Online school adds support center at Yuma Palms

Nestled between Master Cuts and GameStop in the Yuma Palms Regional Center is an educational addition to the mall.

Although it does not have a sign up yet, Carpe Diem Online School has opened a student support center.

The online school for seventh through 12th grade has been a new venture for most Carpe Diem students in the Yuma area, said Chris Weigel, director of online education statewide.

So far, most of the students in Yuma’s online school have been on the waiting list to get into Carpe Diem Collegiate High School and Middle School, at 3777 W. 22nd Lane, but now the online school is open for enrollment 12 months out of the year.

The online school and the Carpe Diem campus located near Avenue C are both Arizona public schools and tuition-free, he said.

“In addition to the Yuma campus and the Yuma student support center, Carpe Diem also offers student support centers in San Tan Valley, Mesa and Scottsdale,” stated a news release. “Carpe Diem has plans to open five more full service ‘high-tech’ campuses in Arizona within the next few years.”

By having a student support center centrally located at the Yuma Palms, students and parents can get assistance face-to-face for questions involving classes and registration.

Although students enrolled in the online school can instantly chat with certified teachers when they encounter a problem, it is still helpful to have the option of personal interaction at the support center, said Weigel, who is the site administrator for the Yuma center.

The online school uses the same curriculum as the physical Carpe Diem campus called e2020, produced by Education2020 in Scottsdale, Weigel noted. “They have been providing online curriculum around the nation for a number of years.”

Most online schools tell you to email your teacher if you don’t understand something and they’ll get back to you within 24 hours, said Weigel, but “our students ... can instantly chat with highly qualified teachers that can address their issues and get them back on track. We love that feature.”

Weigel shared an example from earlier in the week when a student came in to the support center because she was struggling in a language arts class. She was able to receive extra assistance and guidance from staff at the center.

“She left knowing that she got the support that she was looking for. And her parents were here during the whole thing ... They left thoroughly pleased by the level of support they got from e2020 and from Carpe Diem.”

Although students can log in to their online classes anywhere with an Internet connection, they are also welcome to work on their classes at the support center, Weigel said, adding that some parents already drop off their children so that the students can do coursework while they go shopping.

“Generally speaking, though, all work is done at home with the exception of cumulative exams like midterms and finals because we proctor those here at the support center,” he said, noting that they take care of AIMS testing at the center as well.

Weigel added that parents as well as students have the ability to log in at any time during the year to get updates on course grades to determine if the students is behind, ahead or on track for their target graduation date.

He explained that ultimately the online school creates a more individualized learning opportunity for the student to get an increased amount of one-on-one time with a teacher.

“And if they need further help they can come in down here and we do everything that we can to make sure that the students are successful,” Weigel responded. “It’s highly customized and the individual help that students can get here is far beyond what they are going to get in a typical school.”

Right now, he said, the plan is to run the student support center on mall hours as closely as they can so that it creates a convenience element for both parents and students.

“We’re not running weekends here quite yet but it’s our desire to establish that as enrollment grows,” Weigel noted, adding that they only have 13 students currently in the online school.

For more information, visit the student support center at the Yuma Palms or www.carpediemschools.com or call 1-877-879-2988.

Sarah Womer can be reached at swomer@yumasun.com or 539-6858.