Minnesota
Our Program
Venture Upward partners with MN school districts where your students (K-12) enroll in that district’s online school program. Enrolling in a school that partners with Venture provides you with flexibility, excellence in curriculum, comprehensive teacher support, a supportive community, and adaptable tools you need for your students and family to thrive.
After enrollment is processed, students will be assigned a dedicated teacher that will be with you every step of the way. Even if your family is a veteran at home education, teachers will be there to provide the amount of support that is right for you.
Students in K-8 will complete coursework using Teacher-Led Modules, and high schoolers will use High School Suites.
Please click on the links below for more details about curriculum, teachers, and school supply allotments that provide equity in education for all.
Venture School
We often hear that Venture School is a student’s favorite part of Venture Upward!
This weekly onsite, drop-off program allows kids to learn together with other Venture students. Experienced and enthusiastic instructors engage children in four interactive extracurricular classes each week. Topics can include anything from locally-significant traditions, messy science experiments, art, cooking, music, Spanish, money management, geography, and more.
Currently, Venture School locations are planned in the following areas: Northern Twin Cities, Waconia, Dassel Cokato, St. Cloud, Albert Lea, Worthington, Mankato. *Other locations are still being considered.
Community Service:
Helping students learn to improve and support their own communities is an important part of our program. Venture School staff help students coordinate service opportunities for your entire family throughout the year. A minimum of two service opportunities will be organized each school year.
Please note that this portion of our program is not affiliated with the Worthington School District and is open to all Minnesota home-educating families; please email us at contact@ventureupward.org to find out how your family can join us at Venture School!
Curriculum Choices
Each K-12 student in Minnesota meets state standards by working in an online curriculum in the four core subjects of language arts, math, science, and social studies. Daily work and weekly pacing is required in each of these four core subjects.
Teacher-led Modules cover 100% of content standards for students in kindergarten through 8th grade. No supplementation is needed. These modules will be provided for the four core subjects and electives to conclude math, social studies, language arts, science, health/PE, and art. Modules are designed to be fun, engaging, and effective! Each module is created with teacher-developed learning activities that are supported by additional, embedded resources. These modules are a complete curriculum and allow students to submit work in a portfolio-style manner if desired.
VIBE’s curriculum team and administration will continually vet the curricula described above to ensure Minnesota standards are covered in their entirety. To learn more about Teacher-led Modules and how VIBE implements them, please see VIBE’s family letter outlining the changes for the 2023-2024 school year.
Optional Resources
Venture Upward offers optional resources to families to use at their discretion. Please see a full list of those options below. These resources are supplemental and cannot replace work required in the Teacher-led Modules or High School Suites.
Grades K-5
Grades: 3-8
Subjects offered: language arts, math, science, social studies
Study.com’s courses are based on engaging video lessons with quizzes, and chapter tests created by qualified instructors.
Grades: 1-8*
Subjects offered: language arts, math, science, social studies
(*Kindergarten is offered in language arts and math only.)
MobyMax is a standards-aligned learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies equipped with adaptive tests, test-prep lessons, and motivational tools. Students work through lessons to achieve proficiency, which earns them playing time in the site’s game area.
Grades: K-8
Subjects offered: science
Generation Genius brings school science standards to life through fun and educational videos paired with lesson plans, activities, quizzes, reading material and more. Our videos are produced in partnership with the National Science Teaching Association.
generationgenius.com Technical requirements: web browser
Grades: K-6
Subjects offered: science and social studies
Studies Weekly utilizes a web-based newspaper format to engage students in science and social studies. It provides multimedia resources to keep students engaged and teach standards. Students read the periodical and then take a quiz to demonstrate knowledge.
Grades: K-8
Subjects offered: language arts, math, science and social studies
*note: Science and social studies not available for K-1
IXL provides unlimited practice problems with meaningful, up-to-date tracking on your child’s progress. Learn thousands of K-12 topics online. Get detailed feedback and guidance.
