Volunteers of America of Minnesota Secondary Alternative School is a contracted alternative Minneapolis Public School program for students in grades 7 through 12 who meet at-risk criteria such as being significantly academically behind peers, pregnant or parenting, expelled, etc.   Our Secondary Alternative School seeks to promote self-sufficiency, active learning and community involvement in our students.  The school exists as a partnership between Volunteers of America of Minnesota and the Minneapolis Public Schools, and serves students who have not found success in more traditional school settings.  Our program operates within a mixture of structured classes, hands-on (experiential) service learning, and activities targeted to the specific needs of our diverse student body.  We also use restorative justice principles, believing that those involved in a problem must contribute to its solution.  Positive behavior intervention strategies and peace-making circles are practiced both in and out of the classroom.  Students can look forward to making social, emotional and academic progress while developing a post-secondary plan, which merges student personal goals with program goals.