SANTA FE, NM, Oct. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Modern Elder Academy (MEA) – the world’s first midlife wisdom school – has chosen Santa Fe, NM as the location for both its first U.S. academy and its global headquarters. MEA Co-Founder Christine Sperber will oversee the headquarters and U.S. academy operations, which, when fully staffed, will employ 25 - 35 people at the headquarters and hundreds at New Mexico academy locations when they open in 2023 and beyond.
Santa Fe was selected after comparing it with 20 other possible U.S. locales for a variety of factors including the beautiful natural environment, the rich cultural history, a tradition of being popular for adult learning and workshops, the breadth of talented workshop leaders and facilitators in the area, and the indigenous elders in the region that can incorporate their wisdom into MEA programs.
“Northern New Mexico is like no place else in the U.S.,” said Chip Conley, MEA Co-Founder. “The light, the skies, the mountains, the air . . . it has attracted people for centuries. When our team met and looked at possible locations for our first U.S. academy – all of us unanimously picked Santa Fe. Today, Santa Fe is recognized as one of the most intriguing urban environments in the nation and is known for the traditions of the city's expansive cultural heritage, which helps make it one of the country's most diverse and fascinating places. We look forward to introducing our guests from around the world to magical Northern New Mexico.”
Earlier this year, MEA purchased 2,566 acres of the Saddleback Ranch in the Galisteo Basin outside of Santa Fe for the new academy. MEA will preserve over 75% of the ranch as permanent open space, introduce a trail system with public access, and engage regenerative grazing to replenish the land’s soil and water table. The MEA team is working closely with the community to ensure the design authentically represents the region. MEA is tapping into local talent for all aspects of the sustainable design including local architects AOS, landscape architects Surroundings, and water engineering and ecological restoration firm Biohabitats.
While development of the Santa Fe academy is underway, in-person workshops have resumed at MEA’s Baja California Sur, Mexico campus, along with Sabbatical (longer stay) Sessions and MEA Online, both created during the pandemic.
“MEA Online and our Sabbatical Sessions were created as a way to offer our program during the pandemic, but both have become so popular, we’ve decided to keep them as a regular part of the curriculum,” added Conley.
Week-long and five-day Mastery workshops have reopened and are scheduled through 2022. Each workshop features MEA faculty members and guest faculty that bring a wide variety of experiences to the workshops. Guest faculty include iconic activists such as musician Michael Franti and bestselling authors Lynne Twist and Paul Hawken, mindfulness masters Dr. Shauna Shapiro and Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard, and entrepreneurial phenoms Shelley Paxton and Blake Mycoskie. A full list of programs and guest faculty is at: Workshops
MEA was established in 2018 to support people in reimagining midlife as a time for learning, growth and positive transformation. To date, more than 1,500 people from 28 countries have participated in MEA’s programs. Participants have ranged in age from 30 to 88, with 75% of alums being 45-65 years old with an average age of 54. More than 60% are women and approximately 25% people of color. More than 500 people have completed MEA online, and enrollment is open for the February program.
Additionally, today MEA was named a “Brands That Matter” honoree by Fast Company Magazine. The 95 honoree companies and nonprofits have achieved relevance through cultural impact and social engagement, and authentically communicated their missions and ideals.
“All 95 have found an ability to forge an emotional connection with customers, whether leading on the environment or pop culture, engaging B2B customers, or responding meaningfully to current events,” said Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company.
