New and returning online middle and high school students set to take advantage of college and career-focused programming
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Great River Connections Academy, a tuition-free, online public school for students in grades K-12 across Ohio, began its seventh year of operation when the 2024-2025 academic year started on Monday, August 19th.
We’re excited to continue offering these career-focused learning pathways which are designed to help students gain the academic and technical skills, knowledge, and training they need to join in-demand and growing fields.
Great River Connections Academy provides a high-quality online curriculum and personalized approach to learning with support from highly skilled educators that emphasize academic excellence while building fundamental life skills. Teachers are specially trained to bring their skills and personalities to the virtual classroom and work with students to foster meaningful connections.
Great River Connections Academy students in grades 6-12 will once again have access to an expanded College and Career Readiness offering designed to help them thrive whether in college or in the job field and prepare for a future they are excited about. Combining traditional courses with industry-leading, career-focused options and real-world interactions, Great River Connections Academy is helping students gain confidence, develop the right skills and earn industry credentials coveted by employers.
“At Great River Connections Academy, we’re dedicated to serving a wide variety of students with different needs to gain the skills needed to thrive in the modern world,” said Jason Swinehart, Great River Connections Academy school leader. “We’re excited to continue offering these career-focused learning pathways which are designed to help students gain the academic and technical skills, knowledge, and training they need to join in-demand and growing fields.”
Students can hone essential skills like critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and leadership and have access to partnerships like Coursera, Credly, The Home Depot and the SEMI Foundation. With Coursera, students have the opportunity to earn entry-level professional certificates from companies like Google, IBM, Meta, and Salesforce.
Learning in a virtual classroom suits a variety of students because it recognizes that each student is unique. Those who attend Great River Connections Academy come from different backgrounds and choose full-time online school for various reasons. Some students prefer to take ownership of their education and benefit from the flexibility that virtual school offers, while others are looking for a consistent, safe learning environment.
Ileah Parker of Columbus is a senior at Great River Connections Academy and enrolled in the statewide online school in 2022 in search of a more individualized learning environment.
According to Ileah, Great River Connections Academy is a very supportive school community that has been very motivating for her. Ileah likes how the school can meet her individual needs with the flexible scheduling to work at her own pace, and appreciates her kind and supportive teachers.
“I love my teachers because they are very engaging and helpful,” Ileah said. “They encourage me to be the best version of myself.”
Great River Connections Academy recently received very high marks and is considered a high-quality academic option according to its 2024 Parent Satisfaction Survey, an annual third-party survey that provides families with the opportunity to review their experience with the full-time online public school.
According to the survey, 94 percent of parents would recommend Great River Connections Academy to parents whose children are not enrolled in the program. Ninety-seven percent of parents say the Great River Connections Academy program gives them greater opportunity to be more involved with their child’s education and 96 percent of the parents also agree their child is satisfied learning at Great River Connections Academy.
In addition, 97 percent of the parents agree their child’s teachers at Great River Connections Academy are supportive and 95 percent of parents believe their child is receiving a quality education. Ninety-five percent of the parents also agree the curriculum is high quality.
Enrollment at Great River Connections Academy for the 2024-2025 school year is open. As many parents continue to consider different academic options for their children, Great River Connections Academy is offering online information sessions for families to get more information about learning in a virtual classroom. A complete schedule of events as well as more information about the career pathways program is available by calling 1-800-382-6010 or by visiting http://www.GreatRiverConnectionsAcademy.com.
About Great River Connections Academy
Great River Connections Academy (GRCA) is a unique, tuition-free, online public school for K-12 students. Every day, we create a high-quality educational experience that keeps students motivated and engaged in a safe, virtual learning environment. In addition to academics, teachers focus on building fundamental life skills, working closely with families to help students learn how they learn best. Here, students gain the skills and confidence they need to direct their own educational journey, learning to thrive in the real world by first learning how to be resourceful and resilient. For more information, call 1-800-382-6010 or visit http://www.GreatRiverConnectionsAcademy.com.
Survey Methodology
Connections Academy conducts the annual Parent Satisfaction Survey to find out how parents, guardians and Learning Coaches grade the program in several key areas. The 2024 survey was conducted from January 15 to February 26 by Shapiro + Raj, an independent market research company that created the questionnaire, collected the data and tabulated the results. Parents and caretakers of all students enrolled at the time of the survey were invited to complete the survey online.
Media Contact
Mark Rickel, Connections Academy, 614-232-8309, mrickel@lesiccamper.com, https://www.connectionsacademy.com/ohio-virtual-school/
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SOURCE Great River Connections Academy
