It won’t be too long before the days are long, the temperatures are hot and students are on summer vacation. Some students look forward to days at the beach and time away from school.
But a growing number of students take advantage of summer to earn credits before the next school year begins and — probably without even realizing it — combat summer brain drain.
Students who take online courses from organizations like Michigan Virtual School®, the state’s nonprofit virtual school that has provided more than 200,000 enrollments since 2000, learn and earn graduation credits and still have time to go on vacation with their family and hold a summer job.
MVS® offers more than 150 online courses in the summer, from Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 to World History and Geography. Students have up to 10 weeks to complete course work to earn credit that can mean they have more time during the school year for advanced placement courses or to be in band, choir or school other activities.
“Summer is a great time for students to stay connected to formal learning while in informal environments like at the cottage, state park or beach,” said Jamey Fitzpatrick, MVU® President & CEO. “Taking an online course during this three-month break gives middle and high school students an opportunity to get ahead in a high-interest subject area, or retake a course.”
While summer school isn’t the only way to combat summer brain drain — a summer job or volunteering also help students from losing as much as two to three months of math and reading skills over the summer, as various studies show — the flexibility of online learning makes it possible to earn credits in advance of the next school year without losing out going on the family trip or spending time with friends during the summer.
Learning online can be anytime, anywhere — a student can take a laptop up to the lake and get online a couple hours a day while earning high school credit in English, math or in a variety of electives such as film studies, oceanography or personal fitness.
Students should check with their counselor to make sure the courses they take online will be accepted by their school for credit. The way it works at MVS is students complete the work as assigned by their online instructor and are assessed and earn a percentage “grade.” The letter grade is awarded by their school and counts toward graduation credits.
There are many other advantages to taking an online summer course, including:
· Student athletes may take NCAA-approved courses in the summer;
· Students may fulfill a prerequisite to be able to take AP classes; and
· Students will be allowed time in their schedule to take dual-enrollment college courses during the regular school year.
How to enroll in MVS online courses
MVS is enrolling students now through July 1 for its summer session, which starts June 6 and ends Aug. 12. Students may enroll through their school if their district is participating in a summer program with MVS, or parents may enroll students by visiting cems.mivu.org and registering for a parent account by clicking on the “Setup My Account Now” button.
For more information on summer courses and online learning, visit mivu.org, or call (888) 889-2840.
About MVU
Michigan Virtual University® is a private, nonprofit Michigan corporation established by the State of Michigan in 1998 to serve as a champion for online learning. It is the parent organization of the Michigan Virtual School®, Michigan LearnPort® and Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute™. Visit www.mivu.org for more information.
