Portland, Ore. (May 29, 2008) – The United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) recently presented four of its 2008 International Distance Learning Awards to KC Distance Learning, Inc. (KCDL), the 30-year leader in middle and high school online and distance education programs. The company’s online learning programs and key personnel were honored for leadership in the distance education industry and for advancing distance learning programming.

USDLA has been the world's premier distance learning association since 1987. Annually, the USDLA Distance Learning Awards program acknowledges major accomplishments in distance learning and highlights those distance learning instructors, programs and professionals who have achieved and demonstrated extraordinary results through the use of online, videoconferencing, satellite, and blended learning delivery technologies. The awards were presented in conjunction with the 21st Anniversary Conference in Kansas City, Mo.

“As a premier organization for the entire distance learning profession, we are honoring KC Distance Learning as a leader in the industry,” said Dr. John G. Flores, CEO of USDLA. “KC Distance Learning has raised the bar of excellence, and we are truly honored by the company’s contributions to the distance learning industry.”

KCDL earned the following USDLA 2008 Distance Learning Awards:

• 21st Century Best Practice Award for Distance Learning – Keystone National High School

• Best Practices in Distance Learning Programming For Online Distance Learning, Silver Award – Aventa Learning High School Biology

• Excellence in Distance Learning Teaching for Online Distance Learning, Platinum Award – Tom Young, science teacher, iQ Academy Wisconsin

• Outstanding Leadership by an Individual in the Field of Distance Learning Award – Anton Leof, vice president of corporate development, KC Distance Learning

Established in 1974, Keystone National High School has evolved into one of the nation’s largest online high schools, which served more than 26,000 students in 2007. Keystone provides a diverse selection of more than 80 courses and one of the most expansive offerings of College Board-approved Advanced Placement courses to students around the world, giving them access to educational opportunities that they wouldn’t have otherwise.

Aventa Learning is a leading provider of online curriculum and instruction for schools and districts, offering one of the largest catalogs of online courses for middle school, high school and credit recovery. Developed by biology teachers, the Aventa High School Biology course meets the National Science Teachers Association standards and incorporates instructional best practices while maximizing Web-based technologies to provide an engaging and effective learning experience. The course is highly interactive, encouraging significant student contribution through the use of a virtual classroom environment, multimedia resources and activities, online discussions, virtual labs, and more. Students receive immediate and ongoing feedback, and are monitored by a mentor, which acts a liaison between the online teacher and the local school community, to assess student progress toward standards mastery.

Tom Young is a Wisconsin state certified science teacher at iQ Academy Wisconsin, an accredited public online high school. In only four years of teaching in a distance learning program, Young has developed superior online instructional skills that spark meaningful student discussion and draw a crowd to his live online sessions. Young’s impact goes beyond teaching science. Despite limited or no face-to-face interaction, many of Young’s students consider him a mentor and a strong advocate for their educational needs. Spearheading the iQ Academy Science Club, Young has provided students with the opportunity to meet each other in person while expanding their knowledge of the scientific world and experiencing real-world learning situations. Additionally, Young is an active mentor to peers who are new to online education, helping them to acquire the special skills needed to teach in a virtual environment.

As Vice President of Corporate Development for KCDL, Anton Leof has been instrumental in laying the groundwork for educating thousands of high school students through distance learning programs in numerous states. Leof has expanded the company’s iQ Academy offering through strategic state partnerships to increase student enrollment beyond expectations and provide access to tuition-free distance learning programs to more than 630,000 students in several states. With over a decade of leadership in the field of distance education, Leof has been a pioneer of innovative online learning programs. Prior to joining KCDL, he helped create partnerships with business schools such as New York University to offer graduate degree programs online, and he was the driving force behind hybrid distance learning programs like the Intel-Babson MBA program and TRIUM Global Executive MBA program.

More Information

For more information about the award programs and winners, go to www.usdla.org. To learn more about KC Distance Learning, visit www.kcdistancelearning.com.

About KC Distance Learning

Headquartered in Portland, Ore., KC Distance Learning (KCDL) is a leading provider of online and distance learning programs for the K-12 education market through its company brands: Keystone National Middle School, Keystone National High School, Aventa Learning, and iQ Academies. Over its 30-year history, KCDL has enriched the lives of more than 200,000 students, helping them reach their individual learning goals. KCDL offers online curriculum and instruction for middle school and high school students directly to families including core, honors, foreign language, and Advanced Placement courses. KCDL also provides to educational institutions and agencies a complete credit recovery program, middle and high school courses that augment existing school curriculum, and comprehensive virtual school solutions. KCDL also partners with public school districts to offer a public, statewide tuition-free online education for students in grades 6-12 who want an alternative to a traditional school.

About United States Distance Learning Association

The United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) is a non-profit association formed in 1987 and is located in Boston, Massachusetts. USDLA promotes the development and application of distance learning for education and training and serves the needs of the distance learning community by providing advocacy, information, networking and opportunity. Distance learning and training constituencies served include pre-k-12 education, higher and continuing education, home schooling as well as business, corporate, military, government and telehealth markets. The USDLA trademarked logo is the recognized worldwide symbol of dedicated professionals committed to the distance learning industry.

Contacts

KC Distance Learning
Pamela Kislak
503-731-5404
pkislak at klcorp dot com
www.kcdistancelearning.com

C. Blohm & Associates, Inc.
Charlene Blohm
608-839-9800
charlene at cblohm dot com
www.cblohm.com

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