Chris Neaves has send me some information on a Koi course that was launched a week or so ago. He will also be one of the lecturers apart from many other well known koi experts.
"About a year ago, a small group of dedicated Koi hobbyists (aka “fish geeks”) were searching for a suitable outlet for their desire to both learn more and teach others about good Koi husbandry. The group grew into a steering committee of more than 25 members. As the possibilities were discussed, the group observed that they were not just US-based Koi enthusiasts, but their ranks included members of the international community. Further, it was recognized that since much good information comes from around the world, any thoughts of restricting the group’s participants to the US would seriously limit their efforts. And, since face-to-face interacting is impractical on a world-wide basis, it became evident that the Internet presented the most logical venue. However, observations of postings on the Internet consistently revealed that much of the information there is unsupported personal opinion or sheer speculation. This underscored the need for evidence-based information that is current, accurate and useful. Putting all these needs, observations and ideas together and following them to their logical conclusion, the group decided to form an international, internet-based teaching and learning organization to provide fact-based information for the hobby. The logo and name were chosen to reflect both the focus on Koi and the international nature of the group – therefore the use of the “s” in Organisation.
As a volunteer group, large amounts of money were not required to launch the endeavor. At first, the core group simply funded the initial costs. However, the steering committee soon realized this was not a long term solution and the project needed a source of sustaining funds. In order to accept tax-deductible donations, they incorporated as Koi Organisation International, Inc. and applied for non profit status. Approval of that status is pending and expected to be granted within the next few months.
In addition, the thought surfaced that if the groups’ efforts were truly valuable to others, those “others” would be willing to pay a nominal amount for the results of the time consuming task of researching, verifying and assembling or creating the final products. While some of the information available is free, other offerings have a modest fee in order to provide funding to sustain the group’s mission.
Koi Organisation International (“K.O.I.TM”) provides instructional courses on many aspects of the hobby for all levels of interest. Students work with instructors and mentors to improve their understanding of Koi keeping. Members can provide one-on-one consultations through e-mails, phone consults and on-site visits if needed. Products of interest to Koi keepers are available from the online K.O.I. store.
Instructional courses begin with the most basic information and build on each other in successive levels of complexity and depth. Curious visitors will be pleased to discover there is a free comprehensive Beginners Course, K.O.I. 101 for the novice Koi keeper that is available to anyone that registers at the K.O.I. web site. This course can be taken as time permits and includes a self-test. The goal of K.O.I. 101 is to provide basic recommendations and guidelines to help keep Koi alive and healthy. This web-based course is available in multiple formats. Choose from Web pages of text and pictures, a series of self-paced, narrated Power Point presentations or an audio format for download to MP3 players. Fun activities will allow Koi keepers to test their knowledge as they complete each section.Those who successfully complete the entire course may print a certificate of completion."
The KOI Inc website can be found at
http://koiorganisationinternational.org/
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