For iCademy Global students like Lauren, Audrey, Rosendo, and Mike, great learning opportunities don’t happen in a classroom. Busy schedules, athletic events and practices, traveling, and chronic illnesses are just a few obstacles that students at traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms can face.
For example, Lauren is a 16-year old professional ballet dancer who trains six days a week with the Boston Ballet II. Audrey suffers from a chronic illness, Rosendo has a family that travels internationally on a regular basis, and Mike has severe autism that prevents him from speaking.
The opportunities that a DIY school provides to students like these make a big difference in their daily lives. With customized and individual learning experiences, flexible schedules, the ability to complete assignments from anywhere, and the ability to apply teachings to the real world, more than 2.3 million students in the U.S. grades K-12 are are turning to DIY education options.
Homeschooling Enters the Mainstream
In what is considered the fastest-growing type of education in the U.S., the number of homeschooled students significantly grew from 2016 to 2019. Even more fascinating is that in that timeframe, student achievements have also skyrocketed, as stats from the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) show:
- Students educated at home, on average, score 15 to 30 percentile points above public school students on standardized academic achievement tests.
- These students score above average on the SAT and ACT tests that are needed for college admissions, which these students are also heavily recruited for.
- Homeschool students also score above average achievement tests no matter their parent’s income or education level.
Better yet, these students thrive at much more than just academics. The same study from NHERI shows that home-educated students also score above average in areas of social, emotional, and psychological development. This also includes peer interaction, self-concept, leadership skills, family cohesion, participation in community service, and self-esteem.
These students also participate in the same number – if not more – of activities such as school field trips, sports teams, community volunteer work, and other student groups. They also tend to have more tolerance of different political views. However, that specific research is limited.
Real Life Applications
With her school schedule being so flexible, Lauren is able to perform in outreach programs that bring her art – ballet – to elementary school students with her dance company. Audrey is able to complete her work on her time, not when she’s not battling Lyme disease. Rosendo is able to take his classroom outside of the U.S. when his family travels to Singapore. And last but not least, Mike, who was once described as “a genius trapped inside a totally uncooperative body” is able to learn in a way that is designed to fit his special needs and rare form of autism.
About iCademy Global
Is your child reaching their full potential? iCademy Global has a singular focus to help your child reach their true, personal, and full potential outside of the traditional classroom. iCademy Global combines an award-winning curriculum with passionate educators to jumpstart students’ futures, earn accredited diplomas, and move on to top colleges around the country. Want to learn more? Contact us to find out if DIY education is right for your children.