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Scholars Online began as part of the Institute for Study of the Liberal Arts and Sciences (ISLAS), founded in Baton Rouge in 1994 and chartered by the State of Louisiana, as a nonprofit corporation establishing two schools, Scholars' Online Academy (SOLA) to offer support of classical Christian education and Regina Coeli Academy, to offer additional curriculum of interest to Roman Catholics. Bruce McMenomy taught an English Literature course for the inaugural year of SOLA/RCA operation, and Christe McMenomy joined the SOLA staff in 1996 with courses in Biology and Chemistry. Both Drs. McMenomy served on the ISLAS Board of Directors and taught for ISLAS through June of 2006, offering a range of courses in Greek, Latin, literature, history, biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, and general science.

In April of 2005, a decision was made to separate Regina Coeli and Scholars Online Academy. A separate legal entity, Scholars Online, was created as a Washington State nonprofit corporation. Dr. Bruce and Dr. Christe were joined for the 2006 summer and the 2006/2007 academic year by Mark Johnson, Sandra Howard, Susan Dennis, and Mary McMenomy, all of whom had taught for ISLAS, teachers Art Mabbott and Jill Byington (then new to Scholars Online), as well as Rachel Ahern, Sasha Decker, and Sarah Miller Esposito, themselves once students at ISLAS.

We have continued to add faculty and new subjects each year. In 2007, Fred Williams began teaching Calculus and Algebra I, and in 2008, we welcomed Paul Christiansen (American History), Christy Frary (Algebra), and Rose Hodge (Modern Languages: Old Norse). In 2009, Karl Oles taught Philosophy and John Hogan offered a full-year course in programming.

While increasing our curriculum offerings, Scholars Online has also sought to meet sound business practices. It established itself as a non-profit organization, and is currently provisionally accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, working with a team of educational leaders to reach full accreditation.

For over a decade, students enrolled with either Scholars' Online Academy or Regina Coeli Academy could take part in homeschooling courses that allowed them to explore areas of common faith and interest, and identify areas of disagreement, in an environment that encouraged honest inquiry and mutual respect. Scholars Online continues the tradition established at ISLAS to foster communication and exploration of areas of common faith and interest among Christians of different traditions, and to provide courses and tutorials that support a classical Christian education for college-bound students and others interested in furthering their education to serve God in the world. We cooperate with other Classical Christian Education institutions to provide our students the best instruction and support that we can.

For more information, see the Scholars Online Wikipedia article.

Scholars Online is a nonprofit corporation registered in the State of Washington, operating under IRS Code 501(c)(3) as a tax-exempt public charity.

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Scholars Online has been provisionally accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools.