GOA offers high school students in public, independent, charter, and international schools the chance to learn in a highly collaborative, global learning community, building the skills they'll need for college, career, and life.
Since GOA's founding in 2011, our Student Program has brought together students and teachers from around the world to learn together in high-quality, relationships-based online classes. We have built a diverse set of offerings, including semester and yearlong courses, an online capstone project and conference, and a unique summer program. In all cases, GOA learning experiences are led by expert teachers who are committed to knowing students, to connecting them to relevant academic content, and to engaging them in rigorous work that deepens understanding and builds skills that matter in school and in life.
What We Believe
High-quality online learning is connected, relevant, and flexible.
Students who take a GOA course will learn far more than just the content of that course. Learning how to learn online is a lifelong skill. All of our courses are designed to support the development of six core competencies. How can GOA help support your portrait of a graduate?
To ensure all students have the opportunity to build these skills, GOA courses:
Are small (average teacher-to-student ratio is 1:18) to ensure personalized support.
Are led by an expert teacher trained and supported by GOA's staff.
Bring together global rosters of students from a variety of different schools to create unique opportunities for collaboration and perspective-sharing.
Are primarily asynchronous: teachers design the coursework and calendar, and students work within their own school schedules, gaining important independent learning skills along the way.
GOA's mission is to reimagine learning to empower students and educators to thrive in a globally networked society. The Student Program reflects our commitment to students and to designing learning environments that are equitable and inclusive.
The Student Experience
“I loved taking Prisons and the Criminal Law. Our final project was a reform proposal for any part of the justice system, from policing reforms, to sentencing mandates, to prison reforms. I advocated for the removal of solitary confinement as a treatment for mental health issues and proposed it should be replaced with a group therapy system used in some New York City jails called CAPS. I got to advocate for a real, tangible change in something I am passionate about.”AvaStudent, The Downtown School
“This was my son’s 3rd class. This class and teacher provided a nice balance of challenge and relaxed learning. He still talks about much of what he learned in the class. He is writing to his head of school at high school to incorporate more counseling for students on eating disorders as a result of what he learned in the class.”Denise HarnoisParent
“My first ever course was Problem Solving with Engineering and Design. I learned a lot of new things about a subject I loved at a higher level than taught at school, and I was able to collaborate with so many peers around the world. The course projects were made to fit our own interests, so I always was looking forward to working with our modules. I’m taking another course this semester because I enjoyed my experience so much!”SarahStudent, UNIS Hanoi
Flexible, Independent Learning
GOA classes are mostly asynchronous: teachers design the coursework and calendar, and students work on their own schedules, gaining important independent learning skills along the way.
GOA classes are small. Students work with a caring, expert teacher from a member school and get to know and collaborate with peers from around the world.