Grades: K-6
Subject offered: language arts
Imagine Learning accelerates language arts proficiency by providing instruction and practice in all four domains of literacy—reading, writing, listening, and speaking. As students explore and practice skills, their individualized learning sequence adjusts dynamically to maximize their engagement and progress, accelerating to match a cognitive leap, or adjusting to accommodate unfinished learning.
(*Please note that this curriculum requires Chrome browser, an iPad, or Android tablet)
Grades: 2-6
Subject offered: math
Beast Academy is an engaging and fun math curriculum that leads students through comic-book style materials, which provides comprehensive instruction. The practice materials provide hundreds of exercises, problems, puzzles, and games to reinforce the lessons.
Grades: K-8
Subject offered: math
CTC Math features video tutorials, interactive questions, printable worksheets, and weekly revision tasks to help students gain confidence in math.
Grades: K-8
Subject offered: math
DreamBox intelligently adapts to each child, letting them drive their own learning while giving parents and teachers in-the-moment data and valuable insights to ensure success.
Grades: K-3
Subject offered: math
Mathseeds combines highly structured lessons with fun motivational elements that keep children engaged and keen to learn. These highly interactive and rewarding lessons can be used anytime and anywhere there is a computer or an iPad.
Grades: 3-8
Subject offered: math
Teaching Textbooks utilizes an interactive app to teach and test student knowledge in mathematics. This program was designed specifically for homeschoolers and is easy for students to do on their own.
Grades: K-8
Subjects offered: language arts and math
In the hybrid model, students complete pacing time in IXL (online) and Bridge (workbook). *Internet access and a device that can photograph or scan pages required.
Students in grades K-3 reading below a 4th grade level also work in their choice of early literacy programs, which are provided by Venture Upward:
Reading Eggs is an award-winning online reading program created by experienced teachers based on scientific research for ages 2-13. We utilize Reading Eggs primarily with our K-3rd grade students to support early literacy. Students are guided through lessons that feature fun games, colorful animations, and catchy songs to engage them in learning.
Explode the Code® is an award-winning traditional phonics reading program that uses multisensory instruction in their series of 14 workbooks to increase reading comprehension and fluency through phonics. These engaging workbooks are a hit among elementary aged students!
Grades 6-8
Grades: 7-8
Subjects offered: language arts, math, science, social studies
High School Suite teaches concepts primarily in a reading-to-learn format. A mix of writing projects and multiple choice assessments are used to test knowledge.
Grades: 6-8
Subjects offered: language arts, math, science, social studies
Edgenuity uses direct-instruction videos featuring expert, on-screen teachers to engage students. Frequent check-points help students practice learned information in a variety of ways.
Grades: 1-8
Subjects offered: language arts, math, science, social studies
MobyMax is a standards-aligned learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies equipped with adaptive tests, test-prep lessons, and motivational tools. Students work through lessons to achieve proficiency, which earns them playing time in the site’s game area.
Grades: 2-8
Subjects offered: language arts, math, science and social studies
IXL provides unlimited practice problems with meaningful, up-to-date tracking on your child’s progress. Learn thousands of K-12 topics online. Get detailed feedback and guidance.
Grades: 3-8
Subjects offered: language arts, math, science, social studies
Study.com’s courses are based on engaging video lessons with quizzes, and chapter tests created by qualified instructors.
Grades: K-8
Subjects offered: language arts and math
In the hybrid model, students complete pacing time in IXL (online) and Bridge (workbook). *Internet access and a device that can photograph or scan pages required.
Grades: 6th
Subjects offered: social studies
The Northern Lights is created by the Minnesota Historic Society and is an interactive eBook for students includes all the text, images and features of the student print book, The digital ebook includes: Diverse professional narration that reads the text to students, Introductory videos for each chapter plus 17 additional videos throughout, Additional primary sources, audio clips, interactive maps, and links to related web resources. The interactive eBook is accessible via our iPad app and via web browser for PCs, Macs, iPads, Chromebooks, the Microsoft Surface, and with limited functionality on other smart devices.
