MG21 in the News

Monona Grove students thrive in MG21’s alternative approach to learning

By Hayley Hodsdon |  January 22, 2024
Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School for the 21st Century (MG21) takes an alternative approach to educating middle and high school students with its project-based learning approach.
According to its website, every assignment is a project at MG21. The curriculum focuses on relationships, wellness and academic skills. Students who thrive are “curious self-directed learners who enjoy inquiry-based and hands-on learning in a smaller educational community.”

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MG21 students share experiences of healing, relearning at graduation

By Jeromey Hodsdon |  June 8, 2023

A dozen students in the class of 2023 graduated from the Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School for the 21st Century (MG21) on Thursday, June 1, at the Monona Community Center.

Teacher Michelle Bartman reflected on the class of 2023 and said a word that may represent this class coming out of the pandemic is “relearn.”

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MG21 Charter School enrollment applications to open Jan. 5

By Lucy Ripp |  Dec 27, 2020 

It’s been a bumpy road for Dane County school districts this year, as COVID-19 school closures swept the state and many dealt with uncertainty regarding safe reopening plans.

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It’s not just classroom work. Students bring school garden beds home

By Pamela Cotant |  Aug 10, 2020 

What do you do when students can’t work on the school garden because a COVID-19 pandemic has shutdown in-person learning?

You bring it to them.

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‘It’s Not The Way It Was Supposed To Be’: Graduating High School During A Pandemic

By Maureen McCollum |  Jun 9, 2020 

Many of Wisconsin’s high school seniors have now graduated, capping off one of the strangest ends to a school year ever.

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Teen lives re-energized thanks to MG21

By Kevin Passon |  Jun 5, 2020 

It’s not uncommon for high school seniors to thank their teachers and parents for their support as they receive their diplomas. But, there’s always something special about what’s said by the graduates at the Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School for the 21st Century (MG21).

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The Corner Table podcast: Cooking class goes viral

By Lindsay Christians and Chris Lay | May 28, 2020 

Just before the pandemic hit, Mel Zastrow was preparing to teach her middle school students to cook the old-fashioned way, piled into a kitchen together.

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MG21 expands with middle school campus

By Kevin Passon | Sep 3, 2019

Monona Grove School District officials gathered Aug. 28 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the expansion of MG21, the Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School for the 21st Century.

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Classroom Frequency: Student Voices From Wisconsin

By Maureen McCollum and MG21 High School Students  |  Jun 8, 2019

When I took on the role as host and producer of “Wisconsin Life” on Wisconsin Public Radio, I wanted to incorporate more young voices on the program. So at the beginning of the school year, I teamed up with teachers and students at Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School, or MG21.

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MG21 enjoying largest freshman class ever

By Kevin Passon | Dec 27, 2018

Members of the Monona Grove School Board were nothing but impressed and awed at the 2017-18 annual report issued by the Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School for the 21st Century (MG21).

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MG21 students receive MLK Outstanding Young Person Award

By Cooper Hamil | Feb 8, 2018

Two students from MG21, Kirsten-Mari Colstad and Louis Couture, received the Madison Urban League’s MLK Outstanding Young Person Award last month.

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MG21 grads credit school staff for their successes

By Kevin Passon | Jun 7, 2018

High school and the teen years can be tough for students, and while most can weather the storm of the tumultuous times, others need something extra for them to shine through the dark clouds.

For 12 students, they found MG21, the Monona Grove School District’s charter school.

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Monona Grove high school students craft paper dress with edge for literacy fundraiser

By Karen Rivedal |  Apr 28, 2017

Students from a Monona Grove alternative high school modeled around project-based learning and public service are putting their training to the test Saturday in a fundraiser for a nonprofit supporting childhood literacy.

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MG21 charter school fulfills needs for students

By Kevin Passon | Apr 10, 2015

It’s been almost five years since the MG21 charter school was created in the Monona Grove School District, yet some residents are still unaware of the school, its offerings and its purpose.

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