Announcing Mars College 2025
A new chapter in the future of living begins in the desert
We’re excited to once again head out into the desert for three months of learning, creating, researching, exploring, and living at Mars College. Registration for 2025 is officially open through December 1st. We look forward to welcoming you this winter.
WHAT IS MARS COLLEGE?
Mars College is a three-month educational program, R&D lab, and off-grid residential community dedicated to cultivating a low-cost, high-tech lifestyle. We are in our sixth year of operation and continue to explore future ways of living and learning. We offer a wide range of programs and are open to people of all backgrounds and skill levels. The key qualifications are that you are available for three months and are willing and able to live in the desert for that long.
Applications open: September 26th, 2024 (Today!)
Applications close: December 1st, 2024
Build weeks: Monday, December 30th, 2024 through Sunday, January 12th, 2025.
Semester starts: Monday, Jan 13th, 2025
Semester ends: Sunday, April 13th, 2025
The future of Mars is decentralized
Mars began as a single fledgling camp, and over the past five years, a vibrant community has grown around it. As the project expanded, we faced the challenge of scaling central management and camp services to support this growth.
However, our ethos prioritizes self-reliance and autonomy over centralization and hierarchy. In response, a group of Martian alumni has spent the past few months developing a sustainable plan for the future of Mars that respects our values.
Our solution is to organize into a network of smaller, self-managed camps rather than one large camp. We will all still be Martians and come together as a larger community, but responsibility for living arrangements will now be distributed to camps. This approach allows for more freedom and autonomy within camps without losing the sense of unity.
Camps can be based on themes, interests, or simply groups of friends collaborating on their living setups. Currently, six camps are welcoming applicants, with opportunities for both new and returning participants to form new camps or join existing ones.
Most camp offerings will remain open to all Mars participants, and we expect members of all camps to come together as part of the larger community we cherish. By distributing living responsibilities, we aim to foster continued growth while preserving our core values.
For Alumni
We’re excited to welcome many of our alumni back to the playa. As a returning Martian, you’ll need to apply to an existing camp, solo camp, or start a new camp of your own—showing up without applying is not an option. There’s a diverse selection of alumni-organized camps to choose from, each offering unique approaches to living. If none of them suit your needs, solo camp is still an option.
For new Martians
We’re thrilled to offer new participants more living arrangements than ever before. Choosing a camp can be challenging when you don’t know anyone, which is why we’ve created a website detailing each camp’s offerings.
Both new participants and alumni can visit https://mars.college to explore the available camps, access application forms, and contact organizers with any questions. While some will easily find a camp that feels right, others may want to speak with a few camps before deciding.
Current Camps
The following camps are currently registered for 2025:
Mars Research - The Creative AI Camp, organized by Freeman, Gene, and Josh.
The Institute for Insurrectionary Ecology (aka Tool Camp) - Off-grid Living & Creating, organized by Sam Smith and Charlie Britton.
Mars Bodywork Camp - Bodywork program organized by Bodhi.
Freeside - No Program/Academic Focus. Organized by Amy, Ben, Czar, and Ivan.
Natural Intelligence - Analog programs. Organized by Seamus and Andra.
Sunflower Lab - Accountable creativity. Organized by Nico and Alejandro.
Many camps have integrated educational programs, like Mars Research and Bodywork. Other camps offer multiple programs/workshops, and some offer no academic programming. The full spectrum is available for you to choose from. With the exception of Bodywork camp, all camps are offering open programs, so if you want to live in one camp and take classes from another that option is available.
Coming Soon
Over the next few weeks we’ll be posting articles by the different camps that capture their plans and intentions. We will also start collecting and publishing programs that will be offered by camps and individuals this semester. We encourage you to explore these options and register with a camp before the December 1st deadline.
If you have questions you can reach out to camp organizers through the links on the website, or request an advising appointment through the link on the application page. We're here to help if you're unsure where you fit within this new model.
We recognize this is a significant departure from previous years. Some aspects might succeed, others may not. Whether it's a big success or a huge experiment, one thing is certain—it will be different and will push us further in exploring future ways of living. Apply here.
See you in the desert,
-Mars Planning Crew