Apex Learning Expands Virtual School Curriculum to Include Technology Courses for High School Students
ATLANTA and BELLEVUE, Wash.– Apex Learning joins with American Computer Experience to meet growing demand for online information technology courses and keep high school
- students ahead of the technology curve
Apex Learning Inc., a builder and operator of virtual schools, today announced an agreement with American Computer Experience (ACE), the nation’s leading provider of advanced technology education for kids 7-18, to co-develop online, interactive information technology classes for high school students.
Under the terms of the agreement, these information technology (IT) courses will be offered through Apex Learning’s virtual school network beginning in the fall of 2001. Apex Learning will supply the online infrastructure and support services, including qualified online IT instructors, to states and school districts who select to offer these courses to their students.
“As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, there is an increasing demand for IT courses for high school students. Apex Learning is committed to expanding our curriculum and services to further subject areas where states and school districts are having difficulty finding the teacher resources to meet the student demand,” said Keith Oelrich, president and CEO of Apex Learning. “We are working with ACE to provide states and school districts with a successful, cost-effective method for bringing quality IT instruction to their students.”
As part of the agreement, Apex Learning will add five semester-long IT classes to its catalog of online courses covering such topics as:
- General Core Curriculum (Office applications and some computer
basics)
- Multimedia Design (Graphic design, sound, Flash)
- Web Design (HTML, etc.)
- Programming (Visual Basic, JAVA)
- Hardware (Networking, etc.)
“This agreement with Apex Learning gives us the opportunity to reach more students across the country, giving them the tools and resources to compete and succeed in the new economy through advanced technology education,” said Fritz Hager, chairman and chief executive officer, of American Computer Experience. “We are working with Apex Learning to develop a curriculum that is customized so that states and school districts can offer their students fun, self-directed, experiential learning that keeps them ahead of the technology curve.” As part of the agreement, ACE will use the courses in its innovative after-school programs and in its e-learning community, ACEplanet.com.
In the past six months, Apex Learning has announced agreements with states and school districts that comprise more than 6,000 of the nation’s 20,000 high schools. Customers include South Dakota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Utah, as well as the Milwaukee School District and the Houston Independent School District, the fourth largest school district in the country.
About Apex Learning
Apex Learning, a builder and operator of virtual schools, partners with states and school districts to make education more accessible for their students and teachers. Apex Learning provides the infrastructure, online courses and support services to build and operate virtual schools. Apex Learning’s virtual schools address states’ and school districts’ need to cost-effectively bring quality instruction to more K-12 students and teachers. The company is fully accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges. Founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Apex Learning is a privately held company with investments from Vulcan Ventures, Warburg Pincus, Edison Schools, Maveron LLC, Kaplan Ventures and Michigan State University.
About American Computer Experience
American Computer Experience (ACE) is the leading provider of advanced technology education for kids 7-18. ACE delivers its unique curriculum through after-school programs, summer camps located on university campuses throughout the United States and the U.K., as well as through its online distance learning site — ACEplanet.com. The programs provide content-rich technology lessons, which focus on programming classes in languages such as Visual Basic, JavaScript and Dynamic HTML, as well as education about the responsible use of the internet. Classes about using the latest graphics, sound, music, video/photo editing and gaming applications round out the extensive curriculum. Founded in 1993, ACE is a privately held company with investments from Gleneagles Capital and i2b Ventures.
Contact Information
Text 100 Public Relations for Apex Learning
Mary Beth Williams, 206/267-2024
Kristen Peters, 206/267-2022
American Computer Experience
Bill Koleszar, 404/439-4378
