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(Re)Designing Learning Environments
School of Environmental Studies
COMMUNITY
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Ask SES students what makes their school unique and most will mention its small size (approximately 400 students) and an atmosphere that promotes strong working relationships among students and staff. This contrasts favorably with the experiences many had had in the larger, 2,000-student high schools they attended prior to SES.
Other factors beyond school size contribute to the students’ sense of being, as they say, “known.” They stay within the same house of 100 students and 3 teachers for the entire year; within the house, they are grouped in pods with nine other students; and they frequently work together on small group projects, beginning with the “Pond Profile” project in the fall of their junior year.
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While cultivating a sense of community within the school, SES students and staff also build strong connections with the broader community. The school’s collaboration with the Minnesota Zoo enables students to study animals up close and take specially designed courses in Marine Biology and Animal Behavior. Students have also created interactive displays around mathematical topics and presented them to youngsters visiting the Zoo.
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SES student Linda Staus conducted an independent study project at the zoo, tracking the behavior of Japanese Snow Monkeys during mating season. She noted normal and abnormal behaviors of each animal, kept a running log of what she saw, and provided the information to zoo staff.
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Community representatives see concrete benefits from their collaborations with SES. Student work helps staff at the Minnesota Zoo do a better job fulfilling its mission on a tight budget; student analysis of local ponds and forests helps land and water resource managers make good decisions affecting the local environment. And students benefit from the chance to conduct work with real-world applications.
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