WIVA Students Excel on a National Stage in Art Competition

For virtual schools like Wisconsin Virtual Academy (WIVA), a tuition-free public school serving
students across the state, one of the ways to offer students a rich and rewarding well-rounded
experience is to provide a diverse and dynamic range of meaningful opportunities for enrichment
and socialization. The goal is to ensure that students not only enjoy an outstanding educational
experience, but one that provides plenty of space for creativity, connection, and engagement.

The best online institutions have a fully developed interactive virtual campus like WIVA’s K12
Zone — a place where students can connect with classmates, participate in different clubs and
activities, and even access learning resources — all in a safe, welcoming environment. At WIVA,
students can chat with friends using virtual messaging or video conferencing, and even engage
in group activities like scavenger hunts, school assemblies, and collaborative puzzles and games.

WIVA’s many student clubs have the opportunity to meet inside K12 Zone to foster a closer
connection. Last year, students participated in a wide range of clubs fueling their creativity,
including art, photography, crochet, sewing & quilting, costumier, fiber craft and watercolor
painting clubs.

And it’s clear that students’ participation in these clubs is paying off, with two WIVA students
recently placing third in their grade categories in the 2024 K12 National Art Competition. The
competition is part of K12’s enrichment programs, which give students from schools across the
nation using K12 curriculum a chance to showcase their talent.

WIVA fifth grader Iktan Rafael C.R. placed third in the digital category for third to fifth grade
students, taking the prize for a drawing of a boy and his cat enjoying the constellations together.

Sixth grader Grace Z. was named the third-place winner in the digital category for sixth to eighth
grade students for a realistic portrait of her two birds, Tweet and Basil.

The 2024 competition, which ran from January to March, was divided into categories for physical,
digital and AI art. The annual event serves as a way for young artists to be recognized for their
hard work and to learn more about how to hone their talents.

For WIVA, a school that takes a great deal of pride in its well-rounded curriculum and its ability to
deliver a range of learning experiences that extend well outside the virtual classroom, the success
of its students was both a validation and cause for celebration.

“We are impressed by the outstanding talent these two students from our school have
demonstrated in sharing their creativity with a national audience,” said Dr. Sara R. Cutler, WIVA’s
Executive Director. “From the visual arts to engineering, our virtual learning environment provides
students across Wisconsin the chance to pursue their passions while benefiting from personalized
education that accommodates their individual needs.”

For schools like WIVA, these are the kinds of moments that will likely resonate with parents and
students, reaffirming the reputation that a new generation of high-quality virtual schools have built
as a place where students can truly have it all.