At American Virtual Academy (AVA), our mission has always been clear: to make accredited, flexible education accessible to every student, no matter their circumstances. For some, that flexibility means balancing academics with elite sports or the arts. For others, it means finding a safe and steady educational path while navigating challenges like therapy or residential care.
That’s why attending the NATSAP Southeast Regional Conference 2025 in Greenville, South Carolina, meant so much to us. NATSAP’s commitment to therapeutic schools and programs resonates deeply with who we are and what we stand for. Too often, students facing mental health or life challenges are left behind academically — and we believe education should never be out of reach.
Credits: NATSAP / Facebook
What NATSAP Focused on This Year
The NATSAP Southeast Regional Conference 2025 centered on technology and mental health, highlighting the ways screens, social media, and even AI are shaping young people’s well-being. From Dr. Kate Blocker’s keynote on childhood development in the digital age to breakout sessions on loneliness, neurodivergence, and tech addiction, the message was clear: the ecosystem surrounding today’s students is changing fast. Schools, families, and therapeutic programs must adapt to meet them where they are.
For AVA, this struck close to home. We know that education is more than coursework — it’s about supporting the whole student. By offering accredited, NCAA-approved online learning with flexible pacing and personalized Graduation Plans, we provide stability and opportunity even when life feels uncertain.
Why This Partnership Matters
Our team — Brad Seiber, Tracy Harelson, and Erin Conroy — came to Greenville not just to share what AVA offers, but to listen and learn from others working on the front lines of therapeutic education. We left encouraged by the alignment between NATSAP’s vision and ours: ensuring that every child, including those in residential treatment facilities or therapeutic programs, has a pathway to success.
At AVA, flexibility is more than a talking point — it’s a promise. Students can start courses on any Monday of the year, access their work 24/7, and even earn credit for real-world experiences like athletics, arts, or therapy-related projects. For children who may need therapy first before they can fully engage in school, this kind of model ensures education doesn’t become another barrier.
And for families living this reality day-to-day, hope looks like knowing their child can wake up tomorrow with a clear path forward — one that honors both their healing and their learning.
It looks like logging into a dashboard and seeing progress, even if that progress comes in small steps. It looks like having a teacher who understands that some days are harder than others and adjusts with compassion.
And for the future, hope means imagining what happens when these same students graduate — not left behind, but prepared for college, career, or whatever dream they carry.
It means a world where every child, even those in residential treatment or therapeutic programs, has access to accredited, flexible education that empowers them to thrive. At AVA, that is the promise we carry forward, and conferences like NATSAP remind us why this work matters so deeply.
Looking Ahead
The Greenville conference gave us more than new connections — it gave us renewed energy. We’re excited to continue building partnerships with NATSAP and other organizations that share our commitment to reaching students who might otherwise fall through the cracks.
And this is just the beginning. We’ll be back at the next NATSAP conference in November 2025, carrying the same energy and commitment we brought to Greenville. We’re excited to keep building partnerships that ensure no student is left behind, no matter their circumstances. We invite you — parents, educators, and community leaders — to be part of this movement. Together, we can expand access to accredited, flexible, values-driven education and open new doors of opportunity for students everywhere.
👉 Want to explore how AVA can partner with your program? Learn more here.
