In addition, under Minnesota's open-enrollment option students from the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area are able to fill available slots on a year-by-year basis.

Originally named the "Zoo Environmental Learning Center (ZELC)" the design and implementation reflects the work of a diverse group of educators.

Teachers, administrators, environmental educators, architects and researchers all contributed to the initial discussions and final design of the school.

Another innovation championed by this program includes their annual "adventure learning activity "Eco-Challenge" conducted at nearby Lebanon Hills Regional Park located in Dakota County, Minnesota.

It was conceived by earth science teacher Steve Meyer as the focus of his University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point Master's Thesis on team-based mentoring.

The central building block of Jilk's design is the student workstation (desk with bulletin board and storage area).

Another example of flexible-use space, the forum serves as cafeteria, display center, gathering place, and auditorium, depending on how tables, chairs, and partitions are configured.

The core classes of English, social studies/Human Geography, and environmental science offered at SES are wrapped together in an interdisciplinary learning block of 180 minutes called house.

Some studies, such as the Winter Expedition, The American Outback, and the Spring BWCAW, focus on personal growth and wilderness settings.

Others examine environments in distant parts of the world such as Alaska, Iceland, Glacier National Park, Scotland, Costa Rica, Belize, France, Spain, Southern California and others.

Near the end of each student's tenure at SES, seniors design a project that combines an aspect of the environment that they are passionate about with the community.