helps you build solid intuitive understanding of the theories and principles underlying natural resources. You develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed for proper management of for instance climate, water reservoirs, fisheries, and animal herds. You also learn how product and quota markets for natural resources work, and you get experience with modern policies to deal with the commons problem.
  • The course utilizes a variety of online teaching tools including: animations, videos, quizzes, and interactive learning environments with simulators. Immediate feedback to quizzes helps students correct their understanding and is an important part of the teaching material.

Course Period* (*Dates subject to change, please see the University of Bergen site for updates):

  • Spring Semesters: January 10 – June 10
  • Fall Semesters: July 1 – December 20
Course Professor: 

 

Learning Outcomes:

  • Express knowledge and understanding: students know about cause and effect relationships of importance for resource management and are able to express this knowledge in ‘stock and flow diagrams’. They understand how cause and effect give rise to developments over time such as equilibrium, growth, goal seeking, cycles, and overshoots. They understand the basics of markets for products and quotas.
  • Apply knowledge and understanding: students are able to apply knowledge and understanding to manage natural resources and to operate in markets for products and quotas.
  • Make judgements: students know how to distinguish between resources and their specific needs for policies or management strategies. They know about implementation problems and the need to consider second best solutions.
  • Communicate: students are aware of likely misperceptions. They can use analogies, narratives, and illuminating historical data to communicate. Based on their own experience with challenging management tasks, they understand the need for proper simplification.
  • Develop learning skills: students develop learning skills to deal with dynamic problems. They know and can apply concepts such as stocks and flows, nonlinearity, feedback, delays, and policy in new situations.

 

Reading List: 
  • All required reading material is included in the MOOC, further reading is suggested by references in the course.

 

Level of Study:

  • Master, can earn 10 ECTS credits upon successful completion of the course and exams.

 

Course Language: 
  • English
  • Multiple other languages by the use of the Immersive Reader (written and spoken).

 

Simulation Software:

  • All provided for free as part of the course.

 

If you have any additional questions about the course, please reach out to the University of Bergen Department of Geography: advice.systdyn@uib.no and/or Professor Erling Moxnes: Erling.Moxnes@uib.no

Society Sponsorship

Sponsorship of the Society provides the opportunity to support the growth of a global community of scholars and practitioners who use System Dynamics while simultaneously accruing recognition online and in print.  Annual sponsorship of the Society requires a minimum commitment of $1,000. Additional levels of membership unlock additional benefits and include:

  • Patron $2,500
  • Benefactor $5,000
  • Dynamic Partner $25,000

SPONSOR | US$1,000

PATRON | US$2,500

  • All above +
  • 3 additional complimentary memberships (6 if students)
  • Amplification of your posts on Society social media
  • Special placement of logo on marketing materials, emails, and website
  • One Sponsor-a-Scholar for our annual conference

BENEFACTOR | US$5,000

  • All above +
  • 6 additional complimentary memberships (12 if students)
  • Conference thread sponsorship of your choice
  • Amplification on social media
  • Individual email announcement of sponsorship to our 10,000+ mailing list

DYNAMIC PARTNER | US$25,000

  • All above +
  • 4 complimentary conference registrations
  • Preeminent location on all marketing materials
  • Bespoke opportunity designed in partnership with Executive Director which might include hosting a special event, hackathon, scholarship, internship, or prize.
  • Conference moderator will explicitly thank you
  • Space to exhibit your organization at onsite conference
  • Organization’s name on all conference literature and emails
  • Logo w/ link included on conference websites
  • Announcement of sponsorship via social media
  • Inclusion in special thank you letter to all conference sponsors sent prior to conference
  • One 30 minute meeting for exhibitor demos during conference
  • Special placement on marketing materials, emails, and websites
  • Dedicated Zoom meeting room to connect w/ attendees
  • 3 minute advertisement featured before one plenary
  • Additional 30 minute meeting for exhibitor demo (60 min total)
  • Individual email announcing sponsorship to 10,000+ mailing list
  • Premier placement on marketing materials
  • Amplification on Society social media
  • Conference Thread sponsorship

 

Sponsor a Project

These initiatives are described more fully below:

