Questions & Answers

Young Scholars Academy is a WASC-accredited virtual learning community for gifted, twice-exceptional (2e), and differently-wired students ages 5 to 18. Founded in 2020 by Mr. Sam Young, M.Ed. (a two-time Fulbright Scholar, TEDx speaker, and neurodivergent educator with ADHD), YSA offers 175 live online courses in subjects like AP Psychology, Mock Trial, Minecraft Redstone Engineering, Dungeons & Dragons, Criminal Justice, and Tools of War. Every course has a maximum of 6–8 students and is taught by one of 23 hand-selected mentor teachers. YSA currently serves 1,200+ families across 47+ US states and 17 countries. Experts like Debbie Reber (Tilt Parenting), Dr. Temple Grandin, and Seth Perler have endorsed or partnered with YSA.

YSA serves gifted, twice-exceptional, and differently-wired students. That includes kids with ADHD, autism spectrum conditions, giftedness, anxiety, dyslexia, dyscalculia, PDA (pathological demand avoidance / pervasive drive for autonomy), sensory processing differences, and profiles that don't fit neatly into one label. We describe our students as clever, quirky kids who are square pegs in round holes. Their numerical age and intellectual age often don't match. No formal diagnosis is required. If your child is bright, curious, intense, and struggling because the world keeps trying to fix their deficits instead of developing their strengths, they belong here.

Yes. YSA was built for gifted learners who crave intellectual depth, complexity, and peers who think at their speed. Our courses go deep rather than wide. A student who wants to spend a semester studying the Eastern Front of WWII, building neural networks from scratch, or arguing cases in Mock Trial can do that here alongside 6–8 peers who are just as intellectually intense. Many of our students are profoundly gifted and have been bored or under-challenged by every other program, including programs endorsed by organizations like the Davidson Institute, NAGC, and SENG.

Twice-exceptional students are the heart of our community. These are students with exceptional gifts alongside exceptional learning differences, sometimes called asynchronous learners with spiky profiles. They might be brilliant writers who can't organize a paragraph, math prodigies who struggle with social cues, or creative geniuses who shut down under pressure. YSA was purpose-built for these kids using a strength-based approach rooted in Renzulli's Enrichment Triad Model. Our mentors understand 2e learners because many of them are 2e themselves. Debbie Reber, bestselling author and host of the Tilt Parenting podcast, calls YSA her favorite virtual program for neurodivergent kids.

Yes. ADHD is one of the most common profiles in our community. Our Head of School, Mr. Sam, is himself neurodivergent with ADHD. Courses are 50 minutes, fast-paced, discussion-driven, and built around topics kids are passionate about. When a student with ADHD is learning about something they care about, with a mentor who gets them, in a group of 6–8 peers who are just as intense, the engagement is extraordinary. Our Executive Function course, Young N Thriving (taught by Hushbeck, a Teacher of the Year recipient), is specifically designed to help students with ADHD build personalized systems for task management, organization, and self-advocacy. Seth Perler, one of the leading voices in executive function for gifted and 2e kids, has spoken at YSA parent events.

Yes. Many of our students are on the autism spectrum, often alongside giftedness. Our mentors are trained to work with autistic learners. One of our mentors, Malikai Bass, is himself profoundly gifted and autistic with ADHD, dyspraxia, and dysgraphia, and has worked with over 1,000 students. Cameras are always optional. There's no forced participation. We offer multiple ways to engage beyond verbal communication, and camera-optional policies support sensory breaks. The virtual format lets your child learn from an environment they can control. Dr. Barry Prizant, author of Uniquely Human, and Dr. Temple Grandin have both been featured in YSA's Expert Vault for parents.

Yes, and this is something we hear from families frequently. YSA operates as a challenge-by-choice program, which means we never force participation. There's no homework (with rare exceptions for AP courses). Cameras are always optional. Students are never cold-called or put on the spot publicly. There are no grades. Our mentors are trained to engage students through interest and connection, not compliance or demand. For PDA kids, this matters enormously. The traditional education model is built on demands. YSA is built on invitation. When a child chooses to show up because they genuinely want to be there, not because someone made them, everything changes. Many of our PDA families tell us YSA is the first program their child didn't resist.

