Submission: 2026 MAAP Award Nomination
Result: School of the Year Award Winner!
Statement: MAAP (Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs) would like to recognize the contribution of exceptional individuals and programs to the mission and vitality of MAAP and to the overall well-being of Minnesota education.
School of the Year Award Requirements:
The program/school must provide a model in leadership, curriculum, structure, outreach, outcomes, and innovation from which other schools/programs can take inspiration.
The program/school should reflect the vision and mission of MAAP.
The program/school must have active MAAP members on staff.
Submission Information:
Innovative Assessment
At Terra Nova, innovation has always been at the forefront, and a competency-based approach toward education has always been within the school’s DNA. From the day it opened its doors, the school has challenged its students to actively demonstrate the acquisition of both academic content as well as life skills competencies. Their equity-focused, student-driven, competency-based approach allows students to integrate their own unique experiences, culture, interests, and abilities into their learning while maintaining accountability for their learning. Students demonstrate competency through authentic evaluations as advisors guide them into deeper learning opportunities and connect students’ interests, passions, and inquiries with learning targets and objectives. Despite their lack of using traditional methods, Terra Nova students have proven college ready, with 25% of their senior class participating in PSEO. Since its inception, the school has focused on redefining how students are viewed and taught, and in turn, students have taken accountability for their learning in ways that elicit growth, accomplishment, and an authentic drive for lifelong learning.
Mission Driven
Over 60 unique field experiences during the 2024-25 school year alone including college visits, business and career tours, volunteer opportunities, place based learning, and outdoor adventures. That doesn't include the many community members and guest speakers that are consistently on their campus. The Buffalo Community Center will be moving into the building next door to Terra Nova next fall. Terra Nova students volunteer at their weekly Zingo game and some have helped construct disc golf holes that will traverse the Terra Nova campus, connecting to other disc golf courses in the community. Legacy2Inspire brings their portable workshop to the school on Wednesdays, providing students with the opportunity to learn some carpentry skills and to build relationships with other trusted adults and each other. Expert Day typically brings in 10-12 professionals to present about their careers or hobbies. The mission Out of the Classroom, Into the World™ is integrated into every aspect of the school's design and culture. Instead of focusing student success on test scores and standards, they choose to emphasize the interconnectedness of living and learning with a “Skills Rubric” that promotes self-improvement, achieving happiness and self-defined personal success. The emphasis of the Skills Rubric is on display every day at Terra Nova. Students understand the skills necessary to be successful students, employees, learners, friends, family members, and good humans or embedded in the Skills Rubric. Staff and students alike use this vocabulary to build relationships and hold each other accountable. Students are assessed on skills like time management, task completion, initiative, creativity, positivity, collaboration, dealing with failure, and many more.
Relationships
The school maintains a focus on strong student and family relationships, open communication, and acquisition of life skills. This is done using a multi-faceted approach. This year saw a more intentional and delineated approach to working with middle school and high school students. With each group having their own spaces in the school, additional support, resources, and scaffolding have been implemented. Terra Nova believes in a restorative approach to student discipline. Rather than focusing on what rules may or may not have been violated, we talk about how relationships have been harmed and attempt to teach students the necessary skills for repair. For the fall of 2024, the school also implemented a school-wide, all day cell phone ban which has yielded tremendous results. Increased student engagement, social skills, and community building are a few of the positive results noted over the last year.
History & Program
Terra Nova School (formerly Jane Goodall Environmental Sciences Academy) is a public charter school that is now in its 11th year of operation since opening in the fall of 2015. Their campus is in Buffalo, MN and is located on nearly 18 acres of land. They are a small school with a total community of 90 students in grades 6-12, within multi-age advisories. The 17 full-time staff and one part-time staff provide these students a 6:1 student-to-staff ratio. Terra Nova’s mission Out of the Classroom, Into the World™, is woven into all aspects of the school. Personalized learning plans and student-driven, project-based learning approaches directly align with the Minnesota State Academic Standards. This approach focuses on asking questions, time management, task completion, skill acquisition, refinement and problem solving. With a primary focus on “relationships first,” the school is tremendously proud of its three time state and national award-winning innovative approaches and programming. Terra Nova has been recognized with an Innovation Award by the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools in the categories of: Establishing New Forms of Accountability in 2024 and Creating Different and Innovative Forms of Measuring Outcomes in 2021 and Nationally by the Building Hope Organization for its innovative competency based assessments model in 2022. Terra Nova is also a member of the Teacher Powered Schools Organization and is a model to others seeking to move their leadership model more towards a teacher powered approach. They have been described as radically teacher powered and demonstrate all 15 of the teacher powered autonomy areas.
Specific Contributions
Competency Based Assessments
Field Experience and Community Connections
Placing assessment of real life skills ahead of academic content acquisition
Distinction
Terra Nova School is fortunate to have an amazing team of talented, dedicated professionals. None of the successes described above would be possible without them. Working within this unique model and utilizing a flat, teacher powered leadership structure is a lot of work. Any one of the staff at Terra Nova could find employment elsewhere and get paid more and do less work. But they show up because they believe in their hearts it is what is best for their students and families. From their office staff, to their counselors, special education team, advisors, support staff, service providers, and board members, everyone is united in providing the best school experience possible for students.
One of the school leaders, Craig Wignes, has served as MAAP President and founded the annual MAAP 101 conference. Terra Nova has hosted the MAAP 101 conference for the past 4 years.
Greg Zimmerman has also been a MAAP board member and helped start a MAAP STARS chapter at Terra Nova in 2023.