New Career Technical Virtual Charter School, Indiana Connections Career Academy, Approved to Open for Students in Grades 9-12
Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) April 13, 2017 -- Indiana Connections Career Academy (INCC), a full-time online public career technical school, has been approved by Ball State University Office of Charter Schools to serve students statewide beginning in the 2017-18 school year. INCC will serve grades 9-11 during its first year of operation, and will expand to serve grade 12 in its second year. Enrollment is currently open, with a target enrollment of 250 students for the school’s first year.
As a career technical program, Indiana Connections Career Academy will help prepare students for work after graduation in a chosen field. A comprehensive fully online high school, INCC will offer students pathways to employability, career, or post-secondary success through both career education and preparation, and relevant work-based experiences.
“With our rapidly-evolving 21st century workforce, it's now more important than ever that students with ambitions of immediately entering the workplace also have access to a high-quality, career technical-focused education,” said Stacy Taylor, governing board chair. “We’ve worked with Connections Academy to provide K-12 virtual school to Indiana students for more than five years, and I’m thrilled to expand this partnership and offer a career technical online program to students in the state.”
Career Technical Education
INCC will combine rigorous academic coursework, supportive personalized learning, and a continuum of career exploration and training courses to create a successful online learning program for students who want an individualized approach to education. The school plans to partner with local businesses to offer relevant work experiences aligned to the unique workforce development needs of Indiana. INCC will offer students courses to fulfill a career pathway in one of five national career clusters:
• Health Science
• Hospitality & Tourism
• Information Technology
• Arts, A/V Tech & Communication
• Manufacturing
Quality Virtual Program
Indiana Connections Career Academy will join Indiana Connections Academy, a full-time online school that opened in 2010 and currently serves over 4,200 students in the state. INCC will focus on career exploration and preparation, while Indiana Connections Academy is a college-preparatory school focused on equipping students for post-secondary education. Both schools will serve students through full-time online programs which meet the Indiana Core 40 graduation requirements, and will offer credit recovery and summer school options as well as online clubs and activities. Melissa Brown, current lead principal of Indiana Connections Academy, will serve as Executive Director overseeing both INCC and Indiana Connections Academy. INCC school staff will work alongside Indiana Connections Academy staff in its Indianapolis teaching center.
“I’m extremely excited to partner with Ball State University to offer Indiana students another high-quality online learning option designed to meet their specific needs,” said Melissa Brown, INCC Executive Director. “We know that every student has different plans upon graduating high school, and with this career-focused online school we hope to offer students a more specialized education in line with their career aspirations.”
Learning from home, students will work closely with Indiana-certified teachers using detailed daily lesson plans that can be personalized to meet their individual needs. Typically, a parent, or another adult “Learning Coach,” chooses to monitor student progress in the home.
A virtual school approach serves a wide range of students, including those who need a flexible schedule or learn at a different pace from their peers, and those who need more individualized attention. Students interested in entering the workforce directly upon graduation may be especially suited for INCC. As a public charter school, there are no fees or tuition to attend and all students are required to take the same state assessments as traditional public school students.
Students and families interested in learning more about this new school option are encouraged to attend one of the school’s upcoming virtual information sessions.
About Indiana Connections Career Academy
Indiana Connections Career Academy (INCC) is a tuition-free statewide career technical virtual charter school for students in grades 9-12 (initially serving students in grades 9-11). The school was approved by the Ball State University Office of Charter Schools and will begin serving students in grades 9-11 in the 2017-18 school year. INCC will combine rigorous academic coursework, supportive personalized learning, a continuum of career explorations, and relevant work experiences to prepare students for employment in a chosen career or to further their skills at a post-secondary institution. For more information, call 800-382-6010 or visit http://www.IndianaConnectionsCareerAcademy.com.
Christine Adkins, Connections Education, +1 (443) 212-1926, [email protected]
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