Education

Gustavus Adolphus College

Gustavus Adolphus College, founded in 1862 and formally located in St. Peter in 1876, plays a key educational and employment role in the St. Peter and Minnesota River Valley region. The college, on the western bluffs of St. Peter, has rebounded and rebuilt in spectacular fashion since the 1998 tornado which hit the St. Peter community.

The four-year liberal arts college, under the leadership of President Rebecca Bergman and the Board of Trustees, has been growing and building. Capital improvements continue to broaden the college’s campus footprint and opportunities.

Gustavus is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and has an enrollment of about 2,200. The college employs over 700 people.

Students can earn bachelors of arts degrees in 72 majors in 24 academic departments and three interdisciplinary programs. The college offers a wide variety of student opportunities to complement its educational offerings. There are more than 110 recognized student groups and organizations, including about a dozen student-run religious organizations. The college campus boasts over 20 academic and service facilities, as well as more than a dozen residence halls and apartment or townhouse complexes. Up to 90 percent of Gustavus’ students typically reside on campus.

The Gusties are members of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), affiliated with the NCAA Division III. The college offers 23 varsity athletic programs for its students. Also, some 80 percent of students participate in the 30 intramural athletic offerings and nine club sports.

Gustavus’ athletic facilities host many student and regional events throughout the year. The Lund Center for Physical Education and Health has been named one of the finest small college sports complexes in the U.S. The facility involves nearly 85 percent of the student body with its varsity, intramural and personal fitness programs. The Swanson Tennis Center, a domed indoor tennis facility, offers memberships for juniors, adults and families.

The beautiful 340-acre campus also includes the 135-acre Linnaeus Arboretum.

Students also participate in many fine arts and music programs. The Hillstrom Museum of Art and the Schaefer Fine Arts Center, which includes the Kresge Dace Studio and Jussi Bjorling Recital Hall, are popular among

Saint Peter Community & Family eduCation

600 South 5th St., Ste. 207, St. Peter, MN 56082 (507) 934-3048 x. 1 www.stpetercommunityedonline.com

8 St. Peter Community & Visitors Guide ‘21

students and the public. And the Bonnier Multifaith Center provides spiritual opportunities for all.

Study-abroad opportunities in more than 40 international sites are available for Gustavus students, and 50 percent of students have studied abroad. Students have access to the award winning student dining options from the C. Charles Jackson Campus Center. Also, Gustavus students are active in pursuing internships, with over 60 percent doing so, most in specialized service learning environments.

A Gustavus landmark, Christ Chapel, plays host to cultural events throughout the year – many of which are open to the public – including the popular Christmas in Christ Chapel, which rings in the holiday season each December.

Among the many annual conferences and seminars hosted by Gustavus is the fall Nobel Conference, which celebrates its 57th anniversary in 2021, having been hosting the event since 1965. The conference typically attracts some 5,000 people each year, including students and educators from high schools and colleges throughout the nation. The college has been hosting the event since 1965.

The topic of the 56th annual conference is Data REvolution, held Oct. 5-6, 2021.

Find Gustavus online at www.gustavus.edu.

St. Peter Public Schools

St. Peter Public Schools moved into its new $55 million state-of-the-art high school on the city’s west side in fall 2017. Improvements also were made throughout the district’s facilities and has helped transform the district’s curriculum and learning opportunities.

The capital improvements and reconfigurations of buildings and curriculum reinforce the district’s “Learning Matters” message. And District 508 encourages its faculty and employees to be lifelong learners.

The district encompasses St. Peter, Kasota and portions of southwestern Le Sueur County, along with sections of eastern Nicollet County. It has several sites: the new St. Peter High School for grades 9-12 at 2121 West Broadway Ave.; the St. Peter Middle School for grades 5-8 at 100 Lincoln Dr.; North Elementary School for grades 2-4 at 815 N. 9th St.; and South Elementary for kindergarten and first grade at 1405 South Seventh St. Pre-K students attend activities in the Early Childhood Center at 100 Lincoln Dr. at the Middle School building. As part of the Minnesota Valley Education District,

Saint Peter Public Schools

Come Be a Part of Saints Nation Where We Are Saints Strong & Everyone Belongs Where Learning Matters!

