UpClose & Personal - Minneapolis School of Massage and Bodywork

MINNEAPOLIS SCHOOL OF MASSAGE AND BODYWORK INC.

MSMC celebrated 25 years of professional, heart-felt educational opportunities during the year 2000. Read on to discover what makes this school so special.

WHAT MAKES OUR SCHOOL SO SUCCESSFUL
THE BEST PART
PROGRAM OF STUDY
HISTORY
FUTURE GOALS
MSMB CONTACT INFORMATION

WHAT MAKES OUR SCHOOL SO SUCCESSFUL
From the beginning and still practiced is the idea that we need to make the school available to those who want this type of education. In the beginning the student body mainly consisted of people in mid-life changes, people who had become tired of the rat race of the corporate world. In order to make the education available, Jim Traver founded the school on flexible scheduling–variable starts. This allowed students to be able to attend school around the many other things in their life (work, family, social life, etc.).

Today we still are able to enroll students on a flexible schedule–variable start basis. But due to the number of younger students who have chosen this field of study and need a full time schedule to obtain financial aid, we have created set schedules that start every 7 weeks allowing students to attend either 2 days or 4 days a week. Thus making a 626 hours program attainable in just 9 months.

THE BEST PART
Hug, hugs and more hugs. Yes hugs have been a part of our school since the beginning. Hugs will always to part of us. Prospective students are always surprised after the info sessions when the presenter stands at the door and asks “Do you do hugs?” with open arms. This practice extends to the classroom when the instructor releases the class and stands at the door to give and receive hugs. Very seldom does anyone object. In fact Joan just had a graduate who was in the area stop by just to get a hug.

The best part of the school for both Joan and myself is the graduates who come to us and say “thank you, you made a difference in my life”. We both enjoy reading the letters that come to us telling us of their success stories and the difference they are making in the world.

PROGRAM OF STUDY
In the beginning there were only short courses of 24 to 44 hours. As the school grew and the laws pertaining to massage changed, longer courses and eventually programs emerged. Today we offer 2 educational programs. Program 1 is our Basic Massage Practitioner Training Program of 202 hours. Our most popular program is Program 2 Therapeutic Body Wellness Massage Training Program of 626 hours.

The one common thing in all of our hands-on courses is the degree of loving, caring, intuition, and expertise of our instructors who are able to pass these qualities on to the students. For this reason MSMB graduates are well-accepted and much sought after for employment.

HISTORY
Established in 1975
MSMB was created by Jim and Marie Traver and the first courses were held in the basement of their home. Jim and Marie attended massage classes while living in California. Upon returning to Minnesota they were encouraged by friends and family to share what they had learned with others who had expressed interest in this field. Soon the family home became to small for the school and new quarters were rented.

Became a legally registered school in 1984
In 1984 the State of Minnesota introduced legislation requiring all schools in Minnesota to be either licensed or registered. Licensure was for profit schools and registration was for non-profit schools. Jim applied for licensure as a for profit school and was turned down by the Minnesota Higher Education Coordinating Board because the felt massage was a questionable occupation. He then changed the school from for profit to non-profit allowing him to register. We were the first school of massage to be legally teaching in Minnesota.

New directors took over control of the school
In 1989 after moving the school into larger quarters, Jim Traver began to experience problems with his heart. He had suffered a major heart attack at the age of 45 which left his heart weakened. Realizing that the stress and amount of work needed to continue managing the school would be detrimental to his health, he decided to retire. Jack Dietsch and Joan Crawford–Dietsch became the Co-Presidents of the school. Jim Traver passed away of a major heart attack in the summer of 1992, 14 days before his 60th birthday.

When the new Co-Presidents took over the school it had one full time secretary, 3 part time instructors and 40 students a year. For the next couple of years the school experienced a growth pattern of doubling the student enrollments each year. This trend in growth has continued through today with the school now having 30 employees (11 full time and 18 part time) and graduating over 300 students per year.

Awarded Institutional Accreditation
In February 1994 the school was awarded a five years institutional accreditation by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology. (ACCSCT) A five years renewal of accreditation was awarded in February 1999.

At this same time the school applied for and was awarded a 5 years programmatic accreditation by the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals organization. (ABMP) We have just completed renewal of the accreditation.

1994 MSMB expands by moving to a new location.
After so many accomplishments during this year we found it necessary to find a new location for the classroom facility. We were able to lease 3000 square feet of space in the California Building three blocks away. We operated, holding classes in both locations for a year, until an additional 3000 square feet of space became available. We then moved all of the teaching and administrative functions to this location, leaving the student clinic to occupy the building on Lowry Avenue solely. After another year we were able to increase our occupied space to a total of 10,000 square feet. This gave us nine much-needed classrooms.

1999 MSMB becomes an Wisconsin approved school.
In 1999, after learning of legislation in the State of Wisconsin which made it illegal for schools both in-state and in other states to train Wisconsin residents, MSMB applied for and was granted approved status by the Wisconsin Educational Approval Board.

2001 MSMB purchases new location for the school.
New location for MSMB

On April 6th, 7th, and 8th, 2001 MSMB staff and students will be working together to move the school from it’s present rental facility to a new 11,500 square foot facility purchased by the school. All staff and students are excited to be able to make this move. The move will give us bigger classrooms, and control over the condition and systems of the building.

FUTURE GOALS
Our future goals include being able to bring higher modalities of bodywork into our program offerings. Currently the curriculum committee is researching several new avenues that we may pursue.

Best tables on the market
To the left are students working on Golden Ratio tables at the MS 150 Bik-A-Thon in Hinkley Minnesota. MSMB has been using Golden Ratio Woodworks tables exclusively since the late 80’s. We have found the tables to be of high quality and “lastability.” In fact, we have never disposed of a GRW table. Some have had be recovered but never replaced. Our tables in the classrooms average students on and off 6 to 8 times a day, 4 days a week. Our tables in the student clinic average clients on and off 9 times a day, 6 days a week.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Minneapolis School of Massage and Bodywork, Inc.
81 Lowry Ave. NE.
Minneapolis, MN 55418

Phone: 612-788-7586
Fax: 612-788-8907

Web site:http://www.mplsschoolofmassage.org

Email: MSMB@mplsschoolofmassage.org