Virtual Teaching Academy continues to build pipeline for education and human services careers
August 18, 2026
The University of North Florida’s Virtual Teaching Academy (VTA), a free dual enrollment opportunity within the Silverfield College of Education and Human Services, has experienced significant growth in student participation while helping more high school students explore pathways into education and human services.
Since its launch, 226 students have enrolled in at least one VTA dual enrollment course, filling 559 seats across 18 courses. Participation has expanded across Clay, Duval and St. Johns counties, reflecting growing interest in education-focused dual enrollment opportunities on the First Coast.
Course enrollment has nearly doubled over the past four academic years, increasing from 90 seats filled in 2022-23 to 170 in 2025-26. The continued growth demonstrates increasing awareness of this opportunity, strong district partnerships and sustained student interest in education- and leadership-related coursework.
The VTA has also shown promising results in connecting participating students with UNF. Among VTA students who were high school seniors, the percentage admitted to UNF increased from 44% in Spring 2024 to 66% in Spring 2026. This past year produced the highest number of commitments with 16 students choosing to enroll at UNF.
VTA's growth has been notable among students that are choosing majors within the Silverfield College. The number of VTA students who committed to Silverfield majors increased from two students in Spring 2023 to eight students in Spring 2026.
The recent increase suggests that VTA coursework is helping students develop an early interest in education and human services pathways while they are still in high school. This opportunity increasingly serves as a pipeline into teacher education and related fields, with students pursuing careers in education, leadership and student support services.
VTA's regional reach has continued to expand with St. Johns County experiencing the most significant growth during the reporting period, as participation increased from 15 students in 2023-24 to 33 students in 2025-26. Duval County maintained the highest participation numbers, while Clay County continued to have students represented across multiple high schools.
Its strongest overall matriculation outcomes came this past spring, as 33 of the 50 participating high school seniors were admitted to UNF, and an additional 16 committed to attend the university. The 66% admission rate represented the highest recorded over the past four years.
The Virtual Teaching Academy has been successful in providing high school students with an opportunity to begin exploring their academic and career goals before completing high school. The continued growth of VTA enrollment, UNF matriculation and commitments to Silverfield programs demonstrates the its upwards trajectory to strengthening pathways from high school dual enrollment to higher education and long-lasting careers in education and human services.