
The E2020 curriculum delivers subject-specific workshops in math, language arts, science and social studies. Carpe Diem has used Education2020, an online curriculum provided by Edgenuity, since 2010. The backbone of the blended learning model is the online program students use. Technology is a critical part of what is happening at Carpe Diem, but computers alone do not necessarily enhance education. Kids today are wired in every way… hat we wanted to do was leveraged that experience, that knowledge, that savviness about technology, and bring it into the classroom to where they would also be excited about using their skills to learn the things that we thought would be important for them to learn.” “CDCHS is a blended learning school that blends the best of face-to-face instruction, technology, and extended learning opportunities in order to boost student achievement. Blended learning blends traditional learning with technology-based instruction and gives students a measure of control over their educational destinies.Īs Carpe Diem Founder Rick Ogston has said: Blended learning is any learning program that combines traditional, supervised brick-and-mortar instruction and schoolteachers with online delivery of curricula and some element of student control over when, where, and how quickly learning happens. Carpe Diem compensates teachers at or above local district salaries and offers competitive retirement packages.Īpart from its unique organizational structure, Carpe Diem is most well known as a pioneer in the practice of blended learning. Each teacher teaches all grade levels in their subject, allowing for continuity of instruction as a student progresses. The school has six teachers – one each for math, language arts, science, physical education, social studies, and electives – and a handful of teaching assistants that are assigned to mentor individual students. The school uses 55-minute periods which rotate between online instruction and face-to-face time with teachers for reinforcement and application. Once students get an understanding of basic concepts, they enter workshops with teachers who refine their knowledge and make it applicable and relevant to real world examples. Computer-based exercises are used to introduce and teach concepts. Students divide their days between work sessions on computers and hands-on learning experiences with teachers. Students are typically assigned little or no outside homework. They attend school four days a week – no school on Fridays – but school days are longer, from 8 a.m. Students at Carpe Diem attend tuition-free, wear red uniforms and sit at cubicles with their own computers. News & World Report, in 2010, as one of the top schools in America.Įxcept for the presence of teachers and students, Carpe Diem has flipped American learning on its head. Carpe Diem has since been recognized by BusinessWeek, in 2009, and U.S. Three years later, the school relocated to a building custom-designed for that model where it continues to offer instruction to students grades 6 – 12. In 2003, executive director Rick Ogston started to develop a blended learning model. That school is Carpe Diem Collegiate High School and Middle School in Yuma, Arizona – a publicly funded but privately operated charter school – and their unconventional approach to learning is quickly catching on.Ĭarpe Diem started in 2000 as a traditional public charter school serving nearly 300 students.

They’re doing it with a blended learning model that leverages technology – combined with hands-on teacher interaction – to deliver customized learning experiences to every student. We encourage you to visit our website or any one of our facilities and witness the difference Carpe Diem is making in the lives of these very special children.In an Arizona desert town near the Mexico and California borders, an innovative charter school is changing the way American students learn, one child at a time. Your donations will go directly to the purchase of 15 passenger vans and buses with wheelchair lifts that will ensure all of our students, patients and clients have access to transportation services for specialized activites, vocational training programs, daily living skills and therapeutic services in their own community. Our Licensed and Certified staff of therapists and professionals will be able to provide therapy services to students in the home, school, and in communities throughout South Florida. We are expanding our program to reach beyond our physical locations and provide real-world, experiential therapy services throughout South Florida. Carpe Diem has been providing comprehensive educational and therapeutic programs for children with physical, cognitive, emotional and social disabilities since 2005.
