The cyber charter school sector is one that’s often considered to be in a league of its own. While meeting educational benchmarks is of utmost importance to teachers and administrators, the non-traditional setting often prompts many questions from pupils and parents alike. One of the frequently-asked questions is about extra-curricular activities. A cyber charter school doesn’t have a traditional brick-and-mortar footprint, so how do these students enjoy themselves in social settings outside of their online school programs? Pennsylvania’s 21^st Century Charter School (21CCCS) is one provider of online school programs with an answer, which we’ll learn more about below!

Pathfinders Write Themselves into History

Victor K., left, and Shaw S., right.

On Friday, June 29, 2018, a group of friends and family gathered at Lackawanna State Park, in Pennsylvania, to celebrate and applaud two outstanding young men on their historic achievements.

Victor K. and Shaw S., both students of online school programs at 21CCCS, are Pathfinders with the 68th Frost Hollow BPSA-US. The two young men are the first in the country to achieve the prestigious awards of the Bushman’s Thong for scouting skills and the George Washington Award for service. Both young men also earned the Gold All-Round Cord for completing well beyond the 18 required “special proficiency” badges.

 

Victor discusses the route he has mapped out for a 30-mile Delaware River expedition with his Pathfindermaster

Troop Leader Victor K., 17, is a quiet yet decisive youth who has some impressive credentials already under his belt. While Victor can usually be found breaking in new mountain bike trails through the woods or enjoying target shooting, he also enjoyed leading the 91st Sojourners of upstate New York and the 818th Storch of Germany through challenging canoe camping expeditions along the upper Delaware River region.

 

Shaw created a complete camping kit, which he donated to be raffled to benefit the local fire company.

Owl Patrol Leader Shaw S., 15, is an eager learner. He passionately pursued his goals to learn traditional skills. As a NOAA Advanced Certified Skywarn Spotter, he was in charge of keeping the troop abreast of weather conditions, moon phases and nighttime navigation. Shaw also served as the Junior Camp Warden for the 2017 BPSA-US Northeast Regional Moot, hosting over 150 fellow adventurers.

Both young men have earned “Arrows” for leadership skills, as well. These Pathfinders, proud to be the first, have individually taken varied paths through different proficiencies to achieve these highest awards.

The Bushman’s Thong for bushcraft skills can only be earned after a Pathfinder completes a solo overnight journey. Victor cycled his 30-mile journey on the Lackawanna Heritage trail while Shaw chose to canoe the Susquehanna River, camping on an island. After they completed their quests, the real work of earning bushman proficiencies — like Explorer, Tracker and Senior Navigator to name a few — began.

The George Washington Award is modeled after the original King’s Scout badge of the traditional program in the United Kingdom. The George Washington’s Scout badge is awarded to Pathfinders who, through the passing of the required public service proficiency badges, are showing their current ability to provide civic and public service to their community, state, and country. Pathfinders are always prepared and George Washington’s Pathfinders are doubly prepared to render service when called on or in need.

Baden-Powell Service Association — US is co-ed, all-inclusive, traditional scouting for adventurers of all ages. The aim is to promote good citizenship through community service, self-discipline, loyalty, self-reliance, worthwhile life and outdoor skills.

“Traditional Scouting” generally refers to “old-fashioned” Scouting, which consists of the original elements in Lord Baden-Powell’s Scouting scheme. This includes what B-P called “Proficiency Badges” (“engraved with the symbol or the deed for which it is given,”) Scouting games, Patrol method and advancement based on standards rather than competition.

Both young men will be continuing their education as juniors through online school programs at 21CCCS. Moreover, both are looking forward to continuing their adventures as Rovers (adult scouts) with the North Woods Rover Crew.

Pictured above, congratulations gifts from Feuer Machen’s author, Taro Gehrmann, came all the way from Switzerland.

School being out for the summer is a great feeling, but it can also lead to a lull in learning at the beginning of the next school year when students return to the classroom or, in the case of cyber school students like those homeschooling in PA with 21^st Century Cyber Charter School, the laptop or iPad.

However, there are ways to keep your mind sharp throughout the summer and avoid the learning block that we are susceptible to at the start of the school year.  To help yourself prevent brain drain in the summer, here are some ways to keep your mind sharp.

