Financial Aid is now available for all 2023 workshops
 
Learn more
Join Living and Working On Purpose Online Course
 
Learn More

A school dedicated to helping you navigate midlife and beyond.

Your wisdom and experience have never been more needed or important. We offer the tools to help you navigate your next chapter.

As seen in
Introduction to MEA

MEA is on a mission to reframe midlife from a crisis to a calling. Our purpose is to help you find a renewed sense of purpose.

Midlife is a time when things start to shift and change. And any moment of change brings an opportunity for reinvention and revitalization. What do you truly want out of your career and your life?

Ask deep questions and find great answers on a sun-drenched stretch of the Pacific, far away from your day-to-day. Here, with the gifts of time, space, and a cohort of other curious learners by your side, we’ll dig into our challenges together, and discover what’s possible.

Simply put, MEA changed my life, not in an intellectual way, but in an emotional way.
Douglas Tsoi

Douglas Tsoi

Founder, School of Financial Freedom
Thank you again for the opportunity to participate in MEA. It was the best gift in my adult life.
Carol Spangler

Carol Spangler

Entrepreneur
MEA is more than just a breathtaking destination or the latest trend in the longevity market.
Bill Apablasa

Bill Apablasa

Co-founder of Oxygen Buzz
MEA was the most radically transformative journey I've ever embarked on!
Irene Edwards

Irene Edwards

Media and Communications Executive
I hope each of you have the opportunity to experience the online course.
Eddie Dobbins

Eddie Dobbins

Dream Coach
Highly recommend to anyone interested in exploring the roles they play in the world.
Tina Seelig

Tina Seelig

Professor, Stanford University
Highly recommended for anyone wanting to live a richer life as they age!
Upkar Arora

Upkar Arora

CEO Rally
I learned more in my week with you all than my 2 years in school!
Linda Gold

Linda Gold

CEO of M3iworks
My MEA experience was life-changing. It wove a sense of peace into my life that still remains.
Ken Page

Ken Page

Psychotherapist
MEA is a beacon for the soul, seeking renewal and inspiration for the next phases of life.
Shilpa Sankaran

Shilpa Sankaran

Entrepreneur
After my stay at Modern Elder Academy, I left a more evolved and rested person.
Jeff Tidwell

Jeff Tidwell

CEO, Next For Me
I became a part of a community focused on mindful aging and embracing the beauty of liminality!
Wanda Whitaker

Wanda Whitaker

Visionary Artist

Educational Programs

Welcome to the world’s first “midlife wisdom school” dedicated to long-life learning. With over 3,000+ alumni from 40 countries and 26 regional chapters worldwide, this is a global movement of curious and wise mid-lifers. Our programs help you invest in your sense of purpose, wellness, and community.

Net Promoter Score
3,000+ Alumni
Educational Programs
Baja Workshops

Baja Workshops

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Baja Workshops

At our beautiful beachfront campus you can attend a 7-day program for a deeper exploration of our core curriculum and added wisdom from our guest teachers. Or enjoy a 5-day Mastery Week that offers key curriculum elements with a greater focus on our guest faculty's expertise.

Financial Aid Available
MEA Online

MEA Online

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MEA Online

MEA Online offers a unique kind of “digital intimacy” that accelerates your learning and growth with greater impact. These 5-day and 6 to 8-week programs focus on becoming more purposeful in your everyday life with high-energy live events, weekly videos, community conversations and reflection tools.

Financial Aid Available
re·fresh

re·fresh

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re·fresh

re·fresh emerged during the pandemic as an alternative to our highly-curated workshops. re·fresh offers time to reflect and restore, work as a digital nomad, and tap into our “best of MEA” programming on your schedule. Come for a break, stay for the community.

Financial Aid Available
Dec 11
 — 
Dec 16, 2023
Baja Workshops
Dec 17
 — 
Jan 8, 2024
re·fresh
Jan 15
 — 
Jan 20, 2024
Baja Workshops
Feb 5
 — 
Feb 10, 2024
Baja Workshops
Feb 12
 — 
Feb 17, 2024
Baja Workshops
Feb 23
 — 
Mar 29, 2024
MEA Online
Feb 26
 — 
Mar 2, 2024
Baja Workshops
Mar 4
 — 
Mar 9, 2024
Baja Workshops
Mar 11
 — 
Mar 16, 2024
Baja Workshops

Which program is right for me?

Baja Workshops

5- or 7-day cohort weeks explore our core curriculum with guest faculty bringing expertise in all areas of work and life.

