Bringing people together through transformative programs & connections with nature in Ojai CA.
Youth Education
Topa’s programs engage deep listening, creativity and nature to invite participants outside their comfort zones and empower them with humanistic tools that have become scarce in our modern world.
Greetings, gratitude & a call for support
The Topa Institute—formerly The Ojai Foundation, formerly Human Dimensions West— is a nature sanctuary and ceremonial retreat center in Upper Ojai. Placed in a perpetual trust in 1927 as part of the Happy Valley Foundation, this ridge-top was intentionally set aside for “educational and spiritual purposes.” Nearly a century later, we are honored to carry on the stewardship of this extraordinary parcel of land, and to be living into its gifts through our programs and practices.
At Topa we offer Rites of Passage programs, Council practice and trainings, and a wide range of workshops, retreats, and community gatherings that nurture connections to ourselves, to each other, and to the more-than-human world.
Currently we are faced with a significant challenge: rebuilding the essential infrastructure lost in the Thomas Fire. We are in need of repairs, new hermitages, and additional staff to meet this moment. We humbly ask for your partnership and financial support to ensure our work continues right now when the world needs it most.
Please join us in whatever way you can, from volunteering your time to making a financial gift.
We honor the unbroken legacy and continued presence of the Chumash people who have stewarded this land for thousands of years. Our organization remains committed to listening for all the ways we can take action to serve those who came before us, those present now, and those yet to come.
Warmly,
Marisa Peck Johnson
Executive Director, Topa Institute
marisa@topainstitute.org
Doug Adrianson and Alea Wade set up for Council during a Rites of Passage trip for high school seniors
Kenia Goicochea Xochiketzalli shares teachings under the Teaching Tree on Dia De Los Muertos
Snapshots of a few programs, gatherings and ceremonies that took place on the ridge in 2025
