• Out of the Classroom, Into the World.

    We will have over 17 acres of land that will be our natural, daily asset to learning across all content areas thereby ensuring students receive a comprehensive understanding of our biosphere. Strong emphasis will be placed on the academic, life, and job skills of the students while encouraging all learners to earn post-secondary credits and/or a Career Readiness Certificate while enrolled at the school.

  • Our School - A new name and a new location!

    Jane Goodall Environmental Sciences Academy (JGESA) is changing its name to Terra Nova beginning with the 2023/24 school year. Along with a new name, we hope to move to a new location at 1705 MN-25, Buffalo, MN 55313. This location brings us closer to the majority of our student body without extending bus route times for others. It also puts us near Highways 25 and 55 and Interstate 94 for ease of transportation. 

    The JGESA community knows that education isn’t contained within walls and we are grateful for the beautiful space we rent from True Friends. However, continually moving in and out of cabins and changing our spaces creates a feeling of transience and instability. A move to our new Buffalo location will give us a permanent space that we control and is specifically designed for our students, our approach to learning, and our community.      

    We have exciting plans for the new Terra Nova campus with benefits and opportunities for all of our learners.  We will deliver the same award-winning, innovative, educational programs in a new, custom-renovated, and environmentally friendly building. New features include an 18-acre campus with outdoor learning spaces, trails, and areas designed to specifically promote project-based-learning. Plans for a state-of-the-art science lab and native prairie are also in the works. We plan on coordinating with the DNR to have our wooded acreage designated as a School Forest. In partnership with the city, county, and state recreational and natural resource organizations, the school will be a valuable resource and site for students, community engagements, and public educational use. 

    In addition, the new campus is in close proximity to several local parks and lakes. We will continue our partnerships with Wright County Parks and Recreation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Trout in the Classroom, Conservation Minnesota, and the Department of Natural Resources to advance our out-of-the-classroom learning activities in off-campus locations. 

    Terra Nova will continue to be a free, public charter school serving grades 6-12, just as we have since our inception as Jane Goodall Environmental Sciences Academy in 2015. Students currently enrolled at JGESA will continue to be enrolled; no action is required for current students. 

    JGESA is proud to have been recognized as the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools winner in the Category: Creating Different and Innovative Forms of Measuring Outcomes. Additionally, we were selected from over 400 schools for the top honor in the Innovation in Education category at the Building Hope Impact Awards in Washington, D.C on June 22, 2022. We are excited to continue our innovation in a new location and with a new name in Fall 2023 while maintaining our successful, award-winning, and unique educational program. 

    Out of the Classroom, Into the World - Here’s to an exciting change for the 2023/24 school year!

School Dynamics

    • We are a tuition-free, public charter school for students in grades 6-12 aligned with the Minnesota State Standards
    • With a maximum enrollment of 115 students for the 23-24 school year, each learner thrives in a highly personalized setting where they are treated as an individual
    • Daily project-based experiences inspire a love of learning.

     

Critial Elements

    • Focus on student independence and determination. 
    • Hands-on, student-directed learning & discovery
    • Project-based learning opportunities focused on life skills
    • Interaction with professionals in the community, field & classroom
    • Environmental emphasis integrated throughout the curriculum

Mission & Vision

  • MISSION

    Out of the classroom, into the world.

    VISION

    The vision of JGESA is to provide a personalized project-based learning experience where student passions, interests and environmental education drive learning toward becoming flexible problem solvers, effective leaders and responsible citizens.
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