A group of Independent Study students came together this past semester to answer a question students have been pondering for more than thirty years; how much weight can a tiny bridge hold? The answer, it seems, is quite a lot! Students under the supervision of CT’s Pamela Rodig-Kirschke, Cara Larson, James Matthew, and Patrice Boyan […]
Lizzie was only 15 years old when she started her nonprofit, Team Celebrate. Her mission is to provide birthday parties for foster kids throughout the country.
As you can imagine, running a nonprofit while in high school is no easy task. Not only was Lizzie pursuing her passion but she was also looking for ways to get ahead in school. Luckily, she found Visions while searching for ways to graduate early.
“Visions allowed me to finish up my high school courses online, so I could attend college at the same time,” said Lizzie. “It was a great experience and I wouldn’t be a college student at 17 without their help.”
Did you know? Visions flexible education programs allow students to define their own path. We offer funding for community college and provide a dedicated teacher to help students reach their goals.
Lizzie was inspired to start Team Celebrate after performing in the play Annie. She realized how fortunate she was and it made her think of the children that weren’t so lucky. She wanted to volunteer to help those in need but found that many organizations require you to be 18. Team Celebrate was born out of her desire to create a service organization for all ages.
“We are called ‘Team’ Celebrate because along with helping foster youth, we want to empower teens to take on leadership roles, give back and be role models in their community.”
Team Celebrate helps it’s volunteers fundraise to purchase birthday kit items to include in customized boxes. Volunteers use these funds to purchase balloons, cake mix, candles, decorations and more to include in the box that they color and decorate. Each volunteer also personalizes a card for each foster child.
They recently partnered with Ticket to Dream enabling them to serve more foster youth across the country. Their goal is to celebrate 4,000 foster kids in all 50 states by the end of the year. Learn more about Team Celebrate on their website or watch their news coverage on ABC10!
Lizzie successfully completed the California High School Proficiency Examination and started going to community college full time at only 17. She transferred to Berkeley to study business in 2021 – read more about what she’s been up to since graduation here!
“I hope my story inspires other kids to be okay with not doing the normal in order to focus on something they are passionate about. A typical high school schedule didn’t allow me to focus enough time on Team Celebrate. Instead of giving up, I kept pushing until I found a way I could get through school faster and most importantly be able to dedicate more time to what I love. Have the courage to be different!”
If you’ve been to Brentwood, you may have noticed the beautiful artwork that decorates a number of their public utility boxes. What you may not know is that one of these boxes was decorated by Visions Home School student Emma S.!
“I was honored to be a part of the 2018 Brentwood Utility Box Project,” says Emma. “[For my piece], I imagined a brilliant sunset over a dusty Brentwood ranch – the smooth horizon, and the soft sand that plumed around the hooves of horses at play.”
Emma’s submission was selected along with fifteen other artists from the Brentwood area. She began painting her box in September and finished just before Halloween 2018. As part of her first outdoor art project, Emma had the opportunity to chat with other artists and interested passersby who stopped to admire her work.
Today, Emma’s piece sits as part of a city-wide art project that brings beauty to Brentwood. Next time you’re in the neighborhood, stop by the intersection of Sand Creek Road and Business Center Drive to see Emma’s artwork in its full-sized glory.
“It was such a privilege to share my artwork with the City of Brentwood,” Emma says. “I will always consider this piece one of my greatest achievements.”
We’ve said it a hundred times before but we’ll say it again, our students and staff have a knack for giving back. This year, Don Bisio’s University Prep students came together to raise money and collect gifts and food donations for organizations in their community.
After collecting monetary donations from friends, family and Visions staff, the students worked together to choose gifts for kids at the Stockton Shelter and the Lodi and Elk Grove Share Homes. Gifts included Fisher-Price toys, Shopkins, Legos, art supplies, play sets, gift cards and more. 40 homeless/foster youth between the ages of 11 months and 17 were overjoyed to receive the thoughtful holiday gifts.
“This week I am grateful for the holiday bags we did for the kids! I think it was a great thing that caused a lot of joy to the kids who didn’t have a lot or anything at all this holiday,” one student wrote in her gratitude journal. “That brings a lot of joy to my life just imagining the big smiles on their faces. It also makes me grateful that I was able to be a part of it. Seeing the pictures that were sent made it even better!”
Not only did these rockstar students donate to local shelters but they also collected 150 canned items to give to the Stockton Community Food Bank, Galt Sunshine Food Pantry and the Elk Grove Goodwill!
