# ROOT_ V1 Instructor-Led Pilot Plan

Phase 6F Step 19. Realistic delivery packaging from the ACTUAL curriculum duration
(`docs/ROOT_PROGRAM_DURATION_MODEL.md`) — not a business/pricing decision, an
operational/academic one.

## The three natural cohort groupings

The real prerequisite chain (`docs/ROOT_V1_PREREQUISITE_MAP.md`) already divides ROOT_ V1 into
three coherent stretches, each a legitimate standalone cohort length:

| Cohort | Courses | Duration | Suggested cadence |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Foundations** | ROOT 01-04 | 1,497 min ≈ 25.0 hrs | 8-10 weeks at 2.5-3 hrs/week, or a 1-week intensive |
| **Kubernetes Core** | ROOT 05-07, 10 | 1,338 min ≈ 22.3 hrs | 7-9 weeks, requires Foundations complete |
| **Operate & Secure** | ROOT 09, 12, Capstone | 980 min ≈ 16.3 hrs | 5-6 weeks, requires Kubernetes Core complete |

**Full ROOT_ V1 pathway**: all three back to back, 64.2 hours total, realistically a
20-24 week (one semester-plus) commitment at a sustainable 3 hrs/week pace — not a single
short cohort. This mirrors how the content itself is sequenced (ROOT_PROGRAM_ARCHITECTURE.md's
own course graph), not an arbitrary split.

## Weekend/intensive packaging

Any single cohort above also works compressed into a multi-day intensive (e.g. Foundations as a
5-day, 5-hr/day intensive) — the content and Labs are identical; only pacing changes. This is
exactly the reasoning behind `docs/WINTER_BREAK_CAMP_CURRICULUM_OPTIONS.md`'s Option A, which is
the Foundations cohort's first half (ROOT 01-02) sized for a single week.

## What doesn't change between formats

Server-enforced prerequisites, Lab lifecycle, assessment integrity, and instructor tooling
(`docs/ROOT_V1_INSTRUCTOR_GUIDE.md`) are identical regardless of cadence — a cohort meeting
weekly for 9 weeks and one meeting daily for 5 days use the exact same platform mechanics.

## What this document deliberately does not decide

Price, enrollment minimums/maximums, marketing, and specific calendar dates — packaging
decisions belong to the people running a specific cohort, informed by real demand, not
prescribed here.