Odyssey's Nautikos helps high school student strike balance between school and motherhood.

At the age of 17, Melissa French is not your ordinary high school student. Apart from the fact that she finds it difficult to focus in a traditional classroom environment, just this summer she become a first-time mother. Thats when her school, Stanley Humphries Secondary in Castlegar, British Columbia, enrolled her in the District's Online Learning Centre. Now she is taking most of her classes on her own time through Nautikos, and is looking to graduate next year

At the age of 17, Melissa French is not your ordinary high school student. Apart from the fact that she finds it difficult to focus in a traditional classroom environment, just this summer she become a first-time mother. Thats when her school, Stanley Humphries Secondary in Castlegar, British Columbia, enrolled her in the District's Online Learning Centre. Now she is taking most of her classes on her own time through Nautikos, and is looking to graduate next year.

" I was finding it really hard to concentrate on my schoolwork even before I had the baby. Sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher talk is somewhat boring to me, and now with the baby it's tough to even make it to class on time," commented Melissa. "I like the fact that, with Nautikos, I can just come in on my own time and take these classes. Plus I get a lot of satisfaction because I feel like I am able to interact with the computer and teach myself. My goal is to graduate next year, and now I am quite confident that I can do it."

As part of School District 20, the Centre provides opportunities for students to complete high school courses in an alternative education setting. "Our vision is to enable learners to pursue their educational goals according to the unique needs of each individual," commented John Duncan, head teacher at the Online Learning Centre. "We offer a diverse range of programs such as regular school age Drop Out Prevention, Continuing Education for anyone over the age of 19, Parents Program and High School Reintegration. We find Nautikos' ability to support self-directed learning, ensuring each learner gets the right lesson anytime, anywhere, fits very well into our teaching objectives."

"At Odyssey, we believe that an effective computer-managed learning solution must first and foremost be able to maximize learners' potential, regardless of who they are and how they learn," says Odyssey CEO Tanya Northcott. "Learners like Melissa are prime examples proving just how well Nautikos is able to achieve that. We salute the Online Learning Centre's efforts in alternative education, and wish Melissa all the best as a learner and a mother." "At Odyssey, we believe that an effective computer-managed learning solution must first and foremost be able to maximize learners' potential, regardless of who they are and how they learn," says Odyssey CEO Tanya Northcott. "Learners like Melissa are prime examples proving just how well Nautikos is able to achieve that. We salute the Online Learning Centre's efforts in alternative education, and wish Melissa all the best as a learner and a mother."

About Odyssey Learning Systems Inc. (www.odysseylearn.com) - Odyssey Learning Systems Inc. is dedicated to developing, delivering and supporting cutting-edge computer-managed learning products and services. Odyssey's suite of products enables educators to design and build integrated learning approaches that meet the unique needs of their learners. The company's flagship product NautikosT is the most versatile computer-managed learning and content management platform on the market. Nautikos delivers effective elearning onsite or online, with or without the Internet, and simultaneously in any language. The company also offers a multitude of both educational and corporate courses operating on the Nautikos system.