DECEMBER 4, 2019 -- Instead of starting college immediately after high school graduation, some students prefer to take a year off to explore, which is referred to as a gap year.
 
The Tokata Learning Center has implemented its first “gap week” to help students refresh and recharge before the new semester.
 
“After a quarter of doing coursework, some students just need something different to re-engage them,” said Eric Serbus, principal at Tokata Learning Center.
 
The three-day program started with team building activities including a rope climbing course in Mankato. The following day concentrated on service learning. Students spent the morning packing food for the nonprofit, Feed My Starving Children. In the afternoon, students made sandwiches for the homeless.
 
“It’s really cool,” said Ethan Wester, a student at the Tokata Learning Center. “Today was about giving back to the community and that helped a lot of people seeing the difference people can make. It’s a nice break from school too. It’s refreshing. It makes me want to work harder in school next week.”
 
Serbus says he hopes gap week will help increase student engagement. “We’re trying to root this in three different themes. The first is growth mind-set. How to be comfortable with uncomfortable experiences. The second is teaching students how to give back. The third is how to come together as a TLC family and share experiences that help us get along better.”