Shorecrest Preparatory School will host the Hybrid Learning Consortium (HLC) Symposium, April 5-7, on its campus in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Symposium is the annual conference of the HLC, a collective of nearly 30 independent schools in both the US and abroad that are dedicated to creating online, differentiated, and flexible learning opportunities for students.
Shorecrest joined the Hybrid Learning Consortium in 2013 as a way to expand students’ access to course peers and teachers around the world. “Participating in the HLC has opened so many doors for our students without compromising academic rigor or quality,” says Shorecrest Director of Online Learning Chris Powers. “Not only do they have more choices in terms of courses, but they also have the opportunity to dive deeper into a passion while experiencing an online course, something many colleges not only offer but require.”
Shorecrest was the first domestic HLC partner and four Shorecrest faculty members have taught online classes on HLC.
The HLC Symposium was developed as a response to the unique way online learning is changing education. While online learning has long been present in higher education, starting a program in independent K–12 schools brings different challenges. Developed and taught well, online and blended learning can increase differentiation, ensure innovative approaches and globalize classes.
The HLC brings together schools, teachers and students from around the world with the shared vision to provide best practices of diverse, in-depth learning. Courses create opportunities for students to develop solutions to problems facing our local and global communities. Joining HLC enables institutions to create a model for diverse course offerings wider than a single institution can support.
About the Hybrid Learning Consortium:
The Hybrid Learning Consortium, founded at The Barstow School in Kansas City, Missouri, is a collective of twenty-seven US and international independent schools dedicated to creating a globalized learning community, immersing students and faculty in the 21st century digital world through online courses which offer freedom of content, collaboration and scheduling. To learn more visit www.hybridlearningconsortium.org.
About Shorecrest:
Founded in 1923, Shorecrest Preparatory School is a PK(3) through 12th grade coed, nonsectarian independent school located in Tampa Bay. Known for its student-centered approach to teaching and learning, Shorecrest is continually on the leading edge of innovation in education. Shorecrest was the first school in Pinellas County to open a school Makerspace, a high and low-tech engineering and design studio for students of ages. In 2016 the school opened the Center for Medical Sciences applied-science track for high school students, won a grant from Steelcase Education for its interdisciplinary work in Middle School, and became an Apple Distinguished School. Learn more at www.shorecrest.org.