P.E.A.S.E. Academy: an acronym for Peers Enjoying a Sober Education, is the oldest recovery high school in the United States, serving students since February 1989. Today, P.E.A.S.E. Academy remains an accredited charter high school with students in grades 8–12. It continues to provide academic instruction, peer support, and counseling services to teens in recovery.

P.E.A.S.E. Academy is a campus of Minnesota Transitions Charter School and is open to qualifying students from any school district in Minnesota. We are an accredited four-year high school whose graduates have gone on to the Step Up Program at Augsburg College, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and Duluth, Metropolitan State University, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, North Dakota State University, and numerous community and technical colleges throughout the metropolitan area. P.E.A.S.E. Academy encourages all students to plan for post-secondary education and assists students in realizing these goals.

P.E.A.S.E. Academy staff, students, families, and board create a community to:

  • Acknowledge and affirm individuals
  • Support responsible choices that strengthen sobriety
  • Develop each individual’s capacity to succeed
  • Empower students to grow in mind, body, and spirit
  • Encourage the search for a greater sense of purpose
  • Celebrate each day of living in recovery

The P.E.A.S.E. community is the recognized adolescent recovery center of excellence and is a highly valued and sought-after partner for families, educational organizations, and other stakeholders in the adolescent recovery community.

Our recognized expertise allows for abundant funding ensuring ample support for all we serve.

The emerging adults we support in recovery are highly regarded candidates for colleges, trades and professional organizations.

About P.E.A.S.E. Academy
PEASE Academy Students

History of P.E.A.S.E. Academy

P.E.A.S.E. Academy, which stands for Peers Enjoying A Sober Education, was founded in Minneapolis in 1989 as the nation’s first recovery high school. Initially called The Holos School, its name was changed to P.E.A.S.E. Academy in March 1989 after a student suggested the acronym. It was established to provide a safe, sober educational environment for high school students in recovery from addiction.

Original founding: P.E.A.S.E. was initially established in January 1989 under the name The Holos School. It was founded by Barb Schmidt, Ken Simon, and Joe Mailman, with funding provided by the nonprofit Holos Foundation.

Name change: During the first months of the school’s existence in 1989, students were asked to come up with ideas for a new name. The suggestion was prompted by the desire for a name that truly reflected the school’s mission and the experience of its students, moving away from the “Holos School” title, which was associated with the funding organization.

Joannie Hannigan, a member of the school’s inaugural class, put forward the acronym P.E.A.S.E. for “Peers Enjoying a Sober Education”. Her idea was particularly fitting because it represented the sense of peace and security that students felt in a supportive, sober environment, many for the first time in years. The name was so meaningful to the school community that it was officially adopted shortly after.

The name reflects the key components of the school’s identity:

  • Peers: The emphasis on a community of fellow students facing similar challenges.
  • Enjoy: For so many, it is the first time they ever enjoyed school and look forward to coming every day.
  • Sober Education: The primary focus on academic achievement within a substance-free space.
  • Peace: The feeling of stability and safety that a supportive, sober community provides.

Partnership with Minneapolis Public Schools:
P.E.A.S.E. operated as a contract alternative school with Minneapolis Public Schools until 2003.

Transition to a charter school:
P.E.A.S.E. Academy operated as a contract alternative school with Minneapolis Public Schools until 2003. In 2004, the school partnered with Minnesota Transitions Charter Schools, which helped it remain open when other recovery high schools in the state closed.

Relocation:
In the fall of 1989, the school moved to its current location in the Dinkytown neighborhood of Minneapolis, renting space from the University Lutheran Church of Hope.

Expanding a movement:
P.E.A.S.E. was a pioneer in the recovery school movement, which at one point included 13 such schools in Minnesota. The school’s continued success is notable, as most others eventually closed due to budget and priority shifts.

Long-term leadership:
Michael Durchslag, who started as a social studies teacher in 1995, became the school’s director in 2007 and has been a driving force in its longevity.

Today, P.E.A.S.E. Academy remains an accredited charter high school serving students in grades 8–12. It continues to provide academic instruction, peer support, and counseling services to teens in recovery.

P.E.A.S.E. Academy is committed to:

  • Service learning requirement for graduation

  • Providing a safe, sober community based on recovery principles

  • Protecting the health of our sober community and addressing student struggles with sobriety

  • Staff who are knowledgeable and supportive of chemical dependency and recovery issues

  • A learning environment which is challenging, nurturing, and safe

  • Maintaining a small supportive school environment with a maximum enrollment of 70 students

  • A teaching ratio of 1 teacher to 17 students

  • Helping students define their own unique vision for a productive and healthy future

  • Supporting students as they develop deeper self-awareness and inner strength, more meaningful social relationships, and a great sense of purpose

  • Acknowledging the potential of each student to achieve academic success and unlimited personal growth

  • Practicing a restorative justice model to address conflicts and helping the community gain deeper understanding through respecting every voice

  • Increasing students’ cognitive capabilities in the areas of language skills, critical thinking, and mathematical reasoning

High School
P.E.A.S.E. Academy Tours

Request more information