Our Curriculum

Below is an outline containing the topics, themes, and activities we will share together over the next 8-weeks. In addition to the weekly modules and resources to research at your pace, we will gather twice weekly for live classes where we practice, discuss, and share time.

  • 1

    Welcome

    • This Land We Are On

    • We Welcome You

    • About ASP

    • Meet the Teachers!

    • Death Doula Course Outline

    • Technology Tips to Participate

    • Online Privacy Agreements

    • Copyright and ASP

    • To watch before our first class - Video: Introduction to Community Agreements with Reya Born

    • Zoom Link for LIVE Classes
  • 2

    Week 1: Welcome to Death Doula Training

    • Week One: Welcome Here!

    • Practice: Letters to the Land

    • Zine: DIY Doula, the Doula Project

    • Video: I will be a Hummingbird with Wangari Maathai

    • To watch for week 2 - Movie: It's My Party

    • To watch for week 2 - Video: Cultural Humility: People, Principles and Practices with Vivian Chávez

    • Resource: Organizations We Love!

    • Resource: Death Care Podcast List

    • Resource: Live Class Notes
  • 3

    Week 2: Laying the Groundwork & How do People, People?

    • Laying the Groundwork

    • Video: Introduction to Identity Work with Daemond Arrindell

    • Read: Principles of Disability Justice by Sins Invalid

    • Read: White Supremacy Characteristics by Tema Okun and Kenneth Jones

    • Practice: Identity & Bias Education

    • Video: What is a Death Doula? with Lashanna Williams, A Sacred Passing & People's Memorial Association

    • Video: Culture of Care with Lashanna

    • Video: Consent as Accountability with Stas Schmiedt and Lea Roth, BCRW

    • Video: Certification Conversation

    • Video: Carework Over Capitalism with ASP & PMA

    • Article: Defining Disability Justice & Care Work

    • Practice: Identity Engagements

    • Practice: Play with Commonalities

    • Reflection: Social Identity

    • Resource: Interrupting Oppression

    • Invitation: Community Sharing during our Closing Circle
  • 4

    Week 3: Planning for Death & Ways of Tending to Choice

    • Video: Estate Planning with Jenny Ling

    • Video: What's a Death Plan with Summer

    • Practice: Death Plans

    • Video: Paperwork-shop with Sammie Ablaza Wills

    • Slide deck: Paperworkshop with Sammie Ablaza Willis

    • Resource: K-12 Death & Dying Curriculum by Dante W

    • Article: A Ministry Of Presence: A Queer History of Community Death Care to something like Queer Community Death Care

    • Practice: Media Literacy

    • Death Care Terminology Jeopardy!

    • Video: Suicide and Self Tending with M Abeo

    • Suicide and Self Tending

    • Video: Overdose Prevention, Recognition, & Response with Leilani Maxera

    • Webinar Recording: Safety & Care with Spring Up

    • In Baltimore’s Senior Homes, Overdoses Plague a Forgotten Gener

    • Resources: ASP Suicide Suppers

    • Resources: Get Your Shit Together

    • Link roll-up: Paperwork & Planning

    • Links Roll-up: Consent & Choice in Death
  • 5

    Week 4: Ways of Tending to Grief

    • Video: Identity and Grief with Alica Forneret

    • Video: Grief with Megan Devine

    • Video: Traditional & Contemporary Uses of Psilocybin in Grief with Dr. Diana Quinn

    • Video: Resilience Collective's Grief Summit with Lashanna

    • Grief Stories from the Livingroom - Slidedeck

    • LIVE: Grief Models

    • Howard's Blog

    • To watch for week 5 - Movie: An Honest Death

    • Link roll-up: Grief

    • Reminder: Community Sharing
  • 6

    Week 5: How We Show Up & Be Present

    • Link roll-up: Culture & Community

    • Reminder: Community Sharing
  • 7

    Week 6: MAiD & VSED

    • Video: Medical Aid & Dying with Lashanna Williams, Spiritual Death Talk with The Grave Women Joél Simone Anthony

    • Video: VSED Bob and Mavis's Story

    • Listen: VSED Planning Conversation Mavis & Bob

    • Listen: Death rattle

    • Listen: Breathing w phlegm comfortably
  • 8

    Week 7: Ways of Tending a Body

    • Video: Disrupting Harmful Dynamics with Daemond, Heartwork Collective

    • LIVE: Labels

    • Listen: Its your life by Milla Jovovich

    • Video: Disposition Field Trips

    • Video: Unpack a Nonmedical Body Care Kit with Summer

    • Video: Disposition Panel hosted by ASP & EoLWA

    • Zines: Body Care & Disposition

    • Video: Shrouding Practice Slideshow

    • Article: Green Burial Infographic from Talk Death & Keeper Memorials

    • Video: Organ Donation (Cornea, Brain)

    • Reminder: Community Sharing

    • Links Roll-up: Models of Care

    • Link roll-up: Body Care for Death & Dying
  • 9

    Week 8: Closing Circle

    • Preparation for Week 8

    • LIVE: Community Sharing

    • Practice and Reflection