Weekly K12 Zone Guide

Welcome back! We want your start-of-year to be smooth. One quick note:

👉 If you reply to this Smore or email me directly, I can only help with K12 Zone questions.

For everything else — like account setup, login issues, schedules, or materials — the fastest way to get support is through the Back-to-School Support Rooms:

✨ Open Monday–Friday, 9 AM–5 PM ET
🔗 Visit: K12.com/studenthelp

In the Support Rooms you can:

• Set up your student or Learning Coach account

• Track materials and computer shipments

• Get help navigating OLS/Canvas

💡 You’ll be greeted in the main room and directed to a breakout for your issue. Agents can even follow up with a direct call if needed.

More quick-help is also available anytime at help.k12.com.

Ahoy, Learning Coaches! A brand-new Treasure Hunt Zone has opened for your student. Inside, they’ll follow clues across a treasure map that lead to the hidden “Friendship Ship” — because the real treasure is making friends.

Here’s where YOU come in:
👉 Log in to the Learning Coach Community (LCC) and check out the brand-new Map Feature. From there, you’ll help your student share the name of one friend nearby.

🎁 Giveaway: We’re giving away 20 restaurant gift cards ($25 each) to help your student celebrate a new friendship with a fun playdate!

📌 How it works:

1. Your student explores the Treasure Hunt Zone in the K12 Zone.

2. You head to the LCC Map to enter their friend’s name.

3. Together, you’ll be entered for the prize — and help your student connect with others near you.

🎥 Show your student how to find the Zone (and the Treasure Hunt Zone): Watch the walkthrough video

⚓ Don’t miss this chance to explore the Zone, discover the map, and maybe even win some treasure!

Did you know the K12 Zone can automatically connect your student with new friends who share their interests? All they need to do is update their profile:

✅ Switch their profile to “Open to Friends”
✅ Select at least 10 interests

Once they do this, the Zone works behind the scenes to match them with other students who like the same things. It’s the fastest, easiest way for your student to build friendships — no awkward introductions needed!

📹 Watch how to update a profile: How to Update Your Profile
📹 Watch how to find friends: How to Find Friends in the Zone

💡 Encourage your student to do this today — it only takes a minute, and it can completely change their Zone experience.

We’ve created a Student Smore filled with short, easy-to-follow videos that show students how to explore and enjoy the K12 Zone. From customizing their desk or locker, to playing games like Connect 4 or Sushi Smash, to using the Social Hub to make friends — it’s all covered!

👉 Share this Smore with your student so they feel confident and ready when they log into the Zone.

1. The Jungle Orientation Zone is live — a fun, always-open space where students can safely learn the ropes of the K12 Zone.

   Inside, they’ll:

   • 🌟 Practice moving, chatting, and using tools

   • 🎮 Try games, quizzes, and teleport portals

   • 🕺 Unlock emotes and discover hidden surprises

   It’s the perfect way to help new and returning students feel confident before jumping into class activities.

   📍 Find Jungle Orientation on your student’s Available Worlds page in the K12 Zone (login.k12.com → Canvas → Resources → K12 Zone).

   
   

The K12 Zone is your student’s safe, interactive virtual space to connect, create, learn, and play — all within a fully monitored environment led by trained K12 moderators. It’s where friendships grow, creativity sparks, and learning becomes an adventure.

Your student may have access to one or both types of Zones:

• 🏫 School Zones – Exclusive to students at their school (no parent consent required)

• 🌎 National K12 Zones – Open to students nationwide (parent consent required for ages 12 and under)

Some schools offer both options, while others may offer just one or neither. Check with your school to confirm availability.

National K12 Zone Hours:
Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–9:00 PM ET (school-year schedule)

📌 Important for families:

• Students 12 or under need verified parent consent to access the National Zone.

• Most K12-powered schools are opted in, but a few are not:
  ❌ CASC, DAOF, FLCCA, GWUOHS, IQCA, ISCA, ISOK, LSOA, MEVA, OHVA, OVCA, TVAH, UTVA
  ⚠️ High school access only: ALVA, CAVA

💡 See the section below for details on giving consent if your student is under 13 and your school participates in the National K12 Zones.

