Meet John and Gabriela

As high schoolers, John and Gabriela want to focus on career options in a distraction-free environment. With live business courses and group projects, the K12 curriculum inspires them to follow their interests and become entrepreneurs.

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Why This Family Chose K12

Their mom and Learning Coach, Jessica, worried about her children’s safety in traditional school and now feels more at ease having them attend public school at home.

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Learn in a safe environment

Jessica found the peace of mind she needed to feel confident her children were devoting full attention to their studies in a protected environment.

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Pursue hobbies beyond the classroom

Online school lets Gabriela bake and John fix cars. These enriching experiences inspire them to pursue courses that could transform interests into careers.

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Make new friends

Gabriela and John connect with their peers at church youth groups, class project meetings, and social events around common interests.

Exploring Future Possibilities With Career and College Prep

Gabriela and John are part of K12’s Career and College Prep, where they’re learning what it takes to run a business. Gabriela is now considering starting a Puerto Rican dessert bakery. John isn’t sure if entrepreneurship is the route he wants to take yet, but a garage and detailing shop does sound appealing. He wants to study mechanical engineering at college first and is enjoying his marketing classes for now.

Learn More About Career and College Prep

Flexible Schedule With Live Class Anchors

Schoolwork for Gabriela and John is a mix of scheduled, live online classes and self-guided assignments they can complete at their own pace. There are also career-specific pathway activities like business group projects.

A benefit of schools powered by K12 is that the educational materials—a computer, textbooks, supplies for offline activities, and more—are provided.

Weekly schedule for John and Gabriela showing various activities from Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 7 PM. Includes classes, lunch, and projects.

Curriculum

The number of classes students take varies by grade level and individual. For example, students in high school, like John and Gabriela, typically take between 5–6 subjects each semester, with 2–4 requiring scheduled, live classes.

In addition to core academic subjects, there’s a great selection of electives, including the business pathway courses John and Gabriela take together.

See How Our Curriculum Is Developed

The Parent Experience as a Learning Coach

At K12-powered schools, parents (or other responsible adults) act as Learning Coaches for their students. Certified teachers lead class instruction and Learning Coaches typically spend 1–3 hours each day with high school students providing guidance and oversight. Gabriela and John work independently, but their mom and Learning Coach Jessica helps keep track of schedules, talk with teachers, and answer questions.

Learn More About the Parent Role

Building Skills and Solving Real-World Challenges

Career and College Prep courses often have project-based learning activities where students foster teamwork and tie assignments to real-world scenarios. For instance, John and his sister worked together to help a local bike shop improve customer reviews and delivery times.

Time away from the computer looks like …

A diverse group of six students are walking through a glass corridor, smiling and chatting. They're casually dressed, creating a vibrant, youthful atmosphere.
A group of four people wears augmented reality headsets, standing in a room with focused expressions, pointing forward. They convey a sense of futuristic engagement.
Two students focus on assembling a 3D-printed model. A 3D printer is visible on the side. The setting is vibrant and creative, conveying teamwork and innovation.
Two people are looking under the bonnet of a car, focused and working together. The setting is outdoors with other cars and trees in the background.

Family Q&A

Jessica: I like that I know more about what Gabriela and John are doing during their school day. I can make sure they’re on track and doing well. It also seems like the teachers are more dedicated to what they’re doing than at the old school we were at.

Gabriela: I’m able to be home with my mom and help her out during the day. I think online school has actually brought us all a bit closer together. Plus, I’m learning how to be more responsible with online school. I’m learning how to be more organized and do everything on my own—and I like that.

John: I like it because I finish my school day a little earlier than at my old school—and I get more breaks. I also have more time to go outside and help my dad with the cars in the garage.

Jessica: I’d say that if you’re concerned about school safety, online school might be worth looking into. Anything can happen anywhere, of course, but I feel more secure with my children home, where I can pay attention to what they’re doing and have more control over the environment they’re learning in.

John: I work with my dad on the cars in between my classes during the day. I really like trying to figure out the puzzle of what’s causing the problem with a car’s engine.

Gabriela: I really like to read, so you can find me with a book on a lot of my breaks. My grandma sends me novels so I’m often reading my way through one of those. I like to bake, too, so sometimes I do that in between my schoolwork.

Gabriela: The thing I had the hardest time with was not seeing my friends face-to-face as much, I was really concerned about that at first. Now though, I’ve gotten used to connecting to them in other ways. I’ve made friends through my online classes, too, especially my business class.

Gabriela: I really like it. My mom is my Learning Coach, which means she’s there to help me stay on track and figure things out when I get stuck. She’s great at encouraging me and John, she’s our best cheerleader. My dad is good with math, so he helps with that. Sometimes we call my uncle for math help too.

Jessica: One of the best parts of having them learn at home is watching how their future goals take shape as they grow in their classes. It’s so rewarding to see them make those connections on their own.

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Learning With K12

From kindergarten to high school, K12 provides tuition-free online education that empowers students to learn in ways that work for them. Browse options in your state to find the perfect fit for your family.

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These are the stories of real students attending K12-powered schools and their families. Content is a combination of direct quotes and summaries from interviews. Their stories each reflect their experiences at their respective schools. Actual experiences can vary by student and school. These pages are designed to reflect a typical day in the life of a student attending an online K12-powered school. Individual class schedules and requirements will vary by state, school, and the individual needs of each student.