The OHS is a very academically rewarding environment. In fact, that is one of the main reasons I chose to enter the school in 2007. One of the other reasons I decided to attend is because this online school offers the opportunity to work with and befriend many bright and talented students from all over the world! While the social environment may not be what I was used to at a brick and mortar school, that doesn't make it any less significant or successful.
The OHS currently offers a variety of social activities including the summer programs, where the students come live and study together at Stanford University for weeks at a time. There are also a number of online extracurricular activities, such as clubs, holiday parties, weekly homeroom sessions and student government. But, like any online school today, the OHS is still trying to figure out how to provide additional socially enriching activities for its students. The social life here is not perfect. However, I have been to private, public and homeschool and admit none of the social atmospheres at those schools are flawless either.
At the OHS, I have personally experienced how the strong connections made between students can make one feel incredibly inspired and thrive. However, with these great friendships it's also possible to experience feeling disconnected because of the physical distance. It is in these trying times of disconnect that the developing global citizen must remember that without this innovative community, they would never have met all of these wonderful people in the first place. And that this passing feeling of missing out on offline activities with their peers, is but a small price to pay for the superb academics, numerous online social opportunities and global student interaction.