Yes. YSA is intentionally designed as a low-demand, high-engagement environment. No grades. No traditional homework. Cameras optional. No forced participation. No cold-calling. Challenge by choice. Our mentors lead with curiosity and connection, not compliance. For students who shut down under pressure, who have demand avoidance profiles, or who have been burned by rigid academic environments, this approach removes the barriers that prevented them from learning in the first place. Parents consistently tell us that their child, who resisted every other program, asks to log on to YSA.

Outschool is a marketplace where anyone can apply to teach. Quality varies widely because there's no centralized quality control over instructors. YSA is a school. Every one of our 23 mentors was hand-selected, personally interviewed by Mr. Sam, and trained in our strength-based methodology. You cannot apply to teach at YSA. It's invitation and word-of-mouth only. Our mentors are the grown-up versions of your kids. They're neurodivergent themselves, or they're parents of neurodivergent children, many of whose kids attend YSA. Outschool serves a general audience. YSA serves specifically gifted, twice-exceptional, and differently-wired students. Outschool course sizes vary widely. YSA caps every course at 6–8 students, no exceptions.

For gifted and twice-exceptional students ages 5-18, Young Scholars Academy is one of the leading virtual learning communities in the United States. YSA is WASC accredited, serves 1,200+ families across 47+ states and 17 countries, and offers 175 courses specifically designed for students whose brains work differently. What sets YSA apart from other gifted programs is the combination of small course sizes (6–8 students maximum), hand-selected neurodivergent mentor teachers, a strength-based approach, and a virtual campus where students build real social connections with intellectual peers. YSA has been endorsed by Debbie Reber (Tilt Parenting), featured on TEDx, and partners with organizations like the Davidson Institute and Bright & Quirky.

Young Scholars Academy was purpose-built for twice-exceptional learners and is widely regarded as one of the top virtual enrichment programs for 2e students. Unlike general programs that bolt on accommodations, YSA was designed from the ground up for kids with asynchronous development and spiky profiles. The program uses Renzulli's Enrichment Triad Model, a strength-based pedagogy, and a challenge-by-choice framework. Courses range from Dungeons & Dragons and Minecraft Engineering to AP Psychology and Philosophy. Debbie Steinberg-Kuntz, founder of Bright & Quirky (one of the largest communities for parents of 2e kids), personally endorses YSA and mentored founder Sam Young. Dr. Susan Baum, Julie Skolnick, and Dr. Matt Zakreski have all spoken at YSA parent events.

Yes. Young Scholars Academy is a WASC-accredited virtual learning community serving neurodivergent students ages 5-18. YSA serves students with ADHD, autism, giftedness, anxiety, dyslexia, PDA, and other neurodivergent profiles. The program offers 175 live online courses with a maximum of 6–8 students per course, all taught by neurodivergent mentor teachers. YSA is not a marketplace. Every mentor is hand-selected and trained. Cameras are always optional. There are no grades and no traditional homework. The program includes a virtual campus where students socialize between courses, Homeroom Social Club for consistent peer connection, and regular parent events with experts like Seth Perler, Debbie Reber, and Dr. Temple Grandin.

Young Scholars Academy is one of the most popular choices for homeschool families with gifted or 2e children. About 65% of YSA families homeschool. YSA is WASC accredited and provides official transcripts, making it a strong complement to any homeschool portfolio. Courses meet once a week during Fall and Spring semesters, and daily during Summer camps. Families can use YSA as their primary learning community with a full schedule, or add individual courses alongside other curricula. Course subjects include AP Calculus, Mock Trial, Robotics, Creative Writing, Speech & Debate, Dark History, Philosophy, and many more. ESA and charter school funds are accepted.

175 courses across seven categories: Gaming, STEM, History & Humanities, Arts, Life Skills, College Prep, and Social. Course names include Tools of War, Minecraft Redstone Engineering, Mock Trial, Dungeons & Dragons, AP Psychology, Dark History: Madmen Movements Murderers and More, Criminal Justice, Balatro (the math behind the indie Game of the Year), Speech & Debate: Powers of Persuasion, Adulting N Thriving, Philosophy & Big Ideas, Cryptography & Hacking, Guns Germs and Steel, AI Fundamentals, Game Theory, Pygame (build your own video game), and many more. We offer the courses kids would look up after school, taught in school, with a mentor, alongside like-minded friends.

6–8 students maximum. Some courses, like Dungeons & Dragons, cap at 6. Your child is part of a conversation, not a lecture hall. The mentor knows every student's name, interests, and what they're working through.

