A Secondary School Cooperative: Recovery at Solace Academy, Chaska, Minnesota.

The recovery school movement exploded across the nation in the late nineties and early part of the twenty-first century. Secondary and postsecondary recovery schools have become a vital part of the chemical dependency continuum of care and our nation's educational system. Solace Academy is a restorative practices high school designed for recovering chemically dependent students. Through the collaboration of professionals in Carver and Scott Counties, the Carver-Scott Educational Cooperative's Solace Academy recovery high school opened its' doors in the fall of 2001. Appropriately colocated with other programs provided by the Carver-Scott Educational Cooperative, Solace Academy provides a high school education, life skills and support for its recovering chemically dependent students. Colocation has insulated the existence of Solace Academy by shared staff, increased academic opportunities and financial stability. A typical day at Solace Academy is like and unlike many high schools across the nation. These similarities and differences have provided many lessons during Solace Academy's tenure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]