Manzanita School & Institute

Manzanita School and Institute is a nature-based and WASC-accredited K-12 independent college preparatory school in the Santa Monica mountains.

Founded in 2013, Manzanita challenges educational paradigms and nurtures the whole child through its unique indoor-outdoor curriculum blending rigorous academics, land stewardship (including a working organic farm), and the study of local ecology on its 21-acre campus and the protected lands that surround it.

Manzanita sits at the foot of wild chaparral, a doorway into nature’s most complex science lab. The campus is also a rich historical landscape, an artist’s studio, a naturalist’s field guide, and a geologist’s dream. The huge rock faces overlooking our school elicit a sense of wonder at the magnificent possibilities of life and learning.

To learn more about our unique approach to academics, visit our Curriculum page.