Turning a Crisis Into a Catalyst

March 2020 changed everything, and education felt that shift more acutely than almost any other field.

Overnight, educators faced a defining choice: innovate or watch months of hard-won learning slip away. For College Admissions Made Possible, that meant transforming our signature six-week, in-person, full-day summer camp into something entirely new — a five-week virtual program, three hours a day, four days a week.

Three hours online. Four days a week. In the summer. It should not have worked.

But what we discovered surprised us. Students and families weren't simply looking for a way to pass the time, they were hungry for something real. Authentic engagement. Learning that actually meant something.

The need was there all along; the pandemic just made it impossible to ignore.

As summer wound down and everyone took stock of what we'd learned, something unexpected happened. Parents weren't just satisfied, they were asking us to stay! With most public schools moving to hybrid models that fall, students needed more support than schools alone could provide. We listened.

Within weeks, we had built a virtual afterschool program offering targeted reading and math support and just as importantly, a space where students could connect with one another during a season of profound isolation.

The sessions often went beyond six in the evening. A few times, students turned off their cameras and returned with a plate of dinner. Parents and siblings joined in.

It became a community.

By September, we were in conversations with afterschool programs beyond Birmingham, exploring what it might look like to bring this model to more students across the state.

We were working with approximately 30 students from across the Birmingham Metro area. That was six years ago.

Since then, I've watched Alabama Virtual Institute grow into something I could not have fully imagined in those early, uncertain months — a vital resource for students, teachers, and volunteers across the afterschool landscape.

I've seen students who were once disengaged leap up and race to the screen, eager to answer a question. I've watched quiet, hesitant kids grow into confident, thoughtful leaders. And I've personally known college students, uncertain about their futures, find their calling and choose to become teachers.

As of June 2026, our reach across Alabama has grown to 38 sites statewide, where we have directly served between 2,800 and 3,000 students this school year.

These aren’t just numbers — they represent thousands of young investigators, explorers, and innovators showing up and engaging while being consistently supported by teachers and volunteers in their own communities.

A crisis forced us to reimagine what was possible. What we found on the other side was something worth building.

Read more about AVI here!