 St. Peter School'sEarlyChildhood program is focusedon all areas of early childhood development from birth tokindergarten entrancewith the goal of having every childready forKindergarten.  North &South Elementaries provide a strong emphasis on expanding and acceleratingstudent learning in thecore areas as well as providing physical education, art,music and STEMclasses. This all happens ina caring, safeenvironment where all students arewelcomed.  Saint PeterMiddle School programmingis academicallyfocusedwith additional opportunities for exploring areas of interest. Our students participate inamultitudeof activities.

 Saint Peter High School students havemany opportunities to expand their learning throughcore academics, highrigor courses offering collegecredits, career and technology programs, andmorethan 30 different academic, arts & athletic activities from which tochoose!

WWW.STPETERSCHOOLS.ORG

CONTACT US: South Elementary 507-934-2754 North Intermediate 507-934-3260 Middle School 507-934-4210 High School 507-934-4212 EarlyChildhood Center 507-934-4211 Community& FamilyEducation 507-934-3048 District 508 Office 507-934-5703

services are offered for special needs students and their families.

Part of the district’s expansion plans included establishing a workforce development center at the high school to support and enhance academy-based learning for students in the areas of agricultural science, manufacturing and engineering.

Another highlight of the new high school project is the collaboration between the city of St. Peter and St. Peter Public Schools on the development of a new school-city park, Community Spirit Park, addressing future recreational and facilities needs for the entire community.

St. Peter Community Education has something for everyone, offering a variety of educational, physical and life-enrichment programs year-round. Find more at stpetercommunityeducationonline.com or call 507-934-3048.

The district offers Early Childhood Family Education classes for families with preschoolers. Call 507-934-3048 or visit stpeter.registryinsight. com.

john Ireland Catholic School

A fully accredited Catholic school for students in kindergarten through sixth grade, the school admits students of all faiths and is devoted to Gospel values. It is owned and operated by the Church of St. Peter.

Also located in the John Ireland building at 1801 West Broadway Ave. is the independently owned and operated Little Saints Pre-School.

Visit churchofstpeter.org/ji for more or call 507-931-2810.

St. Peter lutheran School

The fully accredited school was established in 1995 and is for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Religion classes are held every morning. The Little Lambs Preschool was established in 1979.

The school’s goal is to nurture children in their faith and Christian living through the Word of Christ while equipping them for living useful lives in today’s world.

More at saintpeterlutheran.org or call 507-931-1866. The school is located at 427 W. Mulberry St.

Scholarship America

St. Peter is home to Scholarship America, the nation’s largest private education support organization, having distributed over $4 billion to more than 2.4 million students since 1958.

More information is available at scholarshipamerica.org or by calling 507-931-1682. The Scholarship America facility is located at One Scholarship Way in south St. Peter, off West Jefferson Street.

Minnesota School Boards Association

St. Peter is also home to the Minnesota School Boards Association, a leading advocate for public education and training, supporting the work of public school boards throughout the state. The organization represents 332 public school boards in Minnesota.

More information can be found at mnmsba.org or by calling 507-934-2450. The MSBA building is located at 1900 W. Jefferson St.

The Area Adult learning Cooperative

Adult Basic Education (ABE) is offered at no cost to residents of the St. Peter area.

ABE offerings are designed for adults to brush up on reading, academic, vocational or computer skills. Other programs offered include GED (General Educational Development) preparation and ELL (English Language Learners) and citizenship preparation.

To attend such classes, individuals must be 16 years or older and not enrolled in any school.

Call 507-934-6210 for more information. The cooperative learning facility is located at 600 S. Fifth St.