School of Living's History

In the 1920's Ralph Borsodi became concerned with the problems of urbanized society and left the city to build his first homestead. He founded the School of Living in 1934 to empower others to achieve a more fulfilling and self sufficient life. He was soon joined by Mildred Loomis who continued and expanded the work until her death. Our current collective continues to work actively for the fulfillment of many of the ideals and movements to which we have been dedicated for many years.

SoL's area of study touches on every aspect of people and society. Historically we have played a pivotal role in movements supporting: organic agriculture, consumer rights, cooperatives and worker owned businesses, tax abolition, geonomics, appropriate technology, neighborhood and community rights and control.

Today SoL is actively engaged in: community land trust, intentional community support, permaculture, ecological use of resources, human scale and local self reliance, appropriate technology, alternative education, consensus decision making, non-exploitive banking, and alternative currency.