Hybrid learning works well for some students

Marion County Acceleration Academies graduate Skye Clement was a guest speaker at the recent commencement ceremony. [Photo courtesy Daniel Wagner]

Thirty-four local students recently defied the odds to complete their education and earn their high school diplomas through the Marion County Acceleration Academies program.

A flexible hybrid learning program, the academies give hope to students ages 14 to 21 who don’t quite “fit” in traditional schooling, said MCAA Director Keyana Lyde.

“We are like a second chance or another alternative education program for students who seek to obtain their high school diploma, as opposed to the GED,” said Lyde. “We take kids who apply directly to the academy who may have dropped out or may have had to go to an alternative educational setting with more of a flexible schedule to obtain their high school diploma.”

Students complete 24 hours of schooling a week, 12 hours remote and 12 hours in person, and complete one course at a time. It takes most students three to four weeks to finish each course, Lyde said.

The program also accepts students with disabilities or an individual educational plan, from the ages of 14 to 22.

MCAA is part of a national program and is contracted by Marion County Public Schools, which allows guidance counselors and teachers throughout the county’s high schools to refer students who might be more likely to succeed through taking classes online and in person.

“We’re like an alternative learning for some students for whom the traditional setting may not have worked for them. They may have to work to support their family. They may have a kid and need a flexible schedule,” Lyde said.

A recent graduate of the program, 20-year-old Skye Clement, was a speaker at her commencement ceremony for the program on June 18.

“At first, I didn’t know what to think. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to catch up, or even if I belonged in a classroom again. But somehow, through all the wreckage of my past, this door opened—and I stumbled onto an opportunity I didn’t think people like me got,” Clement said.

“Despite everything I’ve been through, I was able to start over in a space that didn’t judge me for my history, but instead focused on helping me build a future. MCAA became more than just a school—it became a safe space for me to learn, grow and rediscover my potential. It reminded me that I’m not stupid or broken—I just needed someone to believe in me and a place that gave me a real chance,” she said.

While the program does not take the place of a behavioral alternative school, it accepts students with minor behavioral issues but only after they complete the required remediation efforts required by the school district.

The benefit of the program is that it helps students get their diplomas who otherwise would have never completed high school, Lyde said.

“I was working with a young lady who we hadn’t seen on site for quite some time and I was able to work with her in the capacity of just kind of reorienting her back to our program because she just kind of took some time away and so I was trying to re-engage her and counsel her,” Lyde said.

Students who wish to participate in the program can enroll and MCAA will help them plan out their schedules and complete an orientation.

By overpassing the obstacles of traditional schooling, students can complete their education and set themselves up for a successful future.

“Adversities are going to come up throughout life, no matter what you’re doing or how successful you are,” Lyde said. “There are going to be challenges throughout this entire duration of their whole life to the end, but they’ve got to figure out how to navigate around those things and continue to push for the things that they really want.”

To learn more, go to accelerationacademies.org/our-locations/florida/marion-county/

From left, MCAA graduates Skye Clement, Zyin’ia Chisholm, Leighton Brown and Chloe Barrett celebrate. [Photo courtesy Daniel Wagner]