Manzanita School, a WASC-accredited K-12 independent college preparatory school located in the Santa Monica Mountains just outside Los Angeles, has announced that admissions remain open for the Fall 2026-27 academic year. Prospective families can submit an inquiry or application through the school's admissions portal linked from the Manzanita website. This announcement comes as the school continues to offer its distinctive indoor-outdoor learning model, which has been a hallmark since its founding in 2013.
The school's 21-acre Big Rock Ranch campus in Topanga Canyon blends rigorous academics with land stewardship and the immersive study of local ecology, described by the school as "nature's most complex science lab." Manzanita is among the college preparatory schools with outdoor curriculum in California that challenges traditional educational paradigms by nurturing the whole child through a unique blend of classroom and experiential learning.
The curriculum is organized into four cohorts: Seeds (Forest Kindergarten, first, and second grades), Roots (third through fifth), Trunk (sixth through eighth), and Branches (ninth through twelfth). Beginning in third grade, students experience three days of traditional classroom time, known as "Owl Days," balanced with two days of experiential learning on the land, called "Hawk Days," each week. This structure allows for a deep integration of academic subjects with hands-on environmental education.
As one of the creative curriculum private schools in Los Angeles, Manzanita offers programs across English Language Arts, Core Science-Humanities, Mathematics, The Arts, Nature Connection, Stewardship, and Expeditionary Learning. All students participate in overnight expeditions designed to build group unity and provide hands-on experience with their core Humanities or Science curriculum. Destinations include the Manzanita campus itself, Sycamore Canyon Campground, Quail Springs Permaculture Farm, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Cottonwood Lakes area of the John Muir Wilderness in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
The school's environmental education programs in California are anchored by a working permaculture farm known as the Living Classroom. Organic, locally sourced lunches and snacks incorporate produce grown on the farm, and students engage in animal care and regenerative agriculture as part of their stewardship studies. This hands-on approach to sustainability is a key component of the school's mission to foster environmental responsibility.
Launched in Fall 2021, Manzanita's Forest Kindergarten takes place entirely outdoors and is based on decades of research into optimal contexts for young children to develop confidence, curiosity, imagination, a love of the earth, and interpersonal competence. This program aligns directly with the school's fully accredited nature immersion programs for older grades, ensuring a continuous educational philosophy from early childhood through high school.
Class sizes are intentionally small, with approximately 12 to 14 students in the Seeds program and about 14 students in older grades. The school day begins at 8:30 a.m. for all grades, and the school emphasizes a mentor-rich community. A current parent quoted on the school's website praised the school for providing "the ideal educational environment for our children, each of whom has different learning styles and needs."
The announcement of open admissions for the Fall 2026-27 academic year is significant for families seeking an alternative to traditional schooling. As education increasingly incorporates outdoor and experiential learning, Manzanita's model offers a blueprint for integrating academic rigor with environmental stewardship. For business and technology leaders, this approach highlights the growing demand for holistic education that prepares students for a complex world, emphasizing critical thinking, collaboration, and a deep connection to nature.
For more information about Manzanita School and its admissions process, visit www.manzanitaschool.org.
