COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION:

In 2003, Micheal Deunov Cornellier, founder of La Cité Ecologique in Quebec, Canada, decided with a few first and second generation members, of the Canadian Ecovillage, to build a sister community in New Hampshire.

After 30 years, La Cité now has a center in Quebec and another in New Hampshire. The USA branch live on 315 acres of scenic forest and mountain land in the North Country region. The Community counts 45 residents, five businesses, three organizations and a private alternative school. Their educational center offers hands-on learning experiences through internships, classes and events. They are working with international networks to offer programs such as.

Since the beginning, the school has been the dynamic center of the community. It puts the emphasis on team building and collaboration among students, as well as parental involvement. The school covers primary education through high-school. It focuses on and balances the three parts of each individual: the will, intellect, and heart. One particular part of this education program is supporting young adults to become company executives, students have the chance to operate enterprises in which educational principles can be grounded. Thus, the community became known for its abundance of student-run businesses, including ones focused on organic farming, sustainable energies, recycling and a learning center on sustainability.