Page 10 - C.A.L.L. #29 - Winter 2007

School of Living: 50 Years of Learning

in Community

In 1934, during the depths of a worldwide depression, Ralph Borsodi established an educational
organization committed to empowering individuals and communities to explore more ecological,
self-directed, and humane ways of living. Since that tumultuous time, the School of Living (SoL) has
been experimenting with new social and economic models based on ecological principles, equity,
self-reliance, freedom, and stewardship of the earth’s natural resources - especially land resources.
The vision was to create a network of decentralized, ecological, self-governed communities where
land was held in common through the use of Community Land Trusts. Today, the SoL has evolved
into a loose educational network of six communities in
the Mid-Atlantic region in the eastern U.S. with more
than 60 residents living on over 500 acres of
community land trust property. In addition to building
intentional communities based on the community land
trust model, the SoL actively supports permaculture
education, alternative (democratic) education (primary
through high school), and group training in non-
violent communication and facilitation.

The Community Land Trust (CLT) is one of Ralph
Borsodi’s most enduring and guiding visions—that is,
land that is controlled by the community with the economic benefits fairly distributed among the
th
larger community. Borsodi was heavily influenced by the writings of Henry George, a 19 century
economist. “Georgist economics” argues that humans have a right to claim the value of their labor
but cannot claim the value of the earth and its resources. Borsodi’s promoted CLT’s as a way to
hold the value of the land for all of humanity, and to redistribute any increase in value to the larger
community.

Another guiding principle within the SoL is Permaculture - a comprehensive ecological approach to
creating human settlements that merges human and natural system goals in larger wholes.
Permaculture pulls from the fields of “applied ecology” and “geonomics” with a clear focus on
creating sustainable human settlements. In practical terms, permaculture design means that SoL
communities strive to create living landscapes, food
forests, and other vertically “stacked” farming systems.
SoL communities are experimenting with alternative
waste water treatment, earth-sheltered homes, and
recently began expanding their permaculture education
efforts with the establishment of a new GAIA
University learning center at the Heathcote Community
in Northern Maryland.

The School of Living has been experimenting for more
than a half century with both progressive ideals and
practical social goals. As a “learning community” we have developed a diverse group of
communities where residents are able to live collectively on the land, collaborate on community
projects, and pursue their own dreams within a framework of common social values. Borsodi’s
vision is alive and well today - and there is still a pressing need to address long-standing problems
of resource depletion, centralized control, poverty, and the steady degradation of the world’s
ecosystems. Like so many intentional communities around the world, we don’t have all the
answers, but we are committed to living lives that properly value ecology, equity, social justice,
and ultimately, the whole of humanity.

The author of this piece, Frank Higdon (frankxhigdon@yahoo.com), presented a paper on the School of
Living at the ICSA Conference 2007, and agreed to write this summary especially for C.A.L.L.

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