Manzanita School Opens Admissions for Fall 2026-27

Manzanita School, a WASC-accredited K-12 independent college preparatory school nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains near Los Angeles, has announced that admissions remain open for the Fall 2026-27 academic year. Prospective families can submit inquiries or applications through the school's admissions portal on their website. Founded in 2013, Manzanita distinguishes itself as one of the college preparatory schools with outdoor curriculum in California, blending rigorous academics with a unique indoor-outdoor learning model on a 21-acre campus called Big Rock Ranch. The school emphasizes whole-child development, land stewardship, and immersive study of local ecology, describing its environment as "nature's most complex science lab."

Manzanita's curriculum is organized into four cohorts: Seeds (grades K-2), Roots (3-5), Trunk (6-8), and Branches (9-12). Starting in third grade, students experience three days of traditional classroom time ("Owl Days") and two days of experiential outdoor learning ("Hawk Days") each week. As a creative curriculum private school in Los Angeles, it offers programs in English Language Arts, Core Science-Humanities, Mathematics, The Arts, Nature Connection, Stewardship, and Expeditionary Learning. All students participate in overnight expeditions to destinations like Joshua Tree National Park and the John Muir Wilderness. The school also features a working permaculture farm, the Living Classroom, which supplies organic produce for meals and serves as a hands-on learning environment. Launched in Fall 2021, the Forest Kindergarten program is entirely outdoors, grounded in research on child development. With class sizes of 12-14 students, Manzanita fosters a mentor-rich community. For more information, visit www.manzanitaschool.org.