Visit Museums: Particularly on a summer day when it’s too hot to be comfortable outside, it can be nice to spend time in an air conditioned museum. But museums are good for more than just cooling down. They’ll make your brain think about art, history, culture, science, and more. Keeping a journal of the things you learned at museums or found interesting while touring them can also be a good way to keep your brain active.

Watch Quiz Shows: Quiz shows like Jeopardy are one every night during the week and catching a few episodes here and there can be beneficial to your education. Shows like Jeopardy feature challenging trivia and strategic thinking that make the brain work while also being entertained.

Write Reviews: Throughout the summer, you’re sure to take some day trips and vacations to various attractions and destinations. Why not become a critic and write reviews online about the places you visit in order to keep your writing skills on point? It can be empowering for students to share their opinions, and like many other skills in life, writing gets easier the more you practice.

Take Tours: Find a place that interest you and see if they offer tours. Many metropolitan areas offer a variety of tours to help visitors learn more about the city and its landmarks. Typically a guided tour has some educational aspects and you can take the knowledge you’ve gained about different places and carry it with you throughout life.

Read: This one might seem obvious but it can’t be overstated. Reading is one of the most sure-fire ways to keep your mind sharp over the summer. It doesn’t have to be educational reading. Any reading will do the trick. Pick your favorite genre or author and dive into some books when you’re not diving into a swimming pool this summer.

Play Brain Games: There are games out there that are actually intended to make your brain work. Vocabulary and math games like Scrabble, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, and more are great games to play throughout the summer to keep your mind active.

Take a Class: Whether it’s an educational online class such as those offered at 21CCCS summer school or just a community class to learn something new, partaking in a structured learning environment in the summer can be a great way to avoid summer brain drain. It will keep you partially in “school mode” and make returning in the fall seem like not so much of a drastic transition.

Cyber school enrollment has grown immensely over the last decade, and we’re here to explore why.

According to the International Association for K12 Online Learning, there were 200 virtual charter schools in operation nationwide during the 2008-2009 school year, and that number has grown an estimated 30 percent annually since. The number of students taking part in online learning has also spiked in the last 10 years and seen more than an 80 percent increase.

“A lot of the parents are choosing cyber charters because there is something not working for them in the traditional environment,” executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools, Ana Meyers said in an interview with TribLIVE.com.

But what is that something that Meyers speaks of?

There are many reasons more parents are choosing to enroll their children in cyber school. Here are some of the top reasons for the growth of cyber school over the last decade.

Customized Learning

Perhaps the biggest advantage to enrolling in a cyber school is the ability to have a personalized education that suits an individual’s specific needs as a student. In traditional brick-and-mortar schools, teachers often have to teach at the pace of the slowest-learning students. This can lead to students who learn faster becoming bored and unengaged. But cyber school allows students to work at the pace that works best for them.

Solution to Public School Problems

There are several issues that can arise in public schools that you simply won’t find when enrolled in cyber school. For example, if a child has been bullied at a traditional school and wishes to leave that environment, cyber school can give them an avenue to do so. Social and behavioral issues might create lack of motivation and increase stress level on students, so they can severely hinder learning.. Cyber school is a great way to free children of social stresses and other distractions.

Safety

Safety in public schools has never been more in doubt. What were once thought of as safe environments for children to learn and socialize have now been put into question because of increased violence in schools and school shootings in recent years. But cyber school provides a safe learning environment that gives parents and students more peace of mind.

Parents’ Involvement

Many parents wish to have more involvement in their child’s education, and cyber school is a great way of achieving this goal. When a child is receiving their online education from home, it presents more opportunities for parents to get involved and stay brushed up on what their child is learning.

For some students that have physical or medical limitations, going to a traditional school can be difficult or sometimes impossible. Giving students the ability to work from their home or just about anywhere they can find a computer and an internet connection is a unique benefit of a cyber school that allows these types of students to gain a great education without putting themselves at risk.

As one of the top-performing Pennsylvania virtual charter schools, we have witnessed the numerous advantages online courses give disabled students and are proud to be part of making a difference in their educational experience.

