Introduction  
     
   
     
Introduction

The purpose of this report is to portray the design of the School of Environment Studies (SES) and its impact on learning. The report provides the background of the SES, a description of the design process for the school, present design features, impact on learning, recognition by others, lessons learned, and future directions.

Vision

The vision of the SES is to be a community of leaders learning to enhance the relationships between people and their environments.

Mission Statement

The mission of the SES is to develop active citizen leaders who are:
  • Environmentally informed,
  • Self-perpetuating learners, and
  • Connected to the local and global community.
To foster leadership it:
  • Draws its purpose for all decisions and actions directly from the common vision and synergistic environment which define the school,
  • Provides a strong academic background integrating discipline-based and interdisciplinary studies,
  • Partners with multiple organizations to extend authentic learning experiences into a variety of real-world experiences,
  • Encourages intellectual and emotional risk-taking,
  • Models thoughtful, informed decision-making, and
  • Encourages sustainable environmental actions.
Beliefs

The beliefs of the SES are:
  • Educational opportunities must be shaped by the needs and interests of our students.
  • Perspectives gained through intercultural communications strengthen relationships between people.
  • An inquiry-based interdisciplinary learning environment deepens understanding.
  • A thorough understanding of environmental systems and their interrelationships is essential.
  • Leadership is defined by action.
  • Academic challenge is critical to the development of learners.
  • Effective communities value collaboration, flexibility, and respect.
  • Access to technology empowers learning.
  • Active, experiential learning is fundamental.
  • Its work is vital and relevant.
The School of Environmental Studies, now into its fifth year of operation, is an optional high school in the Rosemount/Apple Valley/Eagan School District. The district has 28,500 students and is located in the southern suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school was designed and built during 1993-95 and opened in 1995. The school is attended by 400 juniors and seniors in a facility built on the site of the Minnesota Zoological Gardens. It is a full day school offering a complete program of curricular opportunities. The school district also has four large comprehensive high schools.

School choice has long been a consideration in Minnesota and this school was created to provide eleventh and twelfth grade students with a focused curriculum revolving around environmental studies. Students applying to attend the SES describe their reason for wanting to attend the SES, what they expect to receive from the SES, and how they learn best. Grade point averages, test scores, and teacher recommendations are not a part of the application process. Half of the junior students are accepted by their application score assigned to them by reviewers who consider criteria the school has developed. The other half of the junior students are chosen using a lottery process from those who apply.

Students at the SES come from the fourth largest school district in Minnesota and primarily from suburban areas, include slightly more females than males, are comparable in ability level to other district high schools, and have a special learning needs population slightly lower than those of other district high schools. Students who chose the SES have an interest in interdisciplinary instruction, studying about the environment, and doing hands-on work. Students also are attracted to the small size of the school, independent learning experiences with the opportunity for real world applications, and the potential to prepare themselves for a future career and college.

At the SES, traditional disciplines are integrated within the context of studying the environment. At the core of the program are interdisciplinary houses of 100 students and three instructors, one each licensed in communications, social studies, and science.

Students stay with the same house and with the same teaching team through the entire year. Other teachers and mentors support learning shared among the houses. Curriculum in each house is designed around significant themes in environmental studies such as issues of sustainable development and environmental health. The school's mission of fostering young people as leaders in the community is encouraged by asking students to address real problems within their commu-nities and design solutions for those problems.


 
 
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