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OHIO CHARTER SCHOOLS OPEN THEIR DOORS TO VICTIMS OF HURRICANE KATRINA
AKRON, Ohio – September 12, 2005 — In the wake of one of the most devastating natural disasters to ever hit this country, several Ohio charter schools are stepping forward to open their schools to the victims of Hurricane Katrina in an effort to show evacuees that life can and will go on if we all just do our part.
As of Monday, September 12, 2005, the Ohio Distance and Electronic Learning Academy, or OHDELA, a tuition-free, statewide K-12 distance learning program that enables parents to educate their children in the privacy and security of their own residence, and Life Skills Centers, alternative charter high schools that provide individualized learning based upon a student’s academic development level and learning pace, will be allowing any open seat to be filled by a Hurricane evacuee.
“This country and its people have always been at their best in times of great strife and trauma,” said Mark Thimmig, CEO of White Hat Management, the lifelong learning company that operates the schools. “Our people stand willing to help those most greatly affected by the Hurricane with money, labor and other resources that are necessary to respond to this great calamity.”
“What is particularly wonderful to me is that our educational offerings are uniquely designed and qualified to help in this exact type of situation,” Thimmig said. “Unlike in most public schools where if a student misses a day, they have missed the lesson and the class does not go back for that student, our computer based schools can offer the same lessons at any time, and as such, we can retrace the educational steps these students should have taken and teach the students displaced by the hurricane the lessons they may have missed. In addition, our OHDELA program is available at night, on the weekends and during holidays, so that students who may be farthest behind can catch up with some additional time.”
For those unfamiliar with these educational offerings, OHDELA is a tuition-free, statewide K-12 distance learning program that enables parents to educate their children in the home. Families are provided with a complete academic program, including a desktop or laptop computer, curriculum, and access to tutors, academic advisors and other resources to assist them in their learning. In addition to in-home education, students also participate in live-interactive classes via the Internet with teachers and other classmates. OHDELA supports parent educators in assessing and grading students. Families are encouraged to call 866-864-3352 for more information.
Life Skills Centers are tuition-free alternative charter high schools for students ages 16 to 22. Life Skills Centers are designed to meet the specific needs of every student, offering flexible scheduling and a choice of attending school in the morning, afternoon or evening to allow students to tend to outside responsibilities, such as work or parenting, while earning a high school diploma. Students also attend life skills and vocational classes that prepare them for the workforce and a meaningful job. Life Skills Centers are located across Ohio, Arizona, Colorado, Florida and Michigan.
Both OHDELA and Life Skills Centers are open year round and offer self-paced programs that enable students to pick up their learning wherever they left off and continue through the program at their own speed.
In addition to educational services, OHDELA and Life Skills Centers also provide Family Advocates, licensed social workers who act as liaisons between families and social services in the area and help people deal with the trauma and difficult situations that currently are affecting their lives by linking those families with what they need, such as counseling, housing, and other community services.