Loring Nicollet Alternative School (LNAS) is a fully accredited high school for students who want something different from a large, traditional public high school. The most successful environment for students is one that is safe and one that validates their experiences. The foundation of this environment at LNAS consists of respect for individuality, a multicultural and gender-fair curriculum, an informal atmosphere, participatory democracy, open communication, trust, honesty, values clarification, personal growth, self-discipline, and the balance between group and individual responsibility and decision making.