Jones Knowledge Offers Online Course in Volunteerism as President Bush Calls For Americans to Serve Country
Sagemont Virtual School, the online arm of Floridas Sagemont School, has
created a groundbreaking online course in volunteerism for secondary schools,
Volunteer School/ Community Service (VCS). Sagemont selected Jones
Knowledge, Inc. to license the course to other U.S. schools, and Jones is
making it available through Knowledge Store®, Inc., its comprehensive collection
of high-quality, online education and training content. The course will be managed
and delivered on the Jones e-education platform.
VCS engages students in projects that help them appreciate the concept of service
and community. Course modules cover why people volunteer and identify global
issues that would benefit from volunteer participation. Students play the roles
of vice presidents of non-profit service organizations and must plan, implement
and analyze the success of their projects. To pass the course, they must complete
75 hours of community service that evidence all three of the project phases.
Sagemont Virtual School Director Pam Birtolo said the process gives students
tools they can use beyond volunteerism.
This is a course that teaches students time management and helps them
develop high-level, critical-thinking skills, Birtolo said. But
it is first and foremost service-learning.
Secondary schools across the nation are concerned with increasing student
awareness about the importance of service, she said. The idea behind
VCS isnt simply, Ill bring a can to school for the annual
food drive. The idea is, lets explore why we volunteer at all. Why
is it important to become a valuable member of the community and the globe?
Why should we become active volunteers in our world? It is a very values-driven
course.
Jones Knowledge President Heather OMara echoed Birtolos sentiments.
This is a particularly important time in our countrys history for
our children to learn to give volunteerism a place in their lives, she
said. The presidents call to action is one more good reason for
our schools to integrate service-learning into their curricula.
Knowledge Store is also offering a second course developed by Sagemont, Art
History 101, which exposes students to a wide variety of artwork, from
ancient times to the Middle Ages.
About Jones Knowledge, Inc.
Since 1987, the Jones companies have focused on global learning, continuously
originating ways to use emerging technologies to support educators, learning
institutions, corporations, and lifelong learners worldwide.
Jones Knowledge is a leader in the development and deployment of online learning
solutions for educational institutions, corporations, and individuals.
The company’s businesses include Jones e-education, a highly flexible
platform on which to build a customized, fully integrated online learning solution;
Jones International University®, the first fully online accredited university;
and Jones e-global library, the first virtual library designed specifically
for online learners.
Jones Knowledge is a Jones International, Ltd. subsidiary.
About Sagemont Virtual School
The Sagemont Virtual School is the first private, online high school to offer
its students a fully accredited diploma without the physical boundaries of a
traditional high school, while still providing the learning community each student
needs in order to thrive. In a time when flexibility is key, the faculty and
staff are dedicated to providing individualized learning programs to suit even
the most unique education and lifestyle needs. Visit the Sagemont Virtual School
at, www.sagemontonline.com.