At 21st Century Cyber Charter School, all students are provided with a Macbook, which has unique accessibility software. For students with vision impairment, students have access to VoiceOver, Zoom, low-vision features, and speech-to-text. For students with hearing impairments, there is the ability to turn on screen flash, which flashes the screen when a system alert appears. The Macbook also has Dictation (convert spoken words into text) and Speech commands. The keyboard layout can be changed to enable accessibility shortcuts, and enable audio notifications.

Students whose fine motor skills are affected have the ability to utilize their school-issued laptop to submit all of their work, including lengthy writing assignments, which in the traditional school setting can be both strenuous and stressful.

Disability is a broad term. According to a recent study by the Disability and Information Technologies Research Alliance, about 49 million Americans (or 16 percent of the country’s overall population) claim to have a disability of some sort. There’s a wide range of disabilities out there and the most commonly reported ones in the study were learning disabilities, mobility impairments, ADD/ADHD, psychological conditions, and health-related impairments.

Any student with physical or medical limitations can benefit from Cyber School. The perks of taking online courses stem from the convenience and flexibility such schooling provides disabled students.

Because online learning can provide convenient access to education and is usually more flexible than traditional brick-and-mortar schools, students with disabilities who might require special accommodations or scheduled care can find time to do so without falling behind on their studies.

Another inconvenience for disabled students is daily transportation. Without the need for travel and transportation to and from school every day, cyber school helps make life much easier for students with disabilities. Thus, they can set up their own home learning area that meets all of their individual needs.

In contrast to widespread belief, enrolling as a cyber school student doesn’t have to have a negative effect on social development. Online students are encouraged and given the flexibility to interact with other classmates, join the school clubs, attend field trips, and many other activities that are offered by their online schools.

To get a better feel for what we’re talking about, ask around and see what other students with disabilities are saying about their cyber school experience and online learning altogether. We believe you’ll find that online learning is a viable option for disabled students, and one that has many benefits that can help get the most out of their education.

Established in 1921, the National Honor Society is an organization of the world’s highest achieving students. Whether it’s traditional schooling, home schooling, or cyber schooling, the very best and brightest students are recognized for their outstanding achievements by being placed on the national honor roll.

But being part of the National Honor Society is about much more than just making the honor roll. It is also a “distinctive multifaceted learning experience that provides a solid and meaningful foundation for life” according to the NHS website.

“NHS is a place where like-minded students can grow their character, and improve as a leader through their service and monthly meetings.” said Collin P, NHS President.

Here at 21^st Century Cyber Charter School, we’re proud to hold an affiliation with both the high school chapter of the National Honor Society for students in grades 10-12, and a junior chapter with the National Junior Honor Society for students in grades 6-9.

The 21CCCS has been a chapter of the National Honor Society for over a decade.  Participating members of the 21CCCS National Honor Society work with both the school and their community to fulfill the Four Pillars of NHS: Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character.

Participating members must maintain a GPA of 3.25 or higher, earn at least 30 hours of community service each school year, and complete an Honors Leadership Project prior to graduation.

The benefits NHS members have are incredible and can help make their dreams come true. Members of the NHS better themselves, their communities, and go on to make a major impact on the world.

This year, 21CCCS National Honor Society members participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s fundraiser and collectively raised $2,675 to fight Alzheimer’s disease, have volunteered their time to help new students in orientation, as well as countless acts of service across the state of Pennsylvania.

The NHS does a great job of preparing its members for the future by helping students be ready for whatever comes their way after high school. Between the college admission and financial aid planning, service projects, scholarship program, and leadership development offered by the NHS, members are provided with all the tools they need to grow as students and become successful.

Becoming a member of the NHS isn’t necessarily easy. It takes hard work and consistent outstanding performance. But membership is obtainable for any student who’s willing to put in the effort.

The 21CCCS NHS chapter uses an application process to select its students who qualify based on their academic standing. Promising applicants are then presented to a board of judges to be further evaluated. Once new members are selected, an induction ceremony is held to welcome the chosen students.

Honor roll students at 21CCCS are required to help with service projects and attend certain events each year. NHS and NJHS members at 21CCCS also meet monthly to share their successes and how they maintain their outstanding performance in the areas of Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character.

The most recent 21CCCS National Honor Society induction took place in Murrysville, PA., March 27, and Downingtown, PA., April 4.