Ways to Learn
The ultimate way to customize your learning. Earn academic credit while exploring your interests!
At VLACS, you can engage in a wide range of real-world learning opportunities and explore your interests firsthand. Ina pre-planned Experience, you might collaborate with accomplished professionals 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.
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.
Earn a yoga instructor certification with help from an experienced professional.
Work as an assistant at a nursing home while earning your LNA license.
Work with a copywriter at a marketing agency on the development of website content.
Help a museum curator develop a new exhibit and learn about the American Revolution.
Assist with the development of a new phone app while learning to code.
Write and illustrate your first graphic novel with guidance from an established author and artist.
Competency-based learning allows students to engage in real-world activities that align with their interests. With the guidance of outside experts who have years of experience in their profession, trade, or art, students are able to develop relevant skills and knowledge that will help them master 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.
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.
Depending on your chosen experiences, you might conduct research or work on a project while learning from a professional in a related field.* Of course, your VLACS instructor will be there to help you throughout your learning journey.
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.
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 outside experts 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!
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!
Learn at your own pace through virtual lessons, assignments, and assessments, with the one-on-one support of a certified teacher.
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.
Complete college courses and earn high school and college credits while you’re still in high school.
Explore subjects that spark your curiosity, pursue your passions and interests, gain new skills, or even prepare for your future career.
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.
Have a VLACS question? Search our Knowledge Base for instant answers about our programs, courses, admissions, and more.
Discover how you can customize your learning based on your needs, interests, and talents.