MEA Online

Our 5-day and 6 to 8 week programs offer insight, connection, and community from the comfort of home. Explore Reframing Retirement, Purpose and Transitions.

re·fresh

Personal retreats of 1-week or more at our beautiful oceanfront campus offer community with lighter, optional programming.

Duration
5 - 7 days
5-days and 6 to 8 weeks
1 week +
Teaching Style
Structured
Structured
DIY
Location
Baja, Mexico
Online
Baja, Mexico
Financial Aid
Yes
i
We offer two levels of financial aid: gold ($1,250) and platinum ($2,500). The request is embedded within the application for each workshop.
No
i
We do not provide scholarships for our MEA Online course, however we do offer early bird discounts each semester.
No
i
We do not provide scholarships for re·fresh, however we will be granting Activist in Residence awards in 2022.
Price Range
2023: $4,000 - $5,500
2024: $4,500 - $6,000*
$395 - $1,250
From $2500/week
Best Suited For
Best-suited for those seeking a catalyst for transformation in their lives and deeper connection with like-minded folks.
Meaningful for those seeking a deep experience from home and connection with a global community.
Perfect for someone who wants to combine a relaxing beach getaway with a light amount of learning and a big dose of community.
*After 2 years, we need to increase our Workshop fees a little.
Modern Elder Academy's Newsletter

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- The MEA Team
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Upcoming Programs

Many of our students choose their experience based upon what works best for their schedule, whether it’s our in-person programs in Baja - Workshops and re·fresh - or participation in our Online Courses. Explore our calendar and find the program that's best for you.

December
2023
2023-12-03
T
12:00
2023-12-10
T
12:00
Dec 3
Till 
Dec 10, 2023
Baja Workshops

Renewing Purpose: Modern Rituals to Navigate Life Transitions

Day Schildkret, Aparna Shute

We all experience moments of profound change, but how do we mark them? Could our lives be richer and more resilient if we had practical resources and rituals to make sense of these transitions? Join Day Schildkret and MEA Facilitator Aparna Shute for a powerful week of learning how to use meaning-making technologies to renew our life’s purpose.

Application Deadline: 
Enrollment Closes: 
November 19, 2023
Applications Closed
Enrollment Closed
December
2023
2023-12-11
T
12:00
2023-12-16
T
12:00
Dec 11
Till 
Dec 16, 2023
Baja Workshops

Mastery Week: Cultivating Awe

Dacher Keltner, Ph.D., Scott Shute

Join MEA veteran Dacher Keltner, director of UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, and MEA facilitator Scott Shute for an inspired dive into the science behind the feeling of Awe. Explore Awe’s ancient wisdom, art, and movement and enliven your body, mind and spirit as you reintroduce yourself to the experience of Awe.

Application Deadline: 
Enrollment Closes: 
November 27, 2023
Applications Closed
Enrollment Closed
December
2023
2023-12-17
T
12:00
2024-01-08
T
12:00
Dec 17
Till 
Jan 8, 2024
re·fresh

re·fresh

re·fresh emerged during the pandemic as an alternative to our highly-curated workshops. “re·fresh” offers time to reflect and restore, work as a digital nomad, and tap into our “best of MEA” programming on your schedule. Come for a break, stay for the community.

Application Deadline: 
Enrollment Closes: 
January 8, 2024
Applications Closed
Enrollment Closed
January
2024
2024-01-15
T
12:00
2024-01-20
T
12:00
Jan 15
Till 
Jan 20, 2024
Baja Workshops

Reframing Retirement: Thriving in Your Next Phase of Life

Collen Drummond, Robert Laura, Kari Cardinale

Join us as we push the boundaries of traditional retirement, critically questioning everything about it, and help you develop a new, more personalized framework for thriving in your next phase of life. It’s an engaging, intellectual and spiritual life stage with so many possibilities. You have more options than you think.

Application Deadline: 
Enrollment Closes: 
January 1, 2024
Applications Closed
Enrollment Closed
February
2024
2024-02-05
T
12:00
2024-02-10
T
12:00
Feb 5
Till 
Feb 10, 2024
Baja Workshops

Falling Down and Getting Up: Discovering Your Own Resilience and Strength

Mark Nepo, Jeff Hamaoui

When asked how they practiced their faith, medieval monks would say, ‘By falling down and getting up.’ Join Mark and Jeff on a transformative journey to discover the power of resilience and strength in creating the life you want. Embrace practices that will enable you to survive in this challenging world and thrive and seek deeper meaning and connections with others. Let’s explore the practice of being human… together.

