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(Re)Designing Learning Environments
School of Environmental Studies
OVERVIEW
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Opened in 1995 to serve 400 11th- and 12th-grade students, the School of Environmental Studies (SES) in Apple Valley, MN, exemplifies the benefits of a small school environment and an interdisciplinary curriculum. The school also demonstrates the advantages of sharing resources with community organizations, such as the Minnesota Zoo, on whose property the school was built.
Architecturally, SES may not look different from many other suburban high schools, at least from the outside. But a glance inside the school reveals many distinguishing features: individual student workstations, arranged in small groups called pods; the absence of traditional classrooms in favor of larger, flexible-use rooms; and a central forum that serves as cafeteria and presentation space.
The school sits less than 100 yards away from a pond and less than a mile from the Minnesota Zoo. Ready access to animals, flowers, trees, and water has enabled SES teaching staff to build an entire curriculum around the natural world.
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The centerpiece of the academic program is an interdisciplinary, project-based curriculum focused on environmental studies. English, science, and social studies are addressed through environmental questions such as: “What is the relationship between humans and water?” Students represent their learning through the creation of projects and products, many of which address real needs within the local community.
“Community” manifests itself in many ways at SES. The school of approximately 400 students is broken into four “houses” of equal size, each with three full-time teachers. Within their house, students are grouped in pods of about 10 students each. This arrangement of small communities within larger communities offers students a sense of belonging.
Entering its eighth year of operation in fall 2002, the School of Environmental Studies has been widely praised as a model for its interdisciplinary thematic curriculum; its small school size and supportive climate; its resourceful partnerships with the Minnesota Zoo and other community organizations; and its prudent use of financial resources. The loudest endorsements, however, come from its students.
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