Do you want to invest in your own education? 

Or do you know a student who wants to?

You  Lead. 📚You Learn. 🎓You FLEX your way to graduation!!

Course Structure:  80% Student-Led/Designed

 What you want to learn! 

How you want to learn it! 

AND, how you want to show/demonstrate your new learning/skill 

20% Teacher-influenced/guided 

Eligibility:

• Students must be committed to graduating and willing to put in the necessary work.

• Approval from the Flexible Pathways Coordinator is required.

• Priority is given to students with space in their academic schedule and the ability to balance other commitments.

Students are expected to come to FLEX with their projects/ideas to develop.

Students may:

*Take only 1 FLEX course in a specific content/department area.*

**Take 1 FLEX course per year.**

FLEX STUDIES: (Piloted in Fall 2021) FLEX Studies offer high-quality, co-created learning opportunities to meet graduation requirements. Consider this an Independent Study Lite: A very supported "passion project" kind of class.  The course evolves as students design at least 80% of their content, learning methods, and demonstrations of knowledge, while the remaining 20% is guided by the FLEX Mentor/Flexible Pathways Coordinator. The course evolves dynamically throughout, adapting to students' changing needs, with credit (core or elective) based on student needs and the quality of work. 

FLEX WORKS! (Piloted in Fall 2022) FLEX WORKS! FLEX WORKS! provides students with the opportunity to earn up to 4 graduation credits per semester by combining real-world work experience with academic learning. Students participate in jobs, internships, apprenticeships, or job shadows while completing self-directed assignments and projects that connect workplace experiences to academic standards.

Structure: Ex. 4 credits

• Approximately 72 hours of documented work experience per semester

• Approximately 72 hours of academic assignments and independent projects

• Regular progress check-ins with the Flexible Pathways Coordinator

Learning Outcomes:
Through FLEX WORKS!, students will develop and demonstrate:

• Vermont Transferable Skills

• AOE 21st Century Skills

• Job-specific skills relevant to their current or future work experience

FLEX SUMMER: (Piloted Summer 2023): Kickstart your FLEX Study in the summer! The Flexible Pathways Coordinator collaborates each spring with motivated students to integrate summer activities into a FLEX Study for the upcoming fall semester. Students earn credit by documenting learning through programs like the Governor's Institute of Vermont, The Experiment in International Living, and local jobs. Enrollment occurs in the fall, and students have the entire semester to complete the course. 

INDEPENDENT STUDIES:(absorbed Fall 2022)

Independent Studies at BUHS are now managed by the Flexible Pathways Coordinator (FPC). Students interested in pursuing an Independent Study must first consult with the FPC. Repeating a course as an Independent Study is not allowed—extensions of prior learning must include documented new skills. Applications are available through the FPC, with rolling admission based on capacity.  Independent Study Protocol & Application ~ for perusal.

Special Cases: Some situations fall beyond existing Flexible Pathways ~ the Flexible Pathways Coordinator works with necessary stakeholders to develop an individualized plan that meets the needs of the student/s. These are often admin/counselor-referred.

FLEX 50: EXTENDED INCOMPLETE: Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, this teacher-referred opportunity will no longer be offered through the FLEX Program.  It will be reabsorbed into the extended INC offered in the BUHS handbook section 12: Grades and Credits.

This teacher-referred option allows students to attain credits from failed Fall classes during the immediate Spring semester. Eligibility parameters follow the department's guidelines for credit recovery.