Bridges Virtual Academy (BVA) and Merrill Area Public Schools (MAPS) will be featured Sept. 28-29, 2023, at the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Mass., as part of a conference entitled: Emerging School Models: Moving from Alternative to Mainstream. John Hagemeister, BVA Executive Director, was invited to be part of a three-person panel on Sept. 28 to discuss the “conditions necessary for success” in virtual schools.
National recognition of the success of BVA as a virtual charter school and as a unique educational model in Wisconsin prompted the invitation.
BVA was also invited for a second year to present and collaborate internationally with educators and governmental leaders through a network of English Without Borders (EWB). Last year BVA presented on elements of virtual instruction to a delegation from Tajikistan. This year BVA was invited, as honorary members of the EWB network, to present practical strategies for virtual instruction to a larger audience that includes educators and leaders in both Tajikistan and throughout the world. BVA teachers will provide examples of current instructional strategies being used that lead to success for students in the virtual classroom.
BVA is a K4-12 online school chartered by the MAPS district serving over 700 students throughout the state of Wisconsin.