Fairhope Organic School, founded in 1907 by Marietta Johnson, serves children Pre-K through grade 2.
Welcome to The Marietta Johnson School of Organic Education! We have been instructing children with Marietta Johnson's philosophy for 107 years in the town of Fairhope, Alabama. Much has changed in those years. Our little town has transformed from a socialist experiment to a vacation destination. The tiny colony cottages made of native clay tiles have been replaced by grand homes. Subdivisions now spread out over what were once pecan orchards and potato fields. Our school campus has moved from the center of town to the outskirts. Technology has transformed the way in which we communicate and live. Despite all of these changes, the way children learn remains the same.
Folks are often surprised that our school is so old. They think the Organic part of our name is a result of the back to nature movement of the 60's and 70's and are amazed when told that Mrs. Johnson chose the term to describe her philosophy of teaching. She viewed children as organisms needing stimulation of all the senses and patterned her hands-on curriculum around that premise. Today's students learn concepts in much the same way as Mrs. Johnson's students did. We observe nature, record what we learn, and utilize reference materials to confirm our findings rather than study a textbook that describes nature. Our mornings are crammed with learning experiences so that we may spend our afternoons engaging in music, drama, art, ceramics, and dance.
We are now teaching third and fourth generations of local families. A recurring theme among current students and alumni alike is their enthusiasm for being at school. Many of our students arrive early and complain that they have to leave when the final bell rings. Summer vacations are viewed as an inconvenient pause in the learning process. I hope you will learn something new while visiting our website. For those of you who live in the area, please call us or come by for a visit. We'll be here for quite a while to come!
The Mission of Marietta Johnson School of Organic Education is to provide five senses learning that promotes critical thinking, artistic expression, and respect for individual differences while fostering a lifelong joy of learning.
