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Experiences
The ultimate way to customize your learning. Earn academic credit while exploring your interests!
Experience is a Powerful Teacher
At VLACS, you can engage in a wide range of real-world learning opportunities and explore your interests firsthand. In a pre-planned Experience, you will collaborate with accomplished mentors in fields like healthcare, manufacturing, performing arts, hospitality, or technology and earn high school credit.
Or, if pre-planned Experiences don’t quite align with your needs, you can design a customized Experience that might include writing a journal article, starting a business, or creating a website for a non-profit organization, and yes, you’ll earn high school credit. This level of educational flexibility and customization is what truly distinguishes VLACS Experiences from traditional ways of learning.
Master Competencies Through Experiences
Competency-based learning allows students to engage in real-world activities that align with their interests. With the guidance of mentors who have years of experience in their profession, trade, or art, students are able to develop relevant skills and knowledge that will help them meet academic competencies and gain valuable insights into exciting topics or even potential careers. VLACS instructors serve as facilitators and support students as they work toward mastery of each competency.
If You Can Dream It, You Can Experience It
Take a tour through our Learning Catalog to learn about our pre-planned Experiences. Looking for more ideas for a customized Experience? Here are some ideas to start you out.
Physical Wellness
Earn a yoga instructor certification with help from an experienced professional.
Nursing
Work as an assistant at a nursing home while earning your LNA license.
English
Work with a copywriter at a marketing agency on the development of website content.
United States History
Help a museum curator develop a new exhibit and learn about the American Revolution.
Computer Science
Assist with the development of a new phone app while learning to code.
Drawing
Write and illustrate your first graphic novel with guidance from an established author and artist.
How It Works
1. Choose or Design
Together with your instructor, you will choose a pre-planned experience or design your own custom experience in order to explore your interests while meeting competencies.
2. Learn
Depending on your chosen experiences, you will conduct research or work on a project while learning from a mentor in a related field.* Of course, your VLACS instructor will be there to help you throughout your learning journey.
3. Create
As part of your experience, you will demonstrate newly-mastered competencies by creating a final product. For instance, you might write an article for a journal, create a presentation for a public event, produce a short film, or create a product prototype.
4. Assess
As you progress through each competency, you will meet with your instructor for an assessment of your understanding and skills. During these DBAs (discussion-based assessments) your instructor will review your work and ask questions to ensure that you have mastered each competency.
**Before enrolling in an Experience that involves working with a mentor, a parent/guardian permission form must be completed. As per state law, a background check of the outside expert is also required. If you have identified an outside expert, that’s great. If not, reach out to our counseling team for assistance with identifying one. We’re here to help you every step of the way. Just give us a call!
An Experience for Every Interest
VLACS has thousands of competencies, and most can be mastered through real-world Experiences. Whether you’re looking to explore an interest, explore a career, or prepare to enter the workforce, we’re here to support you!
Ways to Learn
Courses
Learn at your own pace through virtual lessons, assignments, and assessments, with the one-on-one support of a certified teacher.
Experiences
Build a custom learning experience based on your interests. Earn credit through work, internships, travel, entrepreneurship, and other “real world” activities.
Projects
Students demonstrate mastery of a competency by assuming the role of a person in a trade or profession and completing a project that is based on a real world task or problem. Every student is supported by a certified VLACS instructor.
Early College Program
Complete college courses and earn high school and college credits while you’re still in high school.
Interests & Careers
Explore subjects that spark your curiosity, pursue your passions and interests, gain new skills, or even prepare for your future career.
Intro to App Development
Study for exam
Culinary Internship
Practice knife skills
Geometry Project
Build prototype
Children’s Literature
Write children’s book
Careers in Criminal Justice
Shadow Attorney
LNA Training
Prepare for certification
Hear from Students and Families Like You
VLACS does virtual school the right way… Overall, the program communication is awesome, and it is really beneficial for us as parents to know what’s going on.
My daughter’s performance has improved dramatically! The individual attention she receives from her teachers has been great. I’m so pleased with our decision for her to go full-time at VLACS.
The accessibility of teachers almost anytime we need help has been massively supportive for me and my kids. I cannot say enough about it.
Attend a Virtual Open House
Have questions about how VLACS can support you and your child? Join us for a virtual open house to get all the information you need.
Visit Our Knowledge Base
Have a VLACS question? Search our Knowledge Base for instant answers about our programs, courses, admissions, and more.