Having a strong education is very important when it comes to the real world. When a student does not get the proper education that they need, it can harm their futures in immeasurable ways. The Alternative Learning Center offers a different way of learning for students who are struggling in a common high school situation, and helps them follow the path to success.

The ALC is an opportunity for students to show their academic prowess in a different learning environment. Students from around the district can join the ALC if they are struggling in school, or are having problems within their own school such as bullying, or harassment.

The ALC can be a great alternative to traditional schooling. Students in the ALC usually struggle with classic learning methods, and cannot keep up their grades. Students are allowed to work at their own pace, and receive the help that they need.

“You can come up with a project for any class and propose it to a teacher and then get credit for it. You can be as creative as you want, or you can even ask for a more structured plan to help you graduate,” junior Jess Larson said.

Teachers in the ALC are organized differently from what a common school is like. Students do not switch out their teachers every year like most classes do in the high school. Students and teachers are consistently in the same classes, which helps build stronger bonds in a school environment.

“The teachers are pretty good. They all sit down and they connect with their students. Teachers have conversations with students,” senior Myah Lenke said.

Students who were failing in a conventional classroom may have never been able to get out of the constant loop of failure if it wasn’t for the ALC. Many kids feel that the pressure of the high school can be too much, and often see their grades slip. When a downward spiral starts, sometimes the only way to fix it is a change of environment.

“I was not doing good at the high school. So they gave me an option to do this or to just be really far behind and probably not graduate on time because that is how bad my grades were,” former ALC student Sean Murphy said.

The ALC can mean the difference between dropping out or graduating for many students. Although it can be vastly different from what most students are used to, it can be a great fit for people who need an unconventional approach to a long-established educational system.