Hi! We are “The Experiment,” a small, intentional community striving to center personal and collective development. We are based in Monrovia, CA and are comprised of anywhere from 8-10 residents and always many more friends and neighbors. We work together to craft more supported lives that center nourishment and connection! In this spirit, we come together to share the beauty of being and often open the space for joyous and open-hearted gatherings with our broader communities. Day to day, we aim to hold and support one another in our ups and downs seeking to honor and transform the domestic sphere.

In the spirit of this, we have a large, water-wise garden that provides us with food, medicine, and companionship. We share meals, social time, and spiritual practices. What unites us at The Experiment is a shared belief in the pursuit of the capacity to serve the greater good. Together, we build this capacity through a focus on nourishment arising from both our domestic space and the food we eat. Part of our broader mission is to invigorate the re-discovery of grounded skills that allow for the possibility of divesting from the oppressive economy as it is. Drawing from those two key components, we have begun an apprenticeship system that seeks to foster deep contributions to the shared space while also honoring diversity in individual interests and beings.

What is the Apprenticeship Model:
The embodiment of apprenticeship is clear-eyed, lighthearted, and deeply engaged. We are inspired by the apprentice’s posture of learning and attention to craft. They are always experimenting and honing in. As a part of our residencies, we each choose a small number (~2-4) of crafts, arts, subjects, offerings… to apprentice under. Since we carry out our apprenticeships under a focus, not a person, we each pursue learning and practice independently with the intention to share the fruits of our labor. The only requirements for areas of apprenticeship are that they make a contribution to our shared space and that one understands them to be towards broader collective liberation. Through the apprenticeship model, we hold a container to grow our individual capacities. As these capacities grow, we gain the energy and heart-centered inspiration to effectively direct our life-force toward the things we find most deeply meaningful. In humility and mutual respect, we work to address the blocks within each of us that hold us back from effectively living an active and inspired life.

The Nitty Gritty:
We are not merely seeking roommates. We ask that applicants be serious about interrogating whether they wish to make the time and space to make The Experiment a primary aspect of their lives. It is important to us that residents can also maintain their own hobbies, friendships, occupations, pursuits, etc. out of the home (and also integrate them into the space!), but it is necessary to understand that participating as a resident of The Experiment requires that it be a priority in your life. We understand that it is impossible to truly discern if one desires a major life change hypothetically, or whether this major life change will be right for you. As such, residency at The Experiment begins with a four-month Residency Period. Throughout this time, we openly and collectively evaluate whether a continued residency is best for all parties. We have found that these processes lead to mutual agreement and an increase in relational security. We have observed that this model reduces anxiety for residents about it being the “right fit” and instead fosters open dialogue about community dynamics and how the community can be most supportive for all.

We believe deeply in the importance of individual and collective dynamism. We seek to hold structures and expectations as invitations to practice, connection, and growth. We strive to prevent these structures and expectations from feeling oppressive or obligatory. We have found that consistency and structured time together wonderfully fosters organic relationships. In this spirit, we have the following expectations of long-term residents but practice a soft-transition for new residents as they settle in and build capacity: a

Weekly community meeting (1.5 hrs)
10 hours weekly of basic contribution (cooking, cleaning, garden maintenance)
5 hours weekly of apprenticeship practice
Make dinner 2x weekly, someone makes dinner nightly though attendance is non-mandatory

There is an opening in the middle room which currently has a twin bed, but could fit a larger bed and features a walk-in closet and individual full bath. We evenly divide the $3200 rent by the number of Front House residents (4-6). We’ve recently acquired a teardrop trailer as an auxiliary dwelling that one of us uses as a bedroom. Utilities are split evenly and not included in rent. We also evenly split food costs as we have developed a rigorous system that includes direct relationships to the producers of most of the food that we cannot grow. Individuals are welcome to have their own special food items/ snacks but must be willing to integrate into the larger meal system. We can accommodate dietary restrictions however are looking for a good eater with omnivorous habits. We only consume meat products from humane, sustainable sources. We believe meat is an important part of the human diet. We are pet friendly though we already have a dog and two cats on the property.

We would love to hear from you if the prospect of residency excites you! We will send a short application with a few questions that will help us get to know you and hopefully invite you into further exploration about potential residency. After that, we would love to meet you at our home and get to know you! Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns!

*If elements of the residency are not realistic for your lifestyle but you feel similarly called to this philosophy and aligned in value, there are various opportunities to join our community with lower expectations! We have a growing number of satellite members whose presence brings much joy.