Have you ever thought about teaching children about herbs?
If you’re a naturopath or herbalist in Australia, you can now train to become a Registered Junior Herbalist Leader©!
The Junior Herbalist Club© (JHC) has been delivering herbal education to children in the UK since 2014. It was created by medical herbalist, Mel Hornby, who was the 2021 winner of The Christopher Headley Memorial Award for Significant Contribution to Herbal Medicine, awarded by the UK’s National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH), who support the scheme across the UK. JHC is a unique and very special program that has proven extremely popular in the UK and has created excitement and curiosity about herbal medicine for a whole new generation of budding herbalists.
The JHC is a 2-year extracurricular program for kids aged 7-12. It runs for 90 minutes, once a month, for 10 months of the year, with the goal to help children learn about the healing plants around them in a safe and supervised environment. The program takes children on a journey of discovery, engaging all their senses with playful practical skills including:
- Identification and nomenclature of common herbs, weeds, plants and trees;
- Safety – which plants are safe to use and which are poisonous or hazardous;
- Folklore – taught through stories and songs;
- How to grow and harvest herbs;
- Medicinal uses of common herbs;
- How to use a variety of common herbs for first aid;
- How to make a variety of herbal preparations to keep and take home; and
- Respect for all plants and their environment.
- There are now 30 JHCs in operation throughout the UK, with an estimated 300 children currently in attendance. This is incredible growth and registered JHC leaders in the UK now expect to earn their initial course tuition fee back within the first year of teaching. You can find out more about the JHC’s history and operations in the UK HERE.
We’re excited to announce…JHC is now coming to Australia, proudly supported by the Naturopaths & Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA)!
We will be maintaining the Australian Register of qualified Junior Herbalist Club Leaders and we’re committed to encouraging and supporting our members to create and run a JHC in their local area, giving children the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills that will benefit themselves and others for a lifetime.
The first step in bringing this incredible initiative to Australia is JHC Leader Training and we are lucky to have founder, Mel Hornby, personally facilitating the course. It comprises five full days of tuition covering the whole two-year JHC course and includes:
- Comprehensive Leaders Handbook containing all the information needed to teach both years one and two including class plans, worksheets and answers, equipment lists and key facts
- A USB flash drive containing all printable paperwork including advertising flyers, letters for parents, consent forms, register and enrolment forms etc.
- Ongoing support from the course leader
- A qualification approved by NHAA for CPD, allowing you to advertise yourself as a ‘Registered Junior Herbalist Leader©’
- Entry onto NHAA’s Register of Junior Herbalist Leaders for promotional purposes.
In addition, time is allocated each day to cover the professional and administrative duties of being a JHC Leader. This includes:
- Health and Safety, Safeguarding & Child Protection and Risk Assessment
- Professional Responsibilities (i.e. insurance, Working with Children Check, first aid, equality and diversity)
- Advertising and finding an appropriate venue, including How to Market your Junior Herbalist Club and Marketing your JHC Classes to Schools
- Administration: Parent Information Leaflet, Parental Consent Form, Booking Letters for First- and Second-Year Intake, Enrolment Documents, Attendance Registers
- Preferred Suppliers
During the course, student leaders will actively work through each of the twenty sessions in ‘real time’. This demonstrates how to teach the sessions in a way that engages all types of learners (Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, and Kinaesthetic), and allows them to experience the practical aspects of the course by making all the items and products included in the syllabus.
On completion of the course, you will be equipped with all the information and skills required to teach the two-year syllabus to children and be entered on to the Register of qualified JHC Leaders maintained by NHAA.
Course:
Junior Herbalist Club Leader Training
Dates:
Monday 23rd to Friday 27th October, 2023
9.30am-5.30pm each day
Venue:
Torrens University Australia
Surry Hills (Central Sydney) campus
17-51 Foveaux Street Surry Hills, 2010
Non-members: $2650 by clicking the ‘Book Now’ button below.
NHAA members: $2450. Members have received their discounted link by email.
Payment by instalments can also be arranged.
Please note that because of the high professional standard of the training and course content, to train as a Junior Herbalist Club Leader you must:
- Have graduated from an NHAA approved course
- Have a current membership with NHAA or equivalent professional association
- Have current appropriate professional insurance
This course is only available through in-person attendance as its practical and safety aspects prevent it from being suitable to be taught remotely.
You can find out more information on the training and book your place HERE.
Places are strictly limited and allocated on a first come, first served basis, so early enrolment is advised. Please direct all enquiries to the Australian course co-ordinator, Christine Thomas, who has extensive knowledge of the course content and has been authorised by the course founder to answer questions on her behalf:
Email: christine.thomas@herbalextracts.com.au
Ph: 0487 000 385
Here’s to new opportunities for our members and a whole new generation of herbalists!
Proudly Supported By
Interested in Sponsoring the Junior Herbalist Club Training Course? Click below!