High school students in Washington state looking to learn Flash animation, Web design, C++ and other technical skills now have a new resource at their fingertips thanks to an online school that will open next month. The tuition-free online school --operated by Seattle's Giant Campus -- allows students to earn elective credits while striving for their diplomas at private or public schools in the state.

Among the classes that will certainly be a hit with teenagers: Introduction to Entrepreneurship, Digital Photography and Graphics and -- one that would have never been taught back in my day -- Game Design.

Here's the description from that class:

This course is for anyone who loves gaming and wants to design and build original games from scratch. You’ll learn how to use popular game design software to create engaging, interactive games in a variety of genres. In addition, you’ll get a solid foundation in the basic concepts of game development. By the end of this course, you will have a variety of polished games for your game development portfolio.

"Students who are seeking more choices for electives than what is typically offered by their high school or homeschool, can now take technology courses that also prepare them for a career in the global economy,” said James Peters, Head of School, Giant Campus of Washington.

The online school is part of the Washington state public school system through a partnership with the White Salmon Valley School District.

Classes open Feb. 22, with enrollment closing Feb. 17. The program is open to any Washington student.

Clay Holtzman at The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that the school plans to enroll 1,000 kids by the start of the fall term. Giant Campus -- founded by Pete Findley -- employs 50 people.

John Cook is co-founder of TechFlash. Follow on Twitter @johnhcook