Application Deadline: 
Enrollment Closes: 
January 21, 2024
Applications Closed
Enrollment Closed
February
2024
2024-02-12
T
12:00
2024-02-17
T
12:00
Feb 12
Till 
Feb 17, 2024
Baja Workshops

The Consciously Curated Life

Barbara Waxman, Janis Nakano Spivack

What if you had the time and space to sit at the feet of your life to unearth its wisdom? How could you use the insights gleaned to chart your path towards your next best steps? This popular workshop will help you align the wisdom and insights you'll surface to guide you to say yes with conviction and no with clarity as you embrace the authorship of your next chapter. Join veteran master faculty Barbara Waxman and MEA Facilitator Janis Nakano Spivack on the journey of a lifetime!

Application Deadline: 
Enrollment Closes: 
January 28, 2024
Applications Closed
Enrollment Closed
February
2024
2024-02-23
T
12:00
2024-03-29
T
12:00
Feb 23
Till 
Mar 29, 2024
MEA Online

Navigating Midlife Transitions

A 6-week online course to navigate midlife’s most common transitions with confidence and a fresh perspective.

Application Deadline: 
Enrollment Closes: 
February 23, 2024
Applications Closed
Enrollment Closed
February
2024
2024-02-26
T
12:00
2024-03-02
T
12:00
Feb 26
Till 
Mar 2, 2024
Baja Workshops

Awaken Your Rebel Soul to Reimagine Success

Shelley Paxton

Join rebel soul Shelley Paxton for a life-changing exploration of what it means to rewrite the script of success and live life on your terms. Inspired by Shelley’s pioneering path from CMO to CSO (Chief Soul Officer), this workshop offers a rebel roadmap to status quo no more.

Application Deadline: 
Enrollment Closes: 
February 11, 2024
Applications Closed
Enrollment Closed
March
2024
2024-03-04
T
12:00
2024-03-09
T
12:00
Mar 4
Till 
Mar 9, 2024
Baja Workshops

Sovereign Love: Cultivating a Sense of Interdependence in Our Relationships

Dene Logan Selkin

How do you nurture loving, healthy, authentic relationships while staying true to yourself as you live your soul’s journey? Welcome to Sovereign Love, a heartfelt workshop led by Dené Logan and uniquely designed to help you cultivate a sense of aliveness and expansion with your relationships while enhancing a deeper sense of interdependence.

Application Deadline: 
Enrollment Closes: 
February 18, 2024
Applications Closed
Enrollment Closed
March
2024
2024-03-11
T
12:00
2024-03-16
T
12:00
Mar 11
Till 
Mar 16, 2024
Baja Workshops

Learning to Love Midlife

Chip Conley

Just two months after Chip’s launch of “Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better With Age,” you can spend a week with him learning why the media has been so curious about this book. Sociologists suggest that midlife is a marathon that runs from 35-75, but none of us are issued a roadmap to understand and appreciate this life stage.

Application Deadline: 
Enrollment Closes: 
February 25, 2024
Applications Closed
Enrollment Closed
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“ MEA is on a mission to reframe midlife — from a crisis to a calling. We’re dedicated to helping you  discover and pursue yours. ”

— Becca R. Levy
Admissions Guide

Not sure which program is right for you?

Coming Soon

Regenerative Communities

An MEA Regen Community shifts mindsets about aging from leisure to cultivating purpose and connection. Intergenerational engagement is a core value—with opportunities to learn, grow, serve and work together. Our vision is to create a place that helps us to focus on the things we know help us to thrive as human beings: community, nature, and good living.

MEA in the Press

The curriculum is unlike probably any you’ve ever seen. Some classes deal with work and careers; others deal with the heart and soul.

[workers] learn to evolve out of past knowledge and past experience, and to become a vital, relevant part of the modern economy.

...everyone working past middle age needs to become a modern elder, sharing wisdom while embracing fresh ideas and ways of thinking.

MEA has created a perfect retreat from the busy world for intentional midlifers wanting to take a step back, regroup and repurpose.

Transformative travel is not just a game for the young...a mid-life trip may be the best antidote for the dreaded ‘mid-life crisis.’

While I have toyed with the idea of ‘we-tirement’ — I have no intention of ever living in a conventional retirement community.

Midlife is such a vulnerable time, filled with stressful transitions, yet there are no safety nets or rites of passage to guide us.

...celebrate the intelligence of aging. And why not do that surrounded by peace, beauty, wisdom and an añejo tequila in hand.

A beachfront sanctuary in Baja California Sur, Mexico, it’s a place where people can learn to navigate midlife transitions…

View all Press

Questions? Schedule a free call

Not sure which MEA program is the best fit for your needs?

With more than one program offering, we know you may have questions and invite you to schedule a call to explore your options….we’d love to help you select the right one.