Florida Virtual School Launches New Courses for 2021-22 School Year with a Focus on Curriculum that Develops Students' Workforce Skills

Courses Include Environmental Science Featuring the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, Cybersecurity Essentials, Introduction to Hospitality & Tourism, and More, Preparing Students for the Most In-Demand Jobs Globally

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to shift the employment landscape, the demand for soft skills is more important than ever. To strengthen students’ workforce skills, Florida Virtual School (FLVS) is launching new courses for the 2021-22 school year with an emphasis on Career and Technical Education courses (CTE), as well as the Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Diploma Program that allows students to master a broad range of skills critical for success in college and employment.

According to the ManpowerGroup’s Q3 2021 Employment Outlook Survey, 69% of employers are reporting difficulty in filling jobs as talent shortages reach the highest levels in 15 years. The new courses at FLVS are preparing students for the most in-demand jobs globally, which according to the same Employment Outlook Survey, includes positions in IT and data, operations and logistics, marketing and sales, and manufacturing and production. The courses are now open for enrollment and are a mix of core and elective courses for grades 6-12, tuition-free for Florida students, and include:

• Environmental Science, featuring the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation – Developed in partnership with the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, the course encourages students to take action and positively impact the environment, while also showcasing dozens of STEM careers. The course includes many hands-on, call-to-action, and enrichment activities that allow students to interact with the environment, immersing them in case studies of environmental problems and success stories around the world. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals are a focus of the course and inspire students to become global citizens through soft skills like leadership, social influence, collaboration, and active learning and curiosity.
• Cybersecurity Essentials – Designed to encourage students to enter the cybersecurity profession where there are more than 500,000 open jobs in the U.S. and more than six million worldwide, this course explores available jobs within cybersecurity, allowing students to envision their path in the workforce. Students will learn about protecting firewalls, why companies use multi-factor authentication, as well as how to interview with companies and develop a resume. This is the final course in a series of three, all part of the Applied Cybersecurity Program of Study. All three courses include competency-based applied learning that contributes to higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, and occupation-specific skills. At the end of the program, students can earn the CompTIA Security+ industry certification.
• Introduction to Hospitality & Tourism – The strongest hiring outlook in the U.S. is anticipated in leisure and hospitality, with 41% payroll gain in the third quarter of 2021, according to ManpowerGroup’s Employment Outlook Survey. In addition to gaining a deeper understanding of the industry and potential roles to consider directly from industry professionals, including two former theme park experts, students will learn some of the most in-demand soft skills in the workplace, including how to adapt in an ever-changing environment, reasoning, and problem-solving. As part of this course, students also get to plan a vacation as an assignment, and are introduced to mini-familiarization tours for a variety of destinations throughout the world.
• Agricultural Communications 2 – This is the second course in the Agriculture Communications Program of Study, focusing students on the marketing and communications materials needed to keep communities informed about sustainable farming and agriculture. Throughout the program, students learn how to best present themselves to land their dream job and have the unique experience to interview an agriscience expert related to their career interest. At the end of this course, students can earn the Agricultural Communications Specialist industry certification.
• Hebrew 1 – This world language course allows students to learn beginning grammar and vocabulary skills to build basic fluency and language proficiency, while also immersing them in the beauty of the Modern Hebrew language and diverse culture. Hebrew 1 expands the already extensive variety of world language courses at FLVS, including Chinese, French, Latin, Spanish, and American Sign Language.
• M/J Visual Art 1 – A beginner level arts course for grades 6-8 where students learn about the elements of art, techniques, and skills that will help bring their creativity to life with digital and physical materials.
• M/J Visual Art 2 – Students in grades 6-8 explore the principles of art along with artistic themes like identity, earth art, and pop art. Both M/J Visual Art 1 and 2 teach core skills like creativity and originality.
• Advanced Placement (AP) Capstone Diploma Program – Available to FLVS Flex high school students entering their sophomore or junior year, this program helps students develop strong research and writing skills for success in college and beyond. In addition, students can earn their AP Capstone Diploma or AP Seminar and Research Certificate from the College Board.
• Cambridge AICE Diploma Program – This international curriculum and examination system is available to FLVS Full Time students, and teaches foundational skills essential for success in college and employment such as critical thinking, problem-solving, research, communication, and collaboration. Through a diverse curriculum of art and humanities, math and science, and world languages, students examine and explore issues relevant to their own lives.

Florida Virtual School offers full-time and part-time flexible options for grades Kindergarten through 12. Students have access to more than 190 courses - including core, elective/specials, Advanced Placement, and Career and Technical Education courses – all taught by state-certified teachers using a curriculum developed specifically for the online learning environment to ensure students’ success.

Enrollment for the FLVS Full Time option is now open. Families that would like to incorporate one or more online courses as part of their education plan for the upcoming school year can enroll in FLVS Flex year-round. Students outside of Florida can also enroll through FLVS Global School; visit flvsglobal.net for more information.