Life at MA • Opinion

In Praise of Minicourse

By Jason LaBau in Spring 2026

This year I advised the Dungeons & Dragons minicourse. It was a wonderful example of the aspirations of the Minicourse program at MA. 

First, the course grew out of student leadership. Three tenth-grade students eagerly embraced our invitation last fall to create a minicourse experience for themselves and their peers. 

Second, it achieved a communal experience which is the heart of the program. On the first day, as I watched these students lead twelve of their peers through an imaginative roleplaying experience, I messaged a friend about the chaos in front of me. His simple response: “are they having fun?” He added that Minicourse “sounds almost like the perfect antidote to [the social atomization] we were talking about earlier ... socializing … no pressure.”

That’s the heart of what Minicourse offers. 

MA’s mission statement declares that we cultivate “an environment of encouragement and compassion” in which students prepare for their part in “a democratic society.” Some of the social work that is essential to this mission undoubtedly happens within our regular structure. But Minicourse—along with Outings, Belonging Circles, and Activities Time—provides an alternative structure for students to practice essential skills of conversation, relationship, and community.

This year, as a Class Dean, I had many conversations with students and parents about Minicourse. Some students chose to be absent during this week, pursuing other opportunities. I do not begrudge them those choices; many of those experiences were deeply meaningful in their own right.

But it is worth reflecting on what is lost when students miss Minicourse (or our other community-building experiences). From the outside Minicourse may appear as just a break from school, a sort of Spring Break Camp. After all, I can (and do) play Dungeons & Dragons on my own time. Yoga is widely available outside the school’s offerings. Even trips around the Bay or to the slopes could happen during some other, more convenient, time.

Yet MA wouldn’t be MA without these moments of community. Viewed through this lens, Minicourse represents the heart of what we offer. Rather than being driven by any particular content, it’s a human-centered week with fantastic future payoff, not only for our community but in the essential life skills developed by each of our students.