Building Student Community with Michelle Gilyard: Clubs and Competitions in a Virtual School

Building Student Community with Michelle Gilyard: Clubs and Competitions in a Virtual School

School is about more than academics. It’s also about connection, belonging, and opportunities to grow outside the classroom. In this episode of GCA Unmuted: Voices of Virtual Education, we’re joined by Michelle Gilyard, Family School Partnership Coordinator for Leadership and Service at Georgia Cyber Academy. Michelle shares how clubs and competitions create meaningful opportunities for students to connect, lead, and build community in a fully virtual environment. The conversation explores how students get involved in clubs, what participation looks like online, and how competitions bring energy and engagement across a statewide student body. Michelle also reflects on the impact these experiences have on student confidence, leadership development, and social connection. This episode is part of GCA Unmuted’s ongoing documentation of how virtual schools create a complete student experience—both inside and outside the classroom. Thanks for listening to GCA Unmuted: Voices of Virtual Education, a podcast documenting how virtual school works in practice at Georgia Cyber Academy. Each episode features educators, staff, and leaders sharing real stories and systems that support teaching and learning in a virtual environment. Learn more about the podcast and explore past episodes at:  https://www.georgiacyber.org/about/unmuted [https://www.georgiacyber.org/about/unmuted] You can also watch full episodes and highlights on our YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@GCAchampions [https://www.youtube.com/@GCAchampions]

Building Trust with Families with Shannon Ready: Partnering with Parents in a Virtual School

Strong family partnerships are essential in any school. In a virtual environment, they are foundational. Clear communication, trust, and consistent support help families feel confident and connected, which directly impacts student success. In this episode of GCA Unmuted: Voices of Virtual Education, we’re joined by Shannon Ready, Family Engagement Liaison at Georgia Cyber Academy. Shannon shares how she works with families to build trust, strengthen communication, and support parents as active partners in their child’s education. The conversation explores how families are supported when they are new to virtual learning, how difficult conversations are navigated with care, and how systems are designed to keep communication consistent across a large, online school. Shannon also reflects on common misconceptions about virtual schooling and what helps families feel confident in the model. This episode is part of GCA Unmuted’s ongoing documentation of how virtual schools build strong partnerships between school and home. Thanks for listening to GCA Unmuted: Voices of Virtual Education, a podcast documenting how virtual school works in practice at Georgia Cyber Academy. Each episode features educators, staff, and leaders sharing real stories and systems that support teaching and learning in a virtual environment. Learn more about the podcast and explore past episodes at:  https://www.georgiacyber.org/about/unmuted [https://www.georgiacyber.org/about/unmuted] You can also watch full episodes and highlights on our YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@GCAchampions [https://www.youtube.com/@GCAchampions]

Preparing Students for the Real World with Tricia McCoy and Erica Butts: Work-Based Learning in a Virtual School

Connecting learning to real-world experience helps students build confidence, develop practical skills, and clarify their future paths. Work-based learning creates opportunities for students to apply what they learn in the classroom to real jobs and responsibilities while still in school. In this episode of GCA Unmuted: Voices of Virtual Education, we’re joined by Tricia McCoy and Erica Butts of Georgia Cyber Academy. They share how work-based learning operates in a virtual environment and how students gain meaningful, hands-on experience that prepares them for life after graduation. The conversation explores how students access work-based learning opportunities, how coordinators support both students and employers, and how these experiences build skills, direction, and independence. Tricia and Erica also reflect on how virtual schooling can expand access to real-world learning and address common assumptions about whether hands-on experiences are possible in an online setting. This episode is part of GCA Unmuted’s ongoing documentation of how virtual schools prepare students for college, careers, and life beyond high school. Thanks for listening to GCA Unmuted: Voices of Virtual Education, a podcast documenting how virtual school works in practice at Georgia Cyber Academy. Each episode features educators, staff, and leaders sharing real stories and systems that support teaching and learning in a virtual environment. Learn more about the podcast and explore past episodes at:  https://www.georgiacyber.org/about/unmuted [https://www.georgiacyber.org/about/unmuted] You can also watch full episodes and highlights on our YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@GCAchampions [https://www.youtube.com/@GCAchampions]

Serving Families Across Languages with Mayra Ramirez and Emily Post: Translation & English Learner Support in a Virtual School

Clear communication is essential to student success. When families speak different languages, schools must ensure that information, support, and relationships remain accessible. In a virtual environment, this work requires intentional systems that connect families and students to learning in meaningful ways. In this episode of GCA Unmuted: Voices of Virtual Education, we’re joined by Mayra Ramirez and Emily Post of Georgia Cyber Academy. Together, they share how translation services and English learner support help ensure that language is not a barrier to communication, instruction, or connection. The conversation explores how multilingual families are supported through interpretation and translation, how English learners build language skills in a virtual classroom, and how trust is developed across languages and cultures. Mayra and Emily also reflect on lessons that extend beyond virtual schools and address common assumptions about engaging multilingual families in an online setting. This episode is part of GCA Unmuted’s ongoing documentation of how virtual schools build inclusive systems that support families and learners across languages. Thanks for listening to GCA Unmuted: Voices of Virtual Education, a podcast documenting how virtual school works in practice at Georgia Cyber Academy. Each episode features educators, staff, and leaders sharing real stories and systems that support teaching and learning in a virtual environment. Learn more about the podcast and explore past episodes at:  https://www.georgiacyber.org/about/unmuted [https://www.georgiacyber.org/about/unmuted] You can also watch full episodes and highlights on our YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@GCAchampions [https://www.youtube.com/@GCAchampions]

Building Culture at Scale with Lakin Whitesides: PBIS in a Virtual School

School culture is built through consistent expectations, shared language, and reinforcement over time. In a virtual school, creating that kind of culture requires intentional systems that reach students and staff across locations. In this episode of GCA Unmuted: Voices of Virtual Education, we’re joined by Lakin Whitesides, PBIS Coordinator at Georgia Cyber Academy. Lakin shares how Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) helps establish and sustain a positive school culture across a large, fully virtual environment. The conversation explores how expectations are defined and reinforced, how students are recognized for positive behavior, and how educators work together to create consistency across classrooms. Lakin also discusses how success is measured, how PBIS adapts to a virtual setting, and what other schools can learn from building culture at scale. This episode is part of GCA Unmuted’s ongoing documentation of how virtual schools develop systems that support student behavior, engagement, and community. Thanks for listening to GCA Unmuted: Voices of Virtual Education, a podcast documenting how virtual school works in practice at Georgia Cyber Academy. Each episode features educators, staff, and leaders sharing real stories and systems that support teaching and learning in a virtual environment. Learn more about the podcast and explore past episodes at:  https://www.georgiacyber.org/about/unmuted [https://www.georgiacyber.org/about/unmuted] You can also watch full episodes and highlights on our YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@GCAchampions [https://www.youtube.com/@GCAchampions]