Do you thrive with a hands-on, career-focused approach to learning? Are you ready to try something new and apply your knowledge to real-world situations?
With VLACS Projects, you earn credit by stepping into real-life scenarios and performing the actual work of a professional.
Explore The World Through Projects
This engaging learning pathway allows students to explore various career fields while mastering key concepts and skills. For each competency, you can choose to complete a pre-designed project that simulates real-life career tasks or create your own unique learning experience.
You have two options for learning when you choose to do a project: you can do a pre-designed project or a custom project. With either type of project, you will be learning the same competencies.
Pre-Designed
Think of this as a flight simulator. Everything is set up for you. We have already selected the career roles and the final projects, so the mission is clear from the start. You pretend to be a professional—like a journalist or engineer—and follow the simulation with guidance from your instructor. It’s a great way to master the subject competencies while exploring different career paths.
Custom
Think of this as flying the plane yourself. There is no course outline provided to you —you and your instructor create the outline yourselves. You take a personal interest or career goal, and connect it to your schoolwork. Your instructor will help you connect with a mentor working in a related profession. Together, you’ll bring an idea to life—like starting a business, exhibiting your artwork, and more. It’s perfect if you want the freedom to design your own learning and make a real-world impact.
You are a set designer for a play, tasked with bringing the historical worlds of Medieval Europe and Japan to life through visually stunning and historically accurate stage designs. Your work involves portraying the cultural and societal nuances of these periods, which will require an understanding of Medieval Europe and Japan.
Earth-Space Science
You are a park ranger at a mountain club where many people come to hike. Hikers rely on resources regarding climate and weather, which provides a broader context of climate and the weather. You will create a mountain weather safety manual that will explain the water cycle, describe Earth’s atmosphere, and compare weather and climate.
PE Personal Fitness
You are a health coach empowering clients to achieve optimal well-being by addressing physical, mental, and emotional health challenges. Your role involves guiding individuals to goal setting in stress management. You will create a health coaching plan and supporting notes that will describe assessment of stressors, explain stress management strategies, and summarize long- and short-term goals.
English 2
You are a scriptwriter who is responsible for crafting compelling stories that engage audiences through dialogue, structure, and character development. Your role involves developing scripts that bring narratives to life, which will require an understanding of the narrative. You will create a script draft that will describe narrative elements, summarize a narrative plot, and create a narrative story.
Digital Photography 1
You are a journalist for a newspaper. You’ve been assigned to take documentary photos for the next edition of the newspaper. The photos will visually tell the story and should include people, places and objects. The photos will need supporting notes to verify that they meet the specs for documentary photography. You will create a portfolio of documentary photos with supporting notes that will explain storytelling through photography, analyze composition in documentary photographs, and explain sequencing of documentary photographs.
Chemistry 1
You are a party decorations designer who crafts creative and dynamic displays that incorporate knowledge of chemical reactions, such as those used in creating custom effects like color-changing materials or sparkling finishes. Your role involves applying scientific principles to enhance your designs, which will require an understanding of chemical reactions.
You will create a design portfolio that will describe the balancing of chemical equations and compare types of reactions.
French Honors
You will take on the role of an event planner, tasked with creating an event proposal, in French, for a francophone holiday related event for a French speaking client.
Geometry
You are a Transportation Designer, focused on developing innovative and functional vehicle designs that prioritize efficiency, safety, and aesthetics. Your role involves integrating mathematical concepts to analyze shapes and structures, which will require an understanding of Coordinate Geometry. You will create a transportation design project that will compare geometric properties, prove geometric relationships, and describe algebraic models.
Journalism 1b
You are an investigative journalist working for a podcast as a reporter. For your assignment, you are writing a report on your recent investigation. You will create an investigative report and your supporting notes. Your notes on your investigation will explain the components of an investigation report, differentiate between the case identification details and the referral source information, and describe the importance of the investigation scope and purpose within the investigation report.
United States History
You are a Conflict and Stability Operations Specialist for the State Department tasked with analyzing and addressing international crises to promote global stability. Your role involves assessing historical precedents to inform strategies for intervention and diplomacy, which will require an understanding of The United States Intervention in Foreign Conflict. You will create a foreign policy briefing document and supporting analysis that explains the change in United States foreign policy in response to World War II, describes the United States’s response to the Holocaust, and analyzes the impact of United States foreign policy during World War II.