  • Seminar Series:  In 2020, we introduced the System Dynamics Society Seminar Series.  These online events have been very well received with upwards of 150 in attendance.  This member benefit has renewed interest in joining, generated additional revenues to support our mission, and provided an opportunity for attendees to learn together outside of the annual conference week.  We are investing in infrastructure to expand this offering and provide more opportunities for members to convene.  Funding for a dedicated resource and an improved technology platform will help us to accomplish this.
  • Learning Resources: Past-President Birgit Kopainsky created the Society’s Learning Committee.   The first project completed was the online course catalog – a crowdsourced resource for those seeking to learn more.  The team had launched the first few modules of the Jay Forrester Seminar Series, a free benefit for Society members.  This important work would progress more quickly with resources dedicated to bringing them to life.
  • Career Link:  If recent graduates cannot find positions in the field, the outflow of trained modelers will thwart our efforts to grow capacity for high-quality modeling.  In 2020, the Society moved to more proactively identify and share open positions of interest to the community.  We also made a platform shift that made it easier for job posters to enter their own listings and for job seekers to search for meaningful options within an expanded list.  We hope to continue to maintain this service and to continuously improve the platform to better serve the field. This will require dedicated resources and some investment in technology but should result in a robust jobs marketplace that will keep recent graduates in the field.
  • Bibliography:  The Society bibliography is the go-to source for many beginning a new project in the field.  It allows them to build on the shoulders of others before them.  Funding will support a student intern to further develop our bibliography to make it more accessible, useful, up-to-date, and inclusive.
  • Covid-19 Resource Page:  In response to the pandemic, the Society cobbled together a Covid-19 Resource page to help connect the many people modeling in this area.  As we continue to be ravaged by the virus, this resource could use additional dedicated efforts to maintain and improve upon it.
  • Marketing the Field:  The Society has shifted significant resources to marketing the Society and the field.  This includes investment in social media, email marketing, and even this new and improved website.  We hope to continue this investment and build our capacity to do even more.  With the help of sponsors, we hope to become even better at spreading the word about the unique benefits of a systems approach.  Given more funds, we would strive to improve our public relations capability and consider outreach to the media to help them be more systemic in their reporting.
  • Mentorship Program:  A pilot program developed by Jack Homer and Gary Hirsch has been a resounding success with over 34 mentorship matches.  We seek to make this program more robust including marketing to mentors mentees, automation of matching, and evaluation for purposes of improving the program.  Funding will allow a student intern to champion the effort to serve more in the field with this valuable learning support.

Sponsor a Scholar

Benefits

  • Your organization will be honored during the conference and in print and electronic media for this support.

System Dynamics Modelling and Analysis Course MOOC UiB

Do you want to learn the basics of the System Dynamics method and how this can be used to explain how change takes place, why people misunderstand change, and why so many policies fail to solve problems? Consider taking the Free Online System Dynamics Modelling and Analysis Course (GEO-SD662) at University of Bergen (Norway). At the end of each semester there is a 5-hour exam, which gives 10 ECTS at the masters level. Get detailed information and sign up at the University of Bergen site.

 

Course Summary:

  • The System Dynamics method is a problem-oriented method. It builds on a systems perspective where “everything influences everything”. Thus, the method is interdisciplinary where knowledge from different fields is used to describe system parts, where stock and flow diagrams and models are used to describe how parts influence each other, and where simulations show how “everything influences everything” over time. “Everything” should here be interpreted to mean everything that is needed to understand a problem sufficiently well to identify successful policies.
  • Students work with problems of importance for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals such as: global warming, over-utilization of natural resources, epidemics, and price fluctuations.

Course Period* (*subject to changes, please see the University of Bergen site for updates):

  • Spring Semesters: January 10 – June 10
  • Fall Semesters: July 1 – December 20
Course Professor: 

 

Learning Outcomes:

  • Express knowledge and understanding about the System Dynamics method and its relation to standard science, operations research, public administration and private management
  • Apply knowledge and understanding. At the end of the course students are able to construct and analyze dynamic simulation models.
  • Make judgements: students develop systems thinking skills and an intuitive understanding of the scientific method.
  • Communicate: the diagramming techniques that the students learn can be seen as tools for effective communication at an intermediate level between imprecise narratives and complex mathematical models.
  • Develop learning skills that lead to critical thinking and motivate analysis and learning.

 

Reading List: 

 

Level of Study:

  • Master, can earn 10 ECTS credits upon successful completion of the course and exams.

