It Takes a Village: The Secret to Successful Hybrid Homeschooling A Case Study
Village Academics
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ometimes it takes more than one village to teach a child. When Village Academics was founded in September 2017, Steve and Patti Wilbourne understood that the traditional learning arrangement does not work for every child. Their goal was to provide a “community-based hybrid homeschool experience” that honors all learning styles. Village Academics scholars have the flexibility to adjust their learning schedules to fit their everyday lives and make learning more practical and personalized. A core curriculum is then blended with extracurriculars—including health and fitness, character building, and accountability—to further enrich the educational environment. In 2018, there was evidence of success for both students and families involved in the grassroots hybrid homeschool, and the organization’s goals and plans evolved accordingly in its first year. As with any new initiative, however, there were a number of challenges, and plans were put into place to overcome them. “As a community of problem solvers, we do not shy away from a challenge. We view it more as an opportunity for us to grow and evolve,” said Elliott Locklear, Director of Operations at Village Academics. “The absence of red tape allows us
to resolve issues immediately and effectively, and as a result, we have all learned from each other, strengthening our abilities to collaborate, brainstorm, and create an environment of critical thinkers with a growth mindset.”
“We are not a school. We offer a facility to educate your child in a unique, adaptable fashion. We aim to integrate beliefs of importance to us... by customizing education through the offerings of enrichment programs developed based on our core values, necessity for supplementation, as well as the interests of our partnered families and those within the community.” –Steve Wilbourne
New Lessons in Learning Where there’s learning, there’s growth, and it is accompanied by its own set of growing pains. As Village Academics grew from a small backyard operation to a full-scale hybrid homeschooling environment, several core challenges arose, and staff were adamant about resolving them.
The Challenge: Managing curricula. Offering individualized instruction became more difficult, as scholars used a variety of online educational programs at Village Academics. Learning Coaches were required to learn and follow the requirements of multiple learning platforms, with some offering more support than others.
The Solution: A ubiquitous, user-friendly learning platform for scholars. When Village Academics declared Laurel Springs its primary academic partner, extraneous platforms were eliminated, and scholars began using a single Learning Management System (LMS) to supplement their education. As a result, Learning Coaches no longer had to manage multiple online programs or worry about technical issues and disruptions to each scholar’s curriculum.
While Village Academics provides individualized instruction, many scholars who share Laurel Springs courses and teachers are able to collaborate in their studies.
“I am so grateful for the opportunities that Village Academics and Laurel Springs School have given me.” –Perry Chambers, Grade 8
A Partnership with Impact
Perry Chambers, 13, is a rising eighth grader who has grown in extraordinary ways since joining Village Academics three years ago. Describing the learning environment as fun and comfortable, Perry finds that the combination of dedicated teachers and tutors helps her thrive, as well as the flexible schedule and online curriculum delivered by Laurel Springs.
“Before using Laurel Springs, I had no idea that there were so many options for extracurricular classes! These options have helped me grow my knowledge outside of standard school subjects and have helped me learn a lot more about topics that I am interested in.” –Perry Chambers, Grade 8
The Challenge: Monitoring progress and engaging students. A customized education is only successful when the student is both fully immersed in the experience and forms a bond with their instructor. To ensure that scholars are engaged and target subject areas that need improvement, Learning Coaches needed a tool that would allow them to actively monitor progress and immediately identify individual academic needs.
Using an Observer account through the Laurel Springs School LMS, Learning Coaches can easily track student progress. The Solution: Daily sessions supplemented by a single academic program. Learning Coaches engage with scholars on a daily basis through Advisory Meetings, providing direct instruction in reading and writing, grammar, and mathematics, and holding scaffolding sessions that allow coaches and scholars to goal-set, prioritize, and stay organized. With the installment of a single online program to supplement those daily sessions, Learning Coaches could now seamlessly organize information about individual academic progress, setting the tone for a positive, supportive, and trusting learning environment.
The Challenge: Streamlining expectations. As Village Academics continued to grow, and more students began to receive individualized instruction, it became a challenge to synthesize varying schedules and expectations among students and families. In order to streamline this process, Village Academics sought a common denominator in its approach to fulfill core curricula credits for each of its scholars.
The Solution: A Parental Advisory Board. As a community-based organization, it is crucial that both staff, scholars, and families hold an equal stake in the success of Village Academics—and that includes decision-making that enhances the educational experience by making modifications in the way students receive core credits. As a result, a Parental Advisory Board was formed to make community-minded decisions about the organization and navigate new challenges.
In 2018, the Parental Advisory Board and Learning Coaches of Village Academics made a joint decision to introduce Laurel Springs as its core academic partner. Considerations included the offering of courses and credits, a proven track record, and the availability of text-based options.
A New Neighborly Village Over the last two years, the academic partnership with Laurel Springs has strengthened the core values and mission held by Village Academics. The organization has found that it can maintain flexibility, high expectations, and rigor while providing balance and support for scholars and families.
Looking Forward to the Future Cultivating an adaptable, flexible environment has taken on an even greater importance in a time of widespread uncertainty. Fortunately, Village Academics and Laurel Springs have plenty of experience delivering an educational environment and academic program that relies on individual goal-setting and motivation, rather than required seat time and passive instruction. While the transition to online instruction has jolted schools and caused major setbacks for thousands of students across the country, Village Academics’ strong emphasis on continuity, organization, and accountability has instead allowed scholars to thrive. In conjunction with Laurel Springs’ fully online academic program, Learning Coaches have continued to foster a strong community of learners, despite the physical distance between them. As the world continues to heal from the coronavirus pandemic, Village Academics and Laurel Springs are prepared to adapt, with students and families remaining the primary focus. Scholars are required to connect with their community on a daily basis, and the Village Academics team continually collaborates to devise incentives—such as honors, awards, and special activities—that inspire and engage students, as well as boost morale. The thoughtful model and productive, communitybased framework of Village Academics is the foundation for its success. Now in its second year of academic partnership with Laurel Springs, Village Academics has created a hybrid homeschool environment that celebrates the power of collaboration, as well as teaches independence and confidence on an individual level for its scholars.
Why does a partnership with Laurel Springs work for Village Academics? Simple: Laurel Springs blends seamlessly with its hybrid nature and commitment to top-tier academics.
Proven Track Record Online K-12 private school accredited by Cognia and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
Quality Curriculum 171 College Prep Courses 45 Honors & AP Courses 16 World Language Courses 159 UC a-g Approved Courses 91 NCAA Approved Courses
Dedicated Support Team of teachers and staff available to answer subject-specific questions and work with Learning Coaches to ensure students meet their goals
LaurelSprings.com (800) 377-5890 1615 West Chester Pike West Chester, PA 19382
VillageAcademics.com 107 Pitt Street Mount Pleasant, SC 29464