Sam dreamed of starting his own landscaping business. He collaborated with a local business owner to create a business plan including a pitch deck, financial forecast, and a brand package. His final deliverable was to get his first client. Now he has five clients, and his business is growing.
Engineering/Product Design
Eli wanted to help make sports more inclusive. For his project, he collaborated with a local nonprofit to design a lightweight, 3D-printed attachment for adaptive bikes. His final deliverable was a working prototype, and now he’s working on getting a patent for the design.
Sports & Fitness
Madison loved sports but knew she didn’t want to play them professionally. With the help of her mentor, she explored the field of sports medicine by researching athletic injuries, shadowing a physical therapist, and creating an injury-prevention guide for student athletes. Her final deliverable was a workshop she led for her school’s soccer team, and now she’s excited to pursue a degree in sports medicine.
Construction
Zach was obsessed with skateboarding, but didn’t know how he could turn his passion into a future plan. For his project, he partnered with a local skate park to design and build a safer, more durable ramp using eco-friendly materials. His final deliverable was the ramp itself, which is now featured at the park and used daily by skaters. Zach was able to follow his passion while also learning a new skill.
Performing Arts
Maya dreamed of becoming a professional dancer. For her project, she choreographed an original routine, filmed a performance with classmates, and shared it at a local arts showcase. Her final deliverable was an audition video, which she used in her application to a ballet company.
History & Game Development
Alex loved history but didn’t want to just write papers. For his project, he designed a strategy game based on ancient civilizations, complete with historically accurate resources, maps, and challenges. His final deliverable was a playable beta version, which he now shares with friends online.
Music & Math
Ravi loved playing piano but realized he was just as interested in the patterns behind music. For his Project, he studied the relationship between math and harmony, then composed original pieces using Fibonacci sequences and fractals. His final deliverable was a performance and an explanatory booklet, inspiring him to look at careers in music theory and data science.
Computer Science & AI
Leila dreamed of becoming a software engineer. For her Project, she learned the basics of machine learning, trained a program to recognize different dog breeds, and documented her process. Her final deliverable was a working app, which can now be downloaded from the app store.
Entrepreneurship & Fashion
Isabella dreamed of launching a clothing line. She worked with a fashion designer to sketch designs, source sustainable fabrics, and sew her first collection. She now sells her pieces through an online shop.
Grace wanted to explore architecture and design. For her Project, she used CAD software to design a model pedestrian bridge for her town park, including stress tests and cost estimates. Her final deliverable was a 3D-printed model, and she’s now in touch with a local engineering firm about internships.
VLACS offers hundreds of options for courses. Browse our Learning Catalog to find a course you’re interested in.
2. Learn
With your instructor’s support, you will dive into the project, conducting research and applying skills to master competencies and complete your project.
3. Assess
Each project ends in a discussion-based assessment with your instructor, who will review your project and determine if you’ve met the competency requirements or if you need more time to work.
Meet Our Mentors
Our mentors are professionals from various fields who are excited to share their knowledge and expertise with you when you choose a custom project. You can browse our Career Mentor Catalog to find the perfect match for your interests. Each mentor brings a wealth of real-world experience and can provide valuable insights into exciting topics or even potential careers.
VLACS offers hundreds of competency groups, and many competencies can be mastered through a project. Whether you already have a future career in mind, or you want to explore your interests in a career-focused format, projects are a fun, engaging way to learn through doing.
Build a custom learning experience based on your interests. Earn credit through work, internships, travel, entrepreneurship, and other “real world” activities.
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.
Close-up of a young elementary school student in a robotics and technology class -holds a robot model .
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
[My teacher] was so nice. She was always super interested in what I was doing. That’s why I love VLACS so much. I never feel like I’m wasting my time with my VLACS work. Everything is super helpful in my learning.
Elizabeth Kourbatski
Part-Time High School Student
My experience with VLACS has been exceptional. I have been able to complete coursework at my own pace, and I can choose which courses interest me. My instructors encourage me to do my best, while providing support along the way.
Camper Dales
Full-Time High School Student
The accessibility of teachers almost anytime we need help has been massively supportive for me and my kids. I cannot say enough about it.
Robin Kloos
Middle School Parent
VLACS has given me the boost of confidence to better my life, as well as a chance to say “I did it!”
Kayla Nolin
Adult Education Diploma Student
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