**For Immediate Release**
March 12, 2020
In response to Governor Inslee’s request that all citizens take measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, Explorations Academy is following the lead of UW, WWU and other educational institutions by temporarily moving classes online.
While there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 or exposures within Explorations Academy, the Board of Directors has made the decision to temporarily close Explorations Academy’s campus, as of Thursday, March 12, 2020.
The school has been using aspects of cloud-based learning for several years, and its experiences as early adopters have prepared the organization to effectively respond to this pandemic. Starting Monday, March 16th, teachers look forward to delivering world-class content remotely during normal school hours. In doing so, the school aims to maintain educational continuity while doing everything possible to support public health efforts.
According to Bacchus Taylor, Head of School, “We recognize the imperative of responding to this crisis. While we wish that we could implement a new program in less trying times, we are committed to finding new and exciting ways to deliver a meaningful experiential education that includes the best of personal interaction and the advantages of distance learning. We acknowledge that this will cause inconvenience for some of our families; however, we believe it is the responsible thing to do for the community.”
The school campus will be closed for in-person classes until further notice. Classes will be held online beginning Monday, March 16th. In the meantime, the board and administration will be assessing the situation to determine when it is appropriate to resume normal operations. The organization will continue to maintain dialogue with the city, state, and local officials as we all work together to slow the spread of COVID-19.
About Explorations Academy: Founded in 1988, Explorations Academy is rooted in experiential, field-based learning for middle and high school students. The school provides students with opportunities to explore diverse subject matter, build positive relationships with peers and adults, and engage with the world around them in meaningful ways. Over the past two years, the student body has more than doubled and the school is anticipating operating at capacity for the 2020-2021 school year.
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