The students completed their service learning project in their group meetings by wrapping the donations and celebrating with snacks, raffles, games and a gift exchange. THANK YOU to Mr. Bisio and all the students that participated: Amirah A., Abdul A., Cassandra C., JD C., Lily C., Jennifer D., Deanne D., Jaydon D., Mathias D., Davina E., Frances H., Fyda J., Zaheema J., Sam J., Aminah K., Naya M., Melani N., Paul P., Linda R., Maria S., Zac S., Bella S., Destinie T., Destiny V., Justina W. and Maya Y.
Bring your questions and your appetites to an informational pizza party hosted by Visions In Education’s Independent Study program! WHEN: Tuesday, January 22, 2019 WHERE: Skipolini’s Pizza 2001 Salvio Street in Concord (parking is available in the back) TIME: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Enjoy pizza and soft drinks while learning about our Independent Study program from the academy principal, Justin […]
The Camp Fire in Butte County is one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. During this time of need many of our students and staff found ways to help those affected by the tragedy. We’d like to recognize a group of Andrew Vanden Akker’s University Prep students that sprung into action and collected donations for the victims.
During their group meeting in November, Andrew and 10 of his students went to the Natomas Walmart and collected items using $180 in funds they had raised. During their trip other shoppers approached them to applaud their work.
“It was good for the students to be reassured that they were making a difference,” said Andrew.
This effort helped the students learn to manage money and maximize donations using what they had. The goods and gift cards were given to the Rocklin Police Department for distribution.
Kudos to Andrew and his students, Laurencia Q., Carlos C., Daniel C., Jen G., Jessika N., Jacob B., Sam B., Tomie T., Ella S. and Angie S. for their compassion!
Each year, Visions holds a spelling bee for home school students in grades 2 through 8. This is a great opportunity for students to hone their spelling skills and practice their public speaking.
Congratulations to this year’s winner, 6th grader Audrey L.! She powered through 26 rounds of words and was crowned number one. Fun fact: Audrey won third place in last year’s spelling bee. We’re so proud of her progress!
Next she will move on to the California Central Valley Spelling Bee’s written test. The 50-60 best spellers that complete the test will be invited to the regional oral competition for a chance to secure a place in the final Scripps National Spelling Bee held in Maryland.
Spelling Bee Buzz
8th grader Tabitha K. was our runner up. She had placed second in last year’s bee. Visit our Facebook page to see all the photos from the event!
Overall, 18 students participated in the 2018 spelling bee. They all did a wonderful job and supported each other during each round. #VisionsProud
Visions In Education’s winter break will begin Monday, December 24 and school will resume on Monday, January 7, 2019. Our main office will also be closed during this time. Message from the Superintendent/Executive Director: Our Visions’ family would like to wish your family a happy holiday season. Whether you stay in town or travel, I […]
Bring your questions and your appetites to an informational pizza party hosted by Visions In Education’s Independent Study program! WHEN: Tuesday, December 18, 2018 WHERE: Mountain Mike’s Pizza at 972-D Admiral Callaghan Lane, Vallejo, CA TIME: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Enjoy pizza and soft drinks while learning about our Independent Study program from the academy principal, […]
About Hector:
Hector graduated early from Visions. Not only did he graduate from high school early but he also earned his Associate Degree from Los Medanos Community College shortly after! How did Hector become so successful? Let’s take a trip down memory lane …
Why Visions?
In 9th grade Hector was distracted, failing his classes and drifting off into the wrong crowd. He had goals and talents but the traditional public school model wasn’t working for him. He wanted to work with teachers that cared, in a flexible environment, that allowed him to focus on his interests. After seeing an advertisement for Visions he decided to enroll in the Independent Study program.
Cars, College and a Caring Teacher
So, what did Hector want to focus his time on? Cars! At the age of 10 Hector got his first project – build a dirt bike. If he could build it, he could ride it, and that’s just what he did. After that, his passion for cars only grew. When he enrolled at Visions he discovered that he could take community college classes and receive assistance to pay for tuition and books. He immediately enrolled in the Automotive Technician program at Los Medanos College at the young age of 16.
“The first impression [at Los Medanos College] was ‘are you lost?’ Everybody was just shocked … I was the only little kid there!”
Hector challenged himself. Due to the limited college class availability he took what he could including online, night, and advanced classes. His teacher, Josh Imler, his mom, and the staff at Visions and Los Medanos were there to help and support him along the way. Fast forward to today and Hector is close to graduating high school and receiving a college degree at only 18.
“Hector is a hardworking guy,” said Josh. “I call him a trailblazer; he took initiative to go through the community college program … I learned a lot through his experience.”
What Does the Future Hold?
Hector plans to take even more automotive classes after receiving his first degree. His goal is to own and run a shop and towing company that specializes in brakes, suspensions, diagnostics and custom work. Visions is proud to be a part of Hector’s success story and we wish him the best of luck with his future endeavors.
Download and share Hector’s story here.
