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/unmutedYou can also watch full episodes and highlights on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GCAchampions