Environment
Mount Madonna School is located on 355 acres of forested mountaintop property overlooking the Monterey Bay
We are hosted by Mount Madonna Center, a community founded on the principles of yoga and dedicated to non-harming, self-development and service to society. The values of the Center and the beauty of the natural environment provide a supportive and inspirational context in which our learning community thrives.
Excellence in education is achieved most readily when high academic standards and enthusiasm for learning are both present in the school environment. We are dedicated to nurturing our students' natural curiosity and passion for learning.
Ecoliteracy and Outdoor Learning Program
“Take your mind for a walk.”
Our Lower School students interact daily with Mount Madonna’s natural environment. Our students’ “outdoor classroom” provides opportunities for exploration, observation, imagination and reflection inspired by the natural environment of the redwood forests, oak trees, life lab gardens, ponds, meadows and rocks. Whether grinding sandstone rocks at recess, hiking with big buddies to the newt and duck ponds or simply watching the various migratory birds that visit our lake area bus stop, students’ daily life and classroom lessons help us achieve important eco-literate citizenship goals.
Primary Goals of the Ecoliteracy and Outdoor Learning Program include the development of:
- Stewardship for our environment, creating sustainable communities.
- A personal relationship with nature
- Character building qualities such as perseverance, creativity, teambuilding, integrity
- Physical Health to increase stamina, provide stress reduction and fitness
- Knowledge of the life/earth sciences, ecology of life, habitats, local plants and animals
- Nature-inspired creative expression
- Life skills and wilderness safety
- Agricultural awareness of food sources, issues in farming, local/global economy.
