A Message From the Founder
Marlo Eakes Meyer, MA
It's often said that when a community's elementary school closes, it sets off a chain reaction— out-migration, population decline, and neighborhood deterioration—making it nearly impossible to reverse. But what if that isn’t the whole story? What if a small rural town of 300 people came together for their children and created a space where they could explore, express themselves, feel safe, eat organic food, and even nap when needed? That’s exactly what happened in our town.
In 2017, when local educators and parents learned that Manton’s 100-year-old school was about to close, they formed the Manton Education Council (MEC). The mission of this 501(c)(3) was simple yet urgent: to reclaim and preserve what was being taken from us. We aimed to provide a safe afterschool program, restore educational opportunities in Manton, and keep the community's spirit alive through hands-on learning experiences that reflected the unique character of our town.
I know the power of resilience firsthand. As a child with undiagnosed dyslexia, I struggled in school, labeled lazy and told not to dream of college. But I fought back, found ways to learn, and became the first in my family to graduate from college. This personal journey fuels my passion for MEC.
Today, I’m proud that MEC is advancing its mission by creating programs that reverse the pattern and draw public schools out to our rural farm campus. We are particularly proud of our LEAF (Learning Experiences in Agriculture and Food Futures) program, which offers farm curriculum and public school students an immersive, hands-on day at the farm. This program addresses critical issues facing many rural areas, including Manton—the challenge of food deserts, the way to understand and navigate a increasing tech world, how to thrive. In a world where other needs of a complex America often take priority over rural children, where cities with large groups of children (equally needing different but also important skills) overshadow rural communities, our programs remain dedicated to keeping our rural children and the individual farming way of life at the forefront.
In 2017, when local educators and parents learned that Manton’s 100-year-old school was about to close, they formed the Manton Education Council (MEC). The mission of this 501(c)(3) was simple yet urgent: to reclaim and preserve what was being taken from us. We aimed to provide a safe afterschool program, restore educational opportunities in Manton, and keep the community's spirit alive through hands-on learning experiences that reflected the unique character of our town.
I know the power of resilience firsthand. As a child with undiagnosed dyslexia, I struggled in school, labeled lazy and told not to dream of college. But I fought back, found ways to learn, and became the first in my family to graduate from college. This personal journey fuels my passion for MEC.
Today, I’m proud that MEC is advancing its mission by creating programs that reverse the pattern and draw public schools out to our rural farm campus. We are particularly proud of our LEAF (Learning Experiences in Agriculture and Food Futures) program, which offers farm curriculum and public school students an immersive, hands-on day at the farm. This program addresses critical issues facing many rural areas, including Manton—the challenge of food deserts, the way to understand and navigate a increasing tech world, how to thrive. In a world where other needs of a complex America often take priority over rural children, where cities with large groups of children (equally needing different but also important skills) overshadow rural communities, our programs remain dedicated to keeping our rural children and the individual farming way of life at the forefront.