Waukesha to Offer Virtual High School

WAUKESHA, Wis.- The Waukesha school district is launching an online distance-learning program as part of a national network of virtual high schools called iQ Academies.

• UPDATE: IQ Academies is gearing up for next year. DPI will pay tuition on enrollments through Feb. 25, 2005. Click here for more.

The district is teaming up with KC Distance learning (KCDL), a Portland, Oregon-based provider on online education for high school students. The school is chartered through the Waukesha District and will be the first iQ Academies in the state.

iQ Academies delivers dynamic interactive virtual learning to students and their families who, for various reasons, need or are seeking a different kind of high school environment. KCDL has partnerships with six diverse curriculum providers that are all required to provide high quality, content and delivery. The content partners currently serve over 650,000 students in all 50 states.

"There are lots of students for whom the traditional high school setting isn't appropriate. Our mission is to make a quality, public education a possibility for those students. We help students achieve their learning goals and constantly follow their dreams," said, Keith Oelrich, president and CEO of KCDL.

IQ Academies Wisconsin will provide registered students with a laptop computer and internet access, a broad online curriculum, and support from certified, subject-matter expert teachers. The program will also arrange to provide a range of school and community support programs. iQ Academies students can select from over 150 courses, including some specialized courses that many traditional high schools are unable to offer. The curriculum will combining core academics with foreign language, arts and humanities, as well as tech-savvy courses.

Heidi Laabs, Interim Director of iQ Academies at Wisconsin, said, "At iQ Academies, your student's education experience goes beyond the (virtual) classroom. We will provide many school and community program opportunities, including scholarships, job and career counseling and programs, community activities, gatherings and field trips, an Honor Society, and a variety of school clubs.”