COLORADO SPRINGS — After a year of challenges brought on by the pandemic, a local school district is offering families across Colorado a new approach to online learning.
Spark Online Academy opens this August, serving kindergarten through eighth grade students, who want a high quality, personalized learning approach.
The Principal of the academy, Julie Johnson, says they created this school because a lot of students say they like online learning better. Several students are seeing a lot of success after switching to virtual learning. It also gives families who are on the go, a lot of flexibility.
Principal Johnson says this is also a way to to respond to enrollment concerns that every district is now experiencing since the pandemic began.
"It's important for students to apply what they've learned. There's going to be a component of their day where they really get to learn through curiosity and inquiry," Johnson explained.
District 11 teachers had a hand in forming the learning materials for this academy. Educators started working on Spark Academy last summer. Johnson says the possibilities are endless, when it comes to online learning.
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"If a student wants to learn about the collapse of bee colonies, we can find experts around the globe, so that's the beauty when your in an online learning model," Johnson explained.
In five years the academy hopes to serve all students, K-12.
You don't have to live in District 11 to apply for this school, you just have to be a resident of Colorado. For more information, click here.
