At just 15, Beech Island student Nico Guzman is already serving as a fire cadet while balancing school and sports. Inspired by his father, a local lieutenant, he joined the volunteer fire service to help others and quickly found his passion. He credits Heron Virtual Academy for providing flexible, supportive online learning that helps him manage ADHD while staying on track academically. Nico plans to become a certified firefighter by age 18.
Alexandra Gray, an alum of Insight School of Michigan, a K12 online high school, is having a standout year as editor-in-chief of The Mirror News and a multi-award-winning writer. They credit flexible online learning for helping them stay on track academically while pursuing creativity. Now a biology major, Gray plans to study zoology and use writing to advocate for wildlife conservation, building on skills and confidence developed through K12-supported online education.
In K12-powered online classrooms, AI is increasingly taught as a tool for responsible and ethical use rather than shortcuts for assignments. Educators are also using AI for lesson planning and feedback, saving time while still relying on their own expertise to verify outputs. Students, meanwhile, are learning to think critically about when AI helps learning versus replaces it, and many still value human creativity and imperfect, authentic work. The focus is on building digital citizenship for a world shaped by AI.
At the Indiana Esports Network State Finals, students from Indiana Gateway Digital Academy and Indiana Digital Learning School, both K12-powered online public schools, met in person for the first time while competing in games like Rocket League. The event also included college and internship opportunities. Students highlighted how online learning gives them flexibility to succeed academically while pursuing esports at a high level, including scholarship offers and strong time management skills.