Innovative online school offers new pathways – for both students and partners – to high school

This special feature is sponsored by the Rutherford School and Global LIVE Learning Centre.

Sparked in part by the widespread adoption of online learning during the pandemic, we continue to see explosive growth in virtual high school programmes worldwide. The factors behind that surge are clear, and they include major improvements in the technologies and practices that support online learning, massive demand for high-quality, international high school programmes, and expanding adoption of online learning by governments and other stakeholders around the world.

“Virtual high schools are opening up new opportunities for students around the world,” says Dr Igor Sarjinsky. “This is leading us to new models for teaching and learning as well as new ways for students to prepare to come to Canada to study at either the high school or post-secondary level.”

Dr Sarjinsky would know: he is the principal and founder of the Rutherford School, a private high school based in Toronto offering grades 9 to 12 with a strong focus on STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math). During the pandemic, Rutherford introduced its online division: Canada Zoom School (CZS). Like Rutherford, CZS is fully accredited by the Ontario Ministry of Education, meaning that graduates from the school are awarded a Canadian high school diploma, an invaluable foundation for post-secondary study or even permanent residency in Canada.

This year, Rutherford is launching a new online division alongside CZS called Global LIVE Learning Centre (GLLC). GLLC will draw on the same curriculum and learning system as Rutherford and Canada Zoom School, but what makes it different is that all GLLC programmes will be delivered in collaboration with local partners around the world.

Dr Sarjinsky explains: “Our vision for Global LIVE Learning Centre is that it is an equal partnership with locally based agents or educators in a network of sites around the world. We will provide the live streaming school programme from our head office in Toronto, and the local partner will provide the classroom facilities, student support, and social or extra-curricular activities. The local GLLC site will not be registered as a school but as a virtual learning centre, which reduces the administrative burden and the need for more extensive regulatory compliance.”

Under this model, students of different ages and grade levels will study together in the same facility, but will of course all be able to follow grade-appropriate course material in their virtual classrooms. That flexibility opens the door to providing a wide variety of students with access to a high-quality Canadian secondary school programme. For example, GLLC can serve as a university pathway programme for high school leavers or for those who have been out of high school for a few years.

It can also be a foundation or preparatory programme for students transitioning to post-secondary education in Canada. Students gain the advantages of a Canadian diploma, a good grounding in a Canadian high school curriculum, and the ability to reference their Canadian study experience when it comes time to apply for their study permit to pursue further studies in Canada.

With all those advantages in mind, GLLC is projecting that its network will scale to 50 learning centres around the world by 2027. “It’s like a franchise to operate a Canadian school in your home country,” adds Dr Sarjinsky.

Three reasons to become a Global LIVE Learning Centre partner:

• Extra Income: An additional revenue stream from offering high-demand educational services.
• Proven Marketing Strategy: Similar to becoming a certified IELTS examination and preparation center, GVL attracts a steady flow of students by offering a globally recognized education pathway.
• Opportunity to Relocate to Canada: Expand your operations or move to Canada, with support from a model that has already seen success in international markets.

Next steps: learn more about the GLLC model or contact us today to schedule a Zoom meeting.