ArizonaHealth&Livingispublishedmonthly.Allrightsarereserved.The entirecontentsofArizonaHealth&Livingarecopyright20by .Reproductioninwholeorpart,orusewithout writtenpermissionofthepublisher,ofeditorial,pictorial,ordesigncontent, includingelectronicretrievalsystemsisprohibitedintheUnitedStates&foreign countries.Thetrademarkandtradename,ArizonaHealth&Living,isownedby
The long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on studentshas been seismic.
According to the Education Recovery Scorecard, the average U.S. public school student in grades 3-8 lost the equivalent of a half year of learning in math and a quarter of a year in reading due to school closures. In addition, the American Medical Journal recently reported that young people who went through the pandemic are more likely to experience increased depression, social, emotional and behavioral difficulties and worsening general mental well-being.
“Arizona Virtual Academy, which is a fully accredited and tuition-free virtual school, has been open since 1995 and serves students in grades K-12 throughout the state,” said Charles Woods, executive director of Arizona Virtual Academy.
With 25 years of experience in online education leading up to the pandemic, Arizona Virtual Academy was already well-prepared to provide the safe and comprehensive education students needed during that historic time.
“In 2020, enrollment doubled to more than 7,600 students,” said Woods. “In the years since, the number of Arizona online schools has increased tenfold and dispersed enrollment, but Arizona Virtual Academy has now grown to a virtual campus of more than 4,600 students statewide, providing a personalized approach to education through structure, innovation, and both academic and social programs.”
The school offers a variety of courses, including history, world languages, art, music and electives, as well as Advanced Placement courses at the high school level. It is also the only state-approved virtual school with a Career Technical Education (CTE) program, providing career and college prep for grades 6-12. Eligible students can earn college credit for free while still in high school throughconcurrent enrollment.
“Those unfamiliar with our model often mistakenly thinkstudentswhoattendonlineschoolslack socialization andsocialskills,”saidWoods.“Thisisamyth;studentsat
Arizona Virtual Academy can participate in myriad academic and social outings as well as virtual and in-person clubs.Theseoutingsandactivitiesincludetripstomuseums, parksandthezoo,aswellastheopportunity to join an inperson learningcenter operatedbyKaiPodLearning.”
Over the summer, in fact, Arizona Virtual Academy went the extra mile to keep students engaged through its six-week Summer Bridge Program, a hybrid introduction to an array of career and technical education (CTE) pathways designed to ignite the passions of middle schoolers statewide. Each week, the program focused on a different CTE pathway, with students participating in virtual lessons Monday through Thursday and engaging inhands-onactivitieslikecookeryandfingerprintanalysis on Fridays. This blended learning model has provided students with a comprehensive understanding of the various CTE pathways available to them, from medical assistingand sportsmedicine to software and app design.
Strategic partnerships with organizations such as JA Inspire and Girls Who Code contributed valuable resources andexpertise to enrich the learning experience. Students particularly enjoyed a virtual presentation by Girls Who Code, sparking their interestintheworldof technologyandcoding.
