VTVLC and VHS to Expand Educational Opportunities for Vermont Students

May 21, 2012 - PRLog -- The Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative (VTVLC) and The VHS Collaborative (VHS), the nonprofit pioneer of K-12 online learning, today announced that Vermont students will now have access to both VTVLC and VHS online course offerings through VTVLC, providing more options and greater flexibility to students and schools across the state. VTVLC and VHS have partnered to facilitate the mutual sharing of courses so that each organization’s member middle and high schools can choose from and easily enroll in over 450 high-quality online classes in a single location.

Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, Vermont students will be able to take courses that are offered by both organizations. These courses can be taken anywhere, anytime from any computer with Internet access. Now entering its third year, VTVLC has provided over 1,000 students with access to dozens of courses that, until now, have not been available at their local schools. For over 15 years, VHS has created effective 21st century learning experiences for as many as 15,000 students worldwide per year.

Students now have much more flexibility with their choices and scheduling for middle and high school course work. Class availability now has less to do with the school students attend, and more to do with their personal choices for their education. "We believe that all students should have choice for course work without the limits of what their local course catalog offers," said Jeff Renard, Director for VTVLC.

Over half of all Vermont high schools are part of VTVLC. These schools have at least one teacher that facilitates an online course as part of their regular teaching assignment. This entitles up to 25 students each semester from the partner school to enroll in any of the other VTVLC courses offered by the other partner schools.  

As a global collaborative of schools, VHS has a similar model, with over 20 Vermont schools participating in the program.  All VHS courses are taught by active classroom teachers at VHS member schools who are specially trained in online teaching best practices, are highly qualified, and certified in their subject areas. VTVLC member schools now have access to a range of collaborative core, elective, enrichment and AP® courses offered by VHS that inspire, ignite and deepen learning as well as enable students to develop digital literacies, independent learning skills, explore college majors and careers, try interesting electives, earn credits, participate in global classrooms and get the opportunity to take advanced courses not offered at their school.

“We are pleased that Vermont schools and students will be able to access the online courses they need through a local, single point of contact,” said Liz Pape, President and CEO of VHS.  “Now more Vermont students will be able to participate in our co-synchronous global online classrooms and choose from a wide selection of rigorous and engaging courses that will help prepare them for college and careers in the 21st century.”

Vermont schools can immediately enroll in VHS courses for the Fall 2012 semester through VTVLC. To register or for more information, visit http://www.vtvlc.org/.

About The VHS Collaborative (VHS) Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Maynard, MA, The VHS Collaborative (formerly Virtual High School Global Consortium) is the pioneer of K-12 online learning, having first brought online learning into secondary education. Since then, the organization has been setting the standard for quality online education. VHS helps schools by providing co-synchronous courses for secondary school students taught in global online classrooms, online professional development in 21st century teaching best practices for educators, support with blended learning initiatives, custom course development and private offerings to meet unique educational needs. Their design and delivery standards were the model used by the National Education Association in their recommended standards for online learning.  In addition, VHS has won numerous awards, including the Stockholm Challenge Award for Global Excellence in Information Technology and is a three time winner of the United States Distance Learning Association’s (USDLA) award for Excellence in Programming and Excellence in Best Practices. For more information, visit www.TheVHSCollaborative or call (978) 897-1900.  

VHS Press Contact: Carol Arnold, Arnold Communications, carol@arnoldcomm.com, (877) 718-4604 x2.

About The Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative (VTVLC) Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Springfield, VT, The Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative is an organization that supports online and blended learning for Vermont’s K-12 schools. VTVLC is supported by the partnership of schools and the Vermont Department of Education. VTVLC helps schools through a cooperative approach to provide a greater availability of courses, greater accessibility to courses due to scheduling conflicts, and greater flexibility for learning for each student. For more information about VTVLC visit VTVLC.org or call (802) 885-8331.

VTVLC Contact: Rachel Epler, Administrative Support, repler@vtvlc.org, (802) 885-8331.