Christian Leadership Formation
Goal: Understand the importance of being a holistic witness for Christ and develop the skills to resolve conflicts in a Biblical manner.
Classes:
Christian Discipleship,
Spiritual Formation,
Relationships with self,
Relationships with Others (incudes conflict resolution),
Relationships with God,
Relationships with Creation

Community Development
Goal: Acquire the tools to organize and facilitate the development of a group or community.
Classes:
Theology of Development
Principles of Development
Processes of Development
Women in Development
Development and the Enviornment
Development in Cross-Cultural Situations
Obstacles to Development
Strategies of Development

Appropriate Technology
Goal: Equip students with skills and resources in technologies for specific needs
Classes:

• Agriculture Equipment (CSD rice thresher, barrell fresno, manual corn sheller, gravity grain cleaner, level with carpenter's level)
• Manual Wood Working Tools (CSD wood turning lathe, CSD bench tool grinder, CSD folding tool grinder, CSD press drill, light duty jigsaw, deep throat jigsaw)
• Household Technologies (sawdust heating stove, sawdust cook stove, barrel heating stove, solar cookers, solar cookit, charcoal oven)
• Spinning and Weaving Equipment (CSD cotton/wool spinner, CSD wool spinner with flyer, CSD bobbin winder/spinner, yarn baller, string maker, roller cotton gin, brush cotton gin, hand cards for carding wool, wool combs for combing wool, table loom, inkle loom, card/tablet weaving)
• Construction (CinvaRam block machine, plastic sheet concrete mixer, beehive building construction, plastic tube land level, A-frame level, floating block level)
• Pumps and Pumping (hydraulic ram, inertia pump, rope and washer pump, rope pump, shallow well PVC pump, deep well cylinder PVC pump, slow sentrifugal pump, pumping with a garden hose)
• Handicrafts (knitting board, chain knitting spool, pump drill for holes in seeds, needle weaving, hot pad frames, toymaking, jigsaw puzzle maps of countries)
• Miscellaneous Technologies (orange juice pasteurizer, chain link fence maker, fuel briquette press, bicycle pulley drive system, spring maker, rope making)

International Health
Goal: Understand and be able to address primary health care principles that greatly impact community health in the Third World.
Classes:
Child Survival
Safe Motherhood
Nutrition / Malnutrition
Water & Sanitation
Population Issues
Traditional Medicine
Where There is no Doctor
Major Tropical Diseases
First Aid
Community Health Promotion
Health Communication Methods
Community Organizing for Health
The Church: Addressing HIV and AIDS
Training of Trainers I (Medical Ambassadors International)

Organizing for Action
Goal: Understand and practice crucial skills to help lead communities into action, monitor effectiveness of action and evaluate the process.
Classes:
Analysis of Community Structure
Community Needs and Resource Assessment
Program Planning
Proposal Writing
Project Management
Monitoring and Evaluation
Development Agencies and Agents

Introduction to Microenterprise
Goal: Understand and be able to implement skills crucial to program success.
Classes:
Microenterprise
Microfinance
Cooperatives
Administration & Management
Bookkeeping Basics

Communications and Computers in Ministry
Goal: Increase computer skills to promote ministry and ability to communicate.
Classes:

• Introduction to Computers (for beginners)
• Desktop Publishing
• PowerPoint presentations
• The World Wide Web
  • email as a communication tool
  • development information search techniques
  • introduction to webpage design
  • accessing agency and grant information online
• Photography
  • photography skills for publications
  • digital photography
• Optional Class: using Excel for record-keeping and accounting

Aquaponics
Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture and hydroponics. This creates a sustainable ecosystem where farmers grow both plants and fish together in one integrated system. The fish eliminates nutrients as a food source for the growing plants and plants provide a natural filter for the water that the fish live in. Aquaponics solves the fish farmers problem of disposing nutrient rich water that is toxic downstream and a hydroponic growers need for nutrient rich water.

Principles and Methods of Teaching Adults
Goal: Learn how to initiate and carry out training events and courses--possibly a SIFAT Training Seminar, Workshop or Practicum.
Classes:
Assessments of Needs
Recruitment of Students
Selection of Courses and Teachers
Methods of Teaching Adults
Teaching Aids

INTERNSHIP

SIFAT offers the opportunity to serve as a short-term (three months to one year) intern at many sites throughout the world. The purpose of the Internship Program is to provide an avenue of service to our international training practicum graduates to implement the objectives and teachings of the practicum in a Third World setting or on the SIFAT Galilee campus in Alabama.

Adult Literacy
Project Light is a program that teaches a second language, (eg. English as a second language), while developing computer skills.

Sustainable Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
Emphasis is on organic techniques to enrich the soil and improve food yeild and quantity in an ecologically sound and sustainable way. Included are composting, natural fertilizers, pest control, erosion control and drip irrigation. Animal husbandry is integrated into the over-all food production plan for protein, fertilizer and microenterprise for income. Included are raising rabbits and guinea pigs, fish culture, beekeeping, preparation for locations without a vet and more.

FORMS

For instructions on e-mailing your application to Yollie Concepcion, concepciony@sifat.org, please read these instructions.

Click for a Practicum application. This PDF includes all six forms needed to complete your application.

Click for a Practicum application en Español.

Click to download instructions for persons who have been accepted into the Practicum. This PDF includes important information about visas, packing and preparing for your visit.

If you have any questions not answered here, you may want to read the Training FAQs.