Connect
Impact

Spark Online Academy: Designing a Learner-Centered Online Public School

Guest Author
Authentic Learning

By Julie Johnson, Principal, Spark Online Academy, in collaboration with Learner-Centered Collaborative

Spark Online Academy Case Study

Spark Online Academy is a public, multi-district online and blended learning school serving Colorado Springs School District 11. Building upon community input and bright spots that some families and learners experienced with online learning, Spark Online Academy set out to create a school where all children would be safe, happy, and in love with learning. Learn how the team approached designing and launching a learner-centered, online and blended school steeped in personal connection and engaging learning experiences with real-world application.

View the full story

Related Posts
Blog
The Learning Experience Design Cycle: A Compass for Designing Deeper Learning
As an English teacher co-leading an interdisciplinary project with a science teacher, I had the privilege of working alongside high school seniors as they explored what it truly means to survive. We called it the Science of Survival. Over the course of the project, learners read stories of survival in fiction and nonfiction, interviewed…
Blog
Debunking the Math Myth: How Learner-Centered Classrooms Deepen Understanding
In a learner-centered classroom, math is about more than numbers and formulas—it’s about curiosity, exploration, and making sense of the world.  Picture this: It’s 10:00am in Ms. Kim’s 3rd grade classroom and students are gathered on the rug around a chart. Two students have just finished sharing their strategies with the whole class on…
Tools
Durable Skills Learning Experience Accelerator App
Welcome to the Durable Skills Learning Experience Accelerator (LEA) App! If you are an educator looking to embed Durable Skills into your learning experiences, lessons, units, and projects you’ve come to the right place.  Trained with the Pathsmith™  Durable Skills Framework from America Succeeds and learner-centered strategies from Learner-Centered Collaborative, this powerful tool supports…
Big Moves
Teaching Teams & Mixed-Age Cohorts
Overview With a shift to learner-centered learning and in the age of AI, the role of the educator is also shifting and so are school-centered structures of one teacher teaching a group of students all the same grade level. This means roles are shifting beyond traditional boundaries where educators are also leaders and work…

It’s Your Journey

Explore More Topics

Blog
What Learners Really Experience: Reflections from the LiftOff Design Sprint
I recently had the opportunity to participate in the LiftOff Design Sprint, where 75 leaders from education, technology, research, philanthropy, and civic sectors came together in Silicon Valley. Over three days, we worked in teams to rapidly prototype 10 innovative learning models designed to help young people build the habits, skills, and mindsets they…
Press
Learner-Centered Collaborative Launches Southern California Microschool Network with Support from Silicon Schools Fund
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 9, 2026 Contact: Devin Vodicka & Katie Martin, Co-CEOs Learner-Centered Collaborative press@learnercentered.org Learner-Centered Collaborative Launches Southern California Microschool Network with Support from Silicon Schools Fund SAN DIEGO, CA — Learner-Centered Collaborative, a national nonprofit organization, is leading the launch of the Southern California Microschool Network, a groundbreaking regional initiative supporting…
Blog
Public Microschools as an On-Ramp to Systemic School Redesign
The idea of microschools is generating growing interest across the education landscape. They’re showing up more frequently in philanthropic conversations, conference sessions, and learner-centered education spaces as leaders look for new ways to respond to longstanding challenges and emerging opportunities. For school and district leaders, this rising interest can feel irrelevant to their local…
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue to use this site, you agree with it. Privacy Policy