ICON School Blog

There was a time not so long ago when it was a dig to suggest someone went to school online. It was a way of questioning the legitimacy of someone’s education during a time when the internet was considered by some a fad and there wasn’t much infrastructure around online schooling. Today, many people use the internet to do traditionally place-bound things such as work, education, and communication. It’s no longer unusual for someone to work, learn, date, and socialize online; in fact, there’s a chance we do these things more online than we do in “real life.”

I had recently been given the opportunity to take part in the annual Idaho Prevention and Support Conference. Once there, I was instantly treated to numerous stories and seminars, task groups and educational leaders, all gathered to express and discuss the same goal: how do we, as members of the educational and youth community, strive do our utmost in keeping our children, teachers, and all the unsung cogs of our educational system motivated and informed.

After spending time with these hardworking and dedicated individuals, all striving towards these goals, there were several takeaways that I felt warranted special recognition and reflection.

At Idaho Connects Online School, we recognize that every Idaho student is unique. Some students use ICON to complete basic courses in a safe, quiet environment free from distraction—and some of these students even shoot for an accelerated approach to graduation.

Here at ICON, we understand that our school’s structure may be confusing or unfamiliar to many people. Maybe you’ve been wondering if online high school is right for you or your student, but aren’t sure of how it all works. Good news: We have the frequently asked questions all answered for you in this post.

Winter break is quickly approaching, and not long after students return to school from break, the first semester for most Idaho schools will come to an end. This is a natural time for families to consider transferring their child to a new school. Whether because of a move, economic circumstances, or to find a better educational fit for the child, it’s not uncommon to see a mid-year switch.

Congratulations, you're on the path to earning an online high school diploma! You'll quickly begin to see the many benefits of learning from home, such as flexibility, self-directed learning, and a comfortable environment.

The tragic stories show up in the news too often: students who are driven to suicide because of bullying. Whenever this happens, there's an understandable wave of emotion from community members. How could this have happened? We never saw it coming.

There's nothing more pivotal in a young person's life than struggling with addiction, substance abuse, or mental health issues. Idaho residential treatment centers offer turning points, new beginnings, and hope to people of all ages and walks of life.

Are you considering using the power of online learning for your high school education? As the internet becomes more prevalent, accessible, and mainstream, online school has continued to grow, and today there are online options for nearly every kind of student and designed for every level of education. Early on, people used to be skeptical of online school—which is a common response to new and innovative things—thinking online education couldn't compete with traditional learning. But for many students, learning online is actually better than a brick-and-mortar school; it can even provide opportunities that would never be available through traditional schooling methods.

Listen to this recording from Head of School, Vickie McCullough, where she discusses exactly how ICON does online schooling.