From The Soil Up: Regenerative Education In Manton

Cultivating a culture of learning is much like cultivating soil. With the right season and tools, you dig in, refine and enrich. There are no limits to the possibilities when a new ecosystem is born and regeneration begins.

In 2017, the Manton community was faced with the question of whether they would dig in or walk away when they heard that the Manton Elementary School doors would soon close. A group of people decided to get their hands dirty and eventually two nonprofits were formed—the Manton Educational Council (MEC) in 2017 and Manton Parks in 2022. This budding culture of learning rejuvenated Manton, but you could argue that the soil was prepped long before the school closure.

Mustang Club kids learn the value of cooperation through making “stone soup” together.

Small town schools provide community hubs

Nestled against the base of Mount Lassen on ancient Yana lands, Manton’s volcanic soil has attracted many people over the years with their fingers itching to sink into the rich possibilities. Marlo Meyer, an Education Administrator for the University of Virginia, moved back to California in 2015 to fulfill her dreams of owning a family farm. Marlo continues to telecommute while she and her family run Meyerhof Farm. Marlo never could have imagined just how deeply she would become planted into the bedrock of the community but she “wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The impending school closure was full of red flags for Marlo. “Schools have traditionally served as community hubs, especially in small communities like Manton whose main center had been the school since 1921,” Marlo says. “Starting in 2019, our kids were being bussed to larger schools 40 minutes away, with after school care provided in town for a fee and no transportation back to Manton.”

Manton Elementary students benefit from plenty of outdoor play in nature.

Loss of community school inspires action, garners local support

Marlo decided to form the MEC to create local educational opportunities involving community members. While working to buy the Manton Elementary School property, the MEC leased the school and launched an afterschool program, Club Mustang. Marlo began garnering support through writing not only grants but also catchy signs to hang at the annual Manton Apple Festival. One sign, “If not you, then who? If not now, then when? Save our school,” planted just the right seeds for one new Manton resident.

Bobysue discovered her love of gardening through Club Mustang classes.

Gerard Minikawa, a world-renowned industrial engineer and founder of Bamboo DNA, had chosen Manton to grow bamboo, but then he couldn’t get Marlo’s sign out of his head. Gerard says that he and other community members began “working to restore some of the basic organs of a thriving town, like our community center and the general store called Sweet Shoots.”

After tremendous support from the community through donations and fundraisers and a generous grant from the McConnell Foundation, Manton Parks was able to purchase the Manton Elementary School in 2022. “Manton Parks was created to be the administrator or ‘brain’, of our community center while the MEC remains as the beating ‘heart’ for most of the area activities” says Gerard. “Our various nonprofits and business entities need each other to thrive, like a mini ecosystem.”

Another vital member of the ecosystem has been Kalan Redwood, a founding board member of MEC, who helped put Manton on the map with her organic seed farm, Redwood Seeds. Kalan is thrilled that MEC has made it possible for her children to attend Acorn to Oaks, a homeschooling program held three days a week at the school campus. “I am so grateful for the programming MEC provides at Manton Parks. When my kids were young, we had to go to Redding for activities but with Club Mustang and Acorn to Oaks, my kids are engaged in their local community and peers. We hope to continue growing and expanding programming at Manton Parks over the coming years with more and more offerings for youth and adults. This year the kids are starting a seed library and we have expansion plans for the campus garden as well.”

Manton art students learn artistic styles and the use of various mediums to create beautiful art.

Revitalized Manton Elementary offers unique, integrated education

Like some of Gerard’s bamboo varieties, (Sweetshoots, Spectabilis and Incense), and Kalan’s seeds, (Cosmonaut Volkav tomato, Dragon Tongue Bush bean and Waltham Butternut), the Manton children’s education is anything but garden variety.

Teacher Catherine Mancino taught at Manton Elementary before it closed. She said, “I feel privileged to be out of retirement and working again with the local families as the director of Club Mustang. We have anywhere from 18 to 22 kids and it is a joy to challenge them to try new things and perhaps discover something they enjoy. We have fused glass classes, pottery, archery training, mask-making and soap-making—just to name a few. The kids also love time to run around with their friends and have downtime after school.”

Manton Parks connects community, builds bridge to the future

The adults in the community have also benefited from the ability to gather at Manton Parks for things like free ukulele lessons and Tai Chi. “Besides the Manton Apple Festival, the next best community bonding has come through pickle ball at Manton Parks every Wednesday and Saturday,” says Manton Community Church pastor, Paul Crabtree.

Manton students learn about seed saving and plant, grow and harvest unusual crop varieties in their school garden.

Marlo says with emotion, “70-year-olds playing pickleball with 17-year-olds are going to be the bridge that saves this town. This is regenerating—when we know that these kids will one day be the future leaders who will give back to their communities.”

A favorite memory at Club Mustang was when Marlo taught a unit on the book “Stone Soup,” culminating with a performance that completely packed the school gym. Marlo says, “when people bring what they can, even if they think it is small, the whole community benefits. We all need each other.”

Visit mantonedcouncil.org for more information.