👉 Learn more about the K12 Zone, watch videos, and explore helpful links here: www.consent.k12.com

Want your student to explore the K12 Zone but not sure where to start? We’ve made it easy with a quick video walkthrough to show you exactly how to get there.

🧭 The K12 Zone is where students connect, play, and learn in a safe, monitored virtual environment — available during school hours and beyond!

👣 Here’s how your student can access the Zone:

🔗 Option 1: Use the Direct Link
Go to: zone.k12.com/t/auth/sso-worlds?autosso=true

📚 Option 2: Access through Canvas or OLS

1. Visit login.k12.com

2. Log in using your student’s credentials

3. Click on Resources

4. Select K12 Zone

🎮 From there, your student can choose which world to enter — based on what’s open at the time.

📹 Watch the video below for a step-by-step walkthrough!

For students 12 and under, parent consent is required to access the National K12 Zone (where students connect with peers nationwide in a safe, monitored space).

👉 The good news: it’s easier than ever! If you gave consent during enrollment, you’re all set. If not, you can complete it online in just a few clicks:

1. Go to www.consent.k12.com

2. Log in with your K12 enrollment credentials

3. Click My Account > Student Consent

4. Select your student and save changes

⚠️ Please note: Some schools are not opted in to the National Zone (CASC, DAOF, FLCCA, GWUOHS, IQCA, ISCA, ISOK, LSOA, MEVA, OHVA, OVCA, TVAH, UTVA). ALVA and CAVA have high school only access.

📹 Watch the quick walkthrough video below to see exactly how it works!

Have you or your student spent time in the K12 Zone this summer? We’d love to hear what you think!

Your feedback helps us grow — and may even be featured in future K12 Zone highlights.

📝 Click here to share your thoughts — it only takes a minute!

Thank you for being part of our amazing K12 community. 💛

The brand-new Friends Near Me map feature is here! 🎉
Now you can connect with other K12 families and Learning Coaches who live nearby — safely and privately.

✨ What You Can Do:

• See which families are close by (city-level only, never your exact address).

• Filter by distance, school, and student grade preferences.

• Start building real-world connections with families in your area.

📌 How to Access:

1. Log in to the Learning Coach Community from your OLS/Canvas dashboard (Resources → LC Community).

2. Or go directly to community.k12.com and log in with your LC credentials.

🙌 This is your chance to find support, share tips, and help your student build friendships that go beyond the Zone. Check it out today!

K12 Virtual Field Trips bring the world right to your screen with engaging, interactive adventures — all completely free! From exploring the Amazon jungle, to visiting art museums, to meeting dolphins and birds of prey, each trip is carefully designed to spark curiosity and make learning exciting.

✨ Whether your student is at home or in the classroom, these experiences provide exclusive access to cultural treasures, historical landmarks, and wildlife sanctuaries — making learning both fun and meaningful.

🎯 Upcoming Trips

• 🦈 Shark Spotting: Live from Mystic Aquarium — September 10 @ 2:30 PM ET

• ⛵ Meet the Around the Americas Team — September 16 @ 1:00 PM ET

• 🐬 Delightful Dolphins at Clearwater Marine Aquarium — September 17 @ 3:30 PM ET

• 🐴 Meet the Animals of Funny Farm Rescue & Sanctuary — September 23 @ 1:00 PM ET

• 🦅 Meet the Birds of Prey at the Vermont Institute for Natural Sciences — September 24 @ 1:00 PM ET

• 🐢 Sea Turtle SOS: Rescue, Rehab & Release in Action — October 1 @ 2:00 PM ET

👉 Register now to save your spot — and view recordings from past trips if you missed them.

💡 Can’t make it live? All sessions are recorded and available on demand in the K12 Enrichment Hub – Virtual Field Trips.

📬 Questions? Reach out anytime: competitions@k12.com

• The K12 Zone is monitored by K12 moderators trained on the Zone layout and code of conduct, as well as how to interact with students within the Zone and what action to take if a student breaks the code of conduct.
• Your student can access their school’s K12 Zone and the National K12 Zone through their school’s OLS.
• The National K12 Zone is open from 9 AM–9 PM (ET), Monday through Friday. Each school K12 Zone’s hours are different. For questions about your school’s K12 Zone, please contact your school directly.