 

Course Language: 
  • English
  • Multiple other languages by the use of the Immersive Reader (written and spoken)

 

Simulation Software:

  • Stella Online (for free and supported with instructions)
  • Other versions of Stella (not provided, however supported with instructions)
  • Powersim and Vensim (not provided, and not supported with instructions)

 

If you have any additional questions about the course, please reach out to the University of Bergen System Dynamics Group: advice.systdyn@uib.no and/or Professor Erling Moxnes: Erling.Moxnes@uib.no

WPI Real World Dynamic Models Micro-Course 2

Welcome to the Real World Dynamic Models micro-course! This on-demand, self-paced online course covers several models that capture real-world dynamic phenomena like oscillations, growth, and decline, and delays in business organizations, markets, and sports.  

This is the second part (therefore lecture numbers start from 6 and not 1) of a classic introductory course in System Dynamics that was taken by hundreds of WPI students from different degree and professional programs since 2005. Seventeen years after its original debut by Jim Hines and Jim Lyneis with special appearance of Oleg Pavlov, we decided to make it accessible to a larger audience and split its content into digestible self-paced micro-courses while keeping its original video content intact. We have added more practice exercises to help gauge your learning along the way. This is the second micro-course in a series of three. We hope you will enjoy it and most importantly learn!

WPI’s new Professional Development Online will allow you to take these micro-courses individually and earn a certificate of completion for each, or complete the sequence of all three (plus an additional comprehensive assignment) to earn the System Dynamics Foundations badge.

Available Now

Coming soon

  • Micro-course 3: The Practice of Modeling Dynamic Systems
  • After earning the System Dynamids Foundations badge, you can opt to apply to WPI to become a matriculated student, earning graduate credit in the corresponding course by completing a capstone project with a mentor. By becoming a WPI student, you will have access to Vensim DSS, Stella Architect, and other useful software that WPI provides.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Recognize several real world phenomena and their underlying structures.
  • Explain observed behaviors (growth, equilibrium, decline, and oscillation) and how they are generated and controlled. 
  • Understand fundamental concepts like delays, aging chains, and adjustment processes.
  • Describe some of the implications of policy interventions.

Content:

  • Welcome to the Course
  • Lecture 6: Growth and Decline Mechanisms of Populations
  • Lecture 7: Growth and Decline Processes in Business and More
  • Lecture 8: Market Growth Model
  • Lecture 9: Oscillations
  • Lecture 10: Managing Oscillations In real world environments
  • Lecture 11: Supply Line Dynamics
  • Lecture 12: The Hog Model

Instructors:

  • Jim Hines, Ph.D. & Jim Lyneis, Ph.D., Oleg Pavlov, Ph.D.

Course Developer:

  • Raafat Zaini, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Social Science and Policy Studies Department. E-Mail: rzaini@wpi.edu

Recommended Readings:

 

 

WPI System Dynamics Fundamentals Micro-Course 1

Join the hundreds of WPI students who have taken System Dynamics courses taught by world-renowned faculty, and enjoy the convenience of an on-demand, self-paced online format!

WPI’s new Professional Development Online will allow you to take these micro-courses individually and earn a certificate of completion for each, or complete the sequence of all three (plus an additional comprehensive assignment) to earn the System Dynamics Foundations badge:

Available Now

Coming Soon

  • Micro-course 3: The Practice of Modeling Dynamic Systems

After earning the badge, you can opt to apply to WPI to become a matriculated student, earning graduate credit in the corresponding course by completing a capstone project with a mentor. By becoming a WPI student, you will have access to Vensim DSS, Stella Architect, and other useful software that WPI provides.

Micro-course 1:  System Dynamics Fundamentals

This classic introductory course in System Dynamics debuted in the 2004-2005 academic year. Jim Hines and Jim Lyneis are the main lecturers, with guest lecturer Oleg Pavlov. We’ve now made it accessible to a larger audience by splitting its content into digestible self-paced modules.

While the original lecture videos may appear old and grainy by today’s standards, the core content is extremely relevant, and the lecture slides are an essential element in complementing the viewing experience. In addition, we have added more practice exercises to help you gauge your understanding along the way.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Understanding the causes of dynamic behavior at a basic level
  • Utilizing the standard approach to developing System Dynamics models
  • Learning to use the basic tools and techniques in developing these models

Content:

  • What is System Dynamics
  • Dynamic Behavior
  • System Archetypes
  • Stocks and Flows
  • Feedback Structures
  • More

Course Features:

  • 12 hours of rich instructional videos
  • 16 practice exercises, designed to help you gauge your progress
  • 5 quizzes to assess your mastery