Since its inception in 2002, the Indiana Virtual Academy (IndVA), formerly Ripley County Learning Network, has provided online classes for thousands of Hoosier students.

IndVA is a Ripley County Community Foundation initiative that was made possible by a Community Alliances to Promote Education (CAPE) grant from Lilly Endowment, announces executive director Dr. Fred Sagester.

"Any time you have grants, you have ending dates" when the money runs out, the director remarks.

"In order to sustain the program …. we looked at ways to bring money in."

Originally established to achieve virtual consolidation of Ripley County school corporations, it is now open to students throughout the state. As of the end of summer, teens and adults from 75 of Indiana’s 92 counties have taken at least one course.

A one semester course is $275 for Ripley County students and $295 for all others. However, in February, the Indiana State Board of Education approved the IndVA as an interlocal, meaning public school corporations that join this organization receive reduced registration fees for their students.

Sagester stresses, "All our courses meet Indiana standards …. and are taught by licensed Indiana teachers .... We train the teachers. They have to learn to use the software and how to communicate.”

Online classes provide the opportunity “to take a course your school doesn’t offer .... (they) can be used for advanced placement because schools that are smaller can’t offer a lot of AP courses.

“It also helps students who want to attend the career center in Versailles.”

This is the third year that all the Milan eighth-grade students have taken ninth-grade health online, which allows them to sign up for agriculture, chorus, band or other electives in high school, he adds.

Due to some staffing issues at Franklin County High School, “we are teaching Spanish IV and French online .... and making sure kids have an opportunity” to continue learning these languages.

The educators have virtual office hours, and they can call the students.

“Built into the class is a chat line.”

Even though there are many advantages to the program, the friendly man admits, “Online classes aren’t for everybody .... It takes a lot of personal initiation. These courses are available 24/7, but nobody tells you to open your book.”

IndVA also offers hundreds of Ed2go continuing education courses on topics such as the Internet, personal finance, writing and publishing, digital photography and video, foreign languages, Web page design, grant writing, starting a business, sales and marketing, business administration and child care.