VEI has just been awarded a grant from the James Irvine Foundation to advance Linked Learning’s Virtual Work Based Learning efforts in California.  Like VEI, Linked Learning transforms education by integrating rigorous academics with career-based learning and real-world workplace experiences. Through this grant, VEI will explore the creation of scalable, high-intensity Virtual Work Based learning experiences for students across California starting in the 2014-15 school year.
With the support of the James Irvine Foundation, the VEI program will be implemented in two Linked Learning high schools in both the Long Beach and Los Angeles Unified School Districts.  The addition of these programs brings the total number of VEI programs in California to 125 and over 500 in the U.S.  It is, however, the first partnership with Linked Learning and we are hopeful that the pilot will lead to a statewide initiative.
This is as an extraordinary opportunity to provide California high school students with the best preparation to succeed in high school, college, and career. With our shared values of improving education and opportunity by providing rigorous academics made relevant though real-world, experiential learning, the partnership between VEI and the James Irvine Foundation promises to be an innovative and productive collaboration.