NYC virtual school program opens application to ninth graders

New York City virtual school program has opened application to suitably qualified ninth graders.

The program will only serve 200 ninth graders this coming school year, Chancellor David Banks announced Thursday.

The program, called “A School Without Walls,” is meant to provide students with individualized remote instruction, internships, and service-based learning.

Rising ninth graders can apply using their MySchools account. They will be able to choose between hybrid or virtual models, each offering 100 seats. The deadline is July 6, and students will be notified of lottery results by mid-July.

All enrolled students will receive a laptop, and teachers will provide live instruction as well as pre-recorded, or asynchronous, lessons from school campuses.

Students will have access to resources at these schools, including counseling services, technical assistance, and extracurricular activities.

Students opting for the hybrid model will attend classes in person for half of the day and engage in remote learning for the other half. In-person classes will be held at an education department building at 131 Livingston St. in Brooklyn.

Meanwhile, the virtual model is fully remote, with both live lessons and self-paced learning.

Banks said the city collaborated with high school students to design the program, using lessons from the pandemic.

“The pandemic underscored the importance of reimagining the student experience for our children, giving them the opportunity to freely pursue their interests and passions as part of their high school journey,” Banks said in a statement.

The city hasn’t yet announced all of the details related to the curriculum, but virtual open houses for interested students will be held on June 29, June 30, and July 5.