Mountaineer Virtual only W.Va.-based provider of online K-12 curriculum
CHESTER, W.Va. – Mountaineer Virtual is unveiling a new website to make it easier for students and educators to access its growing list of state-approved K-12 online courses.
“Every West Virginia student should experience online courses because it will be a big part of their educational future, whether in college or at work,” said Michael Swartzmiller, director of Mountaineer Virtual. “Only one-half of one percent of West Virginia students have ever taken an online class. Speaking as a former longtime elementary school principal in Hancock County, I cannot stress enough the need to expand online opportunities for our children.”
The new website is www.mountaineervirtual.com.
With its office in Chester, Mountaineer Virtual is the only state-approved vendor of online scholastic academic courses that is based in the Mountain State, said Swartzmiller. Mountaineer Virtual is the exclusive in-state distributor of Lincoln Interactive curriculum, with 44 core academic courses approved to date for state-funded use by the West Virginia Department of Education.
Families may themselves purchase additional online selections from the Lincoln Interactive catalog of more than 300 courses, ranging from basic math, science, social studies and English to Mandarin Chinese language and Emerging Genetics. Though not reimbursable by the state, students do receive class credit for these courses, said Swartzmiller.
Lincoln Interactive is the nation’s premier digital curriculum, used by more than 50 schools in six states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Colorado and West Virginia. All types of schools use Lincoln Interactive courses, including traditional and online schools, charters, private and public schools. The National Network of Digital School, a nonprofit educational management foundation based in Beaver, Pa., is the owner and creator of Lincoln Interactive curriculum.
Swartzmiller said Lincoln Interactive has a well-earned reputation for innovation, with new course offerings including six Cutting-Edge Science courses such as stem cell research and epidemiology, 16 additional World Language courses including German, Italian and Arabic, an online video adventure game designed as part of four high school courses, and a kindergarten course in which original animated characters help deliver lessons.
Lincoln Interactive also is an innovator in the field of textbook publishing, with more than 100 consumable textbooks. “Consumable” means that the textbook becomes the property of the student and need not be returned. Consumable publishing also means that textbooks can be quickly updated to reflect changes in the world, such as geography, government and science, said Swartzmiller.
The Mountaineer Virtual office is located at 600 Indiana Avenue, Chester, WV, 26034. The telephone number is 304.387.2195.