By: Elizabeth Jones, Social Media Specialist, Florida Virtual School

With a family farm and show cattle, Robyn Lane knew she needed a flexible learning option to accommodate her family’s busy schedule. Seven years ago, she decided to try homeschooling three of her kids, Madison, Brant, and Reagan. As time went by, she tried various online school options to supplement their education but didn’t find the right fit until she enrolled her oldest daughter in Florida Virtual School (FLVS).

Now, five years later, Robyn says FLVS has allowed her to tailor her kids’ education to fit their needs:

“When my oldest [daughter] started high school, I was looking for electives and any supplemental classes that she wasn’t getting through homeschool. Florida Virtual School was a great option, especially Spanish and Agriculture classes, and things I cannot necessarily offer her.We love the flexibility FLVS provides like being able to pick and choose [courses] and not having to do a full course load if that’s not what we want to do. That’s why we started homeschooling—because it worked well for us”.

Free-Range to Learn Anytime, Anywhere

For Robyn’s family, every day can look a little different depending on the season. In the summer and fall, her kids typically do their schoolwork in the morning so they can help on the farm after lunch. When they’re showing cattle in the winter, they do their schoolwork after they finish working with their Brahman cows for the day.

“It’s not an overwhelming load of [school] work and they can work at their own pace,” said Robyn. “If they have a down week and we don’t have a lot to do [on the farm], they can do extra lessons. If it’s a crazy week, we can reach out to their teachers and say “Hey, we’re out of town,” and they’re like “OK, no problem.” We just love the flexibility.”

Cultivating Future-Ready Skills

Through Florida Virtual School, each of Robyn’s kids have taken Agriscience Foundations 1 to supplement their homeschool curriculum. It is the first of three courses in the Agriculture Communications Program of Study, where students explore science, technology, agriculture, and sustainability concepts and learn how the agricultural industry works. Following each course in the program, students have the opportunity to earn industry certifications verifying their agricultural knowledge and skills.

Robyn’s youngest daughter Reagan is now in the second course in the program of study, Agricultural Communications 2, and is on track to complete all three courses before she graduates. She’s also earned her first certification, the Agricultural Associate Certification.

When I asked her about the program of study and what she’s enjoyed learning, Reagan said “I got to learn all about different facial recognition programs and media aspects, which I think would be really helpful if we ever get a website up and running for our family business.

With the support of their Agriculture teachers, Robyn says her kids have greatly enjoyed the courses, and learning from FLVS teacher Mrs. Williams, who Reagan says “is fantastic—by far my favorite FLVS teacher!” Her mom agreed with a smile, “My oldest also had [Mrs. Williams] multiple times, and she is fantastic

Reaping the Benefits of FLVS

Aside from Agriculture courses, Robyn says her kids have also taken courses like Outdoor Education and Personal Finance and Money Management with Florida Virtual School.

“My daughter Madison took the financial literacy class last year. It was so informative about what it means to have credit cards, to have interest, and what you’ll end up paying in the long run if you only pay the minimum.” which Robyn believes will help Madison make knowledgeable decisions now that she’s completed high school

In addition to their online courses, Reagan and Brant both participate in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) club at FLVS where they develop their leadership skills and meet other students interested in agriculture. Through the club, Reagan has competed in a tractor driving competition and attended a Chapter Officer Leadership Training (COLT) Conference. She can’t wait to do more with the club in the upcoming school year

Looking toward the future, Robyn says Reagan and Brant will both continue taking courses with FLVS to supplement their homeschool education. Ready to join Robyn’s family at Florida Virtual School? Explore your options, and see how we can homeschool, together.

 

About the Author: Elizabeth Jones is a Social Media Specialist for FLVS and FlexPoint, sharing the unique online learning experiences of students, families, and educators. Outside of work, she enjoys road trips to new places and spending time with family!