Online Learning for High School Students

Scholarship Fund 2019/2020

Since 2002, eBrigade has supported and advocated the use of technology in the service of learning and teaching, particularly for high school students. We provide scholarships covering tuition for online, for-credit enrichment courses not otherwise available within their school curriculum. This enables young people to access course content any time, any place, any way, and we have provided scholarships to hundreds of CPS high school students.

eBrigade understands that each high school has a unique configuration or program based on what works best for that school community. We work closely with the Principal and designated representatives to determine the best model for each school. The Principal selects the online course vendor. If the school does not currently work with an online course vendor, eBrigade will provide support and assistance with vendor choice and implementation – this support is ongoing through the school year.

Based on our experience, the criteria necessary for success at any school are:

  • Designation (by school Principal) of an onsite point person (virtual mentor/facilitator)
  • Careful selection of students with at least a C grade point average who are able work independently
  • Regular and ongoing computer and internet access for students
  • Advance determination of when the online courses will be offered

Throughout the program, each school agrees to:

  • Provide student progress information, class level, course titles and final grades
  • Meet periodically with eBrigade (2 to 3 times/year) – dates and times to be mutually agreed upon

Apply Online for the 2019/2020 Online Learning for High School Students Scholarship Fund

To apply for the scholarship, please download the application by clicking here

Fill out the application and email the completed form to Rachel Shumard: shumard@ancoraassociates.com

New Offering: From Elite to Street

Additionally, we are proud to announce the launch of our own online course, American Art History: From Elite to Street. From Elite to Street was conceived and produced by eBrigade and is a dynamic, one-semester online course for high school students grades nine through twelve. The course is Common Core and ILS (Fine Arts) aligned, providing .5 credit towards graduation. It enables student achievement through project-based lessons and unit assessments, and promotes student-centered discovery of local Chicago art in their own neighborhoods. While the course can be taken by freshmen, it is rigorous and is recommended for motivated sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are self-starters.

eBrigade: Online American Art History Course

21st century students are often stuck in 19th century boxes. eBrigade enables public high school students to access the digital world by removing barriers to online learning opportunities. Through our work with high schools, we identified a need for online, credit-bearing fine arts courses. To help fulfill this need we conceived and produced our own online course, American Art History: From Elite to Street, to offer students the chance to further develop and pursue their intellectual interests as well as help meet their graduation requirements. We are passionate and intentional about expanding their world view. While technology brings the world to our doorstep, people truly drive its power. Talented, tech-skilled teachers and staff are indispensable to enabling our youth to thrive and are a key component of our model.

From Elite to Street is a dynamic, one-semester online course for high school students grades nine through twelve. It offers students an engaging introduction to the rich and varied art of the United States from the Colonial Era to the early 21st century using complex audio, visual, and written texts. The course is Common Core and ILS (Fin e Arts) aligned, providing .5 credit towards graduation. From Elite to Street enables student achievement through project -based lessons and unit assessments and promotes student-centered discovery of local Chicago art in their own neighborhoods. We thank the Terra Foundation for American Art for their great generosity in providing funding assistance and for allowing us access to images from their collection of American art.

The course is hosted by the Illinois Virtual School and scholarships for tuition costs are available for Chicago Public High School students.

From Elite to Street has been Quality Matters (QM) certified! Certification is only issued upon completion of a rigorous review by a peer review team of experienced online instructors who ensure that a course meets QM Rubric Standards. Quality Matters’ Rubrics for online and blended course design have been adopted by more than 1,000 colleges and universities, K- 12 schools and systems, and other academic institutions, and continue to influence many others. QM design standards are based on widely agreed-upon best practices and supported by a growing body of research.

For more information, please call Ancora Associates at 312.219.2455.

To enroll your student or child, visit www.ilvirtual.org.

For more information about our online course scholarships and From Elite to Street, please contact Rachel Shumard, Project Manager, at: shumard@ancoraassociates.com / 312.219.2455 or visit our website: www.ebrigade.org.

eBrigade is an initiative of the Blue Foundation, a 501c3 charitable foundation dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for young people and promoting lifelong cultural and civic engagement at all ages.