Schools look a lot different this year as many have switched to online/virtual formats to still hold classes for students during the quarantine.

However, Dana Delane-Williams — owner and founder of American High School — is making a historical step for education and tech as the only Black woman in the country to create an online virtual school for grades K-12, Black Business reports.

Delane-Williams has made a solid commitment to revolutionize the educational system that gives kids the tools they need to succeed in their professional lives and help them acquire their high school diplomas.

Though the traditional ways of the U.S. educational institutions have changed drastically over the last few months, Delane-Williams is determined to position the American High School as a viable solution for students to still receive a quality education without relying on in-person instruction.

According to Black Business, she began her teaching career as an online instructor at the University of Kentucky in 1996. She then went on to create her own online courses in 2002 for grades 9-12 to cater to homeschooled students.

From there, she’s been able to expand school offerings to include over 350 online courses that also extend to an accredited online middle school and elementary school. She even created an online adult program for those who needed high school diplomas for work or college.

Additionally, with the NCAA’s approval, Delane-Williams was able to have student-athletes pursuing sports in college on scholarships to attend her school as well.

Her innovative tech efforts for students over the years have made way for hundreds of niche programs to be created for online instruction. Now, the American High School has a chance to deliver “accredited, affordable, college preparatory, Honors/AP, Gifted, virtual reality, adult education, and career-based online education” for K-12 students across the U.S. and beyond, Black Business reports.

Based on her extensive educational experience and advanced tech methods of teaching, Delane-Williams has not only provided sound schooling programs for thousands of students for over 20 years but also contributed to the historical achievements of Black women in education.

American High School

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