Grades: K-6
Subjects offered: science and social studies
Studies Weekly utilizes a web-based newspaper format to engage students in science and social studies. It provides multimedia resources to keep students engaged and teach standards. Students read the periodical and then take a quiz to demonstrate knowledge.
Grades: K-8 Science
Subjects offered: science
Generation Genius brings school science standards to life through fun and educational videos paired with lesson plans, activities, quizzes, reading material and more. Our videos are produced in partnership with the National Science Teaching Association.
generationgenius.com Technical requirements: web browser
Grades: K-6
Subject offered: language arts
Imagine Learning accelerates language arts proficiency by providing instruction and practice in all four domains of literacy—reading, writing, listening, and speaking. As students explore and practice skills, their individualized learning sequence adjusts dynamically to maximize their engagement and progress, accelerating to match a cognitive leap, or adjusting to accommodate unfinished learning.
(*Please note that this curriculum requires Chrome browser, an iPad, or Android tablet)
Grades: 2-6
Subject offered: math
Beast Academy is an engaging and fun math curriculum that leads students through comic-book style materials, which provides comprehensive instruction. The practice materials provide hundreds of exercises, problems, puzzles, and games to reinforce the lessons.
Grades: 3-8
Subject offered: math
Teaching Textbooks utilizes an interactive app to teach and test student knowledge in mathematics. This program was designed specifically for homeschoolers and is easy for students to do on their own.
Grades: K-8
Subject offered: math
DreamBox intelligently adapts to each child, letting them drive their own learning while giving parents and teachers in-the-moment data and valuable insights to ensure success.
Grades: K-8
Subject offered: math
CTC Math features video tutorials, interactive questions, printable worksheets, and weekly revision tasks to help students gain confidence in math.
Venture Upward is committed to strengthening communities through academic excellence and community building, which is why we have made several of our academic resources available at minimal or no cost to any Minnesota family! Please contact us at contact@ventureupward.org to find out more!
High School
We’re here to empower students and families by providing the tools and support to succeed in home-based education. Our program includes:
- Access to curriculum
- Venture Reward funding
- College admission test preparation
- Teacher support
- Connection with a community of parents and students in the program working right alongside you
- Students graduate with an accredited high school diploma.
Tuition Free
By partnering with public schools, we are able to offer these services tuition free.
Venture Reward
Equity in education is something Venture Upward is committed to, which is why the Venture Reward was implemented. We strive to ensure that every student is equipped with the tools needed to be successful with the curriculum we provide through local district programs. Every student that enrolls in VIBE’s Online Program will receive a Venture Reward ($1,000 for grades K-8 ($500 each semester). This reward is designed to provide funding for families to purchase a laptop, tablet, or additional learning materials meant to enrich their student’s school year.
The Venture Upward ordering team, district teachers, and partner school principal must approve each Venture Reward order. Please keep in mind that any resources provided to families enrolled in the program are property of the district and must be returned if you decide to leave the program before the end of the school year. Please note: religiously-based curriculum or materials may not be purchased with your Venture Reward, including Abeka, Apologia, Sonlight, and others. Of course you are always welcome to purchase these on your own and continue working in them.
If you have any questions about what materials might be eligible for purchase with Venture Reward funds, please contact your teacher. If you do not yet have a teacher, you can reach us at contact@ventureupward.org.
Community Events
It’s important for students to feel connected with their community, learning, playing, and working alongside one another. Each year we offer multiple community service projects and two fun and captivating community outings! These events are provided free of cost to your whole family – student, siblings, and two adults. Pictured are some of our adventures from previous years. Some of our previous field trips include: Niagra Cave, SeaQuest Aquarium, Corn Mazes, MN History Museum, Challenge Gyms, and more. Please note that this portion of our program is not affiliated with the Worthington School District, and all Minnesota home-educating families are welcome to joining us!