By Doug Berg
There is an old cliché about “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Over 20 years the world, the country, the Minnetonka Community, and Minnetonka High School have changed dramatically–a Rip Van Winkle would think he was on another planet. Mini-School has changed too, but through 20 years the program continues to believe in the essential goodness and ability of kids, it continues to provide a safe harbor for them in their seas of difficulties and continues to give them opportunities to challenge themselves and grow academically, physically, culturally, and socially without fear of censure or rejection.
For me, and I think I speak for Randy and Lester as well, Mini-School long ago became more a part of my life than I thought any job ever could. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell where Mini-School ends and my “personal” life begins. The twenty years have been good, fulfilling, satisfying and rewarding.
The 1989-90 school year ends the 20th year of Mini-School. I guess that’s a milestone but it’s difficult to tell, in this program, where one year leaves off and another begins. They run together, there are no strong ends and beginnings. That’s good, I think, because education is a process that is ongoing- it does not end with a graduation or an award or a rite of passage. So it is with Mini-School.
I am thankful for 20 years of Mini-School. I know the program has helped hundreds of kids through some tough spots in their lives and I’m glad to have been part of that. Mini-School has been a good place for me; it’s fit my personality and style, it’s given me a sense of purpose, a meaning to my work.
The program, I believe, is stronger than it has ever been. Mini-School gains a broader base of support with each passing year. Support is growing within the school, in other districts, and in the community.
Another 20 years? Who knows? Yet I am convinced there are no better programs that deal with kids who are disenchanted with traditional school. There is a magic here, a way of learning that is unconventional, sometimes hard to understand, yet which works. As long as the magic is there–and it’s a constant struggle to keep it there– Mini-School will go on. I’m proud to be a part of it.