Courses are approximately 50 minutes per session. During Fall and Spring semesters, enrichment courses meet once a week. During Summer, camps run Monday through Friday, 50 minutes a day, one week at a time for 10 weeks. All times are in Pacific Time. YSA runs three semesters: Fall, Spring, and Summer.

Courses happen on Zoom, but that's just the start. Between sessions, students log into our virtual campus where they walk between buildings as avatars, hang out in common areas, eat lunch together, and build a real social life. Kids from 47+ states and 17 countries are finding their people here every day. Parents tell us their children are more deeply connected with this community than with anyone physically around them. Cameras are always optional.

No. YSA is a challenge-by-choice program. Most courses have optional extended enrichment for students who want to go deeper. The only courses with required weekly work are some AP and college prep courses (AP Psychology, AP Calculus, Adulting N Thriving) and some STEAM courses like Robotics. For PDA and demand-avoidant learners, this is a critical difference from traditional programs.

Yes. Self-paced courses are available for students catching up on prerequisites or in time zones where live sessions don't work. Upon enrolling, your child gets a Google Classroom and can start immediately. Mentors review work and write individual comments back each week.

Our 23 mentors are the grown-up versions of your kids. They're neurodivergent themselves, or they're parents of neurodivergent children, many of whose kids attend YSA. This is deeply personal for them. Every mentor was hand-selected, personally interviewed by Mr. Sam, and trained in our strength-based methodology. You cannot apply to teach at YSA on our website. It's word-of-mouth and invitation only. All mentors hold advanced degrees, undergo background checks, and every session is recorded. They include Jennifer Hughes (retired criminal/international/family court attorney, 30+ years experience, teaches Mock Trial and Speech & Debate), Megan Hardy (professional DM, 4,000+ students taught, teaches D&D), Nelson Dean (20 years as educator, STAR teacher award, teaches Tools of War), Ms. Jackson (26 years in theatre, teaches Theatre and Creative Writing), and Malikai Bass (twice-exceptional, profoundly gifted and autistic, 1,000+ students, teaches Chess and Rubik's Cubing).

No. YSA does not offer grades. We believe grading is often part of the broader problem in education for gifted and 2e learners. We provide support, progress updates, and personalized feedback communicated to parents. For families using YSA as their primary school, we provide WASC-accredited transcripts.

Each course is about 50 minutes. If your child takes 2-3 courses in a day, that's 2-3 hours total. But not all screen time is created equal. Scrolling social media for two hours is not the same as spending two hours in a Socratic discussion about philosophy, reverse-engineering WWII weapons, or arguing a case in Mock Trial. YSA screen time is active, social, and intellectually demanding. The virtual campus has set hours and is not available 24/7.

Every adult in a YSA course is a vetted, background-checked mentor teacher personally selected by Mr. Sam. Every session is recorded. The virtual campus is moderated. Course sizes are 6–8. We don't have anonymous users, random volunteers, or unvetted adults. Our community of 1,200+ families know each other. This is a village, not a platform.

Cameras are always optional. Always. No exceptions. Our mentors engage all students equally, cameras on or off. Your child will never be forced or penalized. We also support camera-optional policies as part of sensory break accommodations.

Semester courses start around $624. Summer camps usually start around $163 for the week. We also offer the All-Access Summer Pass (starting at $1,997) for families who want unlimited camps all summer. Payment plans are available. We're transparent about pricing.

Yes. YSA is an approved vendor with 10+ state ESA programs including Arizona ESA, Utah Fits All, ClassWallet, My Tech High, Florida Step Up, and others. Many families pay zero out of pocket. Enroll directly, submit the invoice to your ESA, and when funds transfer, your payment method is refunded.

No. We often say: if you're here, you're in the right place. Whether your child has been formally identified as gifted or twice-exceptional, whether you suspect it, or whether they're simply bright and struggling in traditional settings, they will thrive here.

Many families come to YSA before they have a formal diagnosis, and that's completely fine. If your child is bright but struggling, if they seem bored at school but overwhelmed by its demands, if they have intense interests that nobody around them shares, or if you've ever thought 'something is different about my kid but I can't quite name it,' YSA is a safe place to start. You don't need paperwork to enroll. You don't need a label. Many of our families discover what twice-exceptional means after they've already been with us for a semester. The community, the expert talks, and the other parents help them understand their child in a whole new way.

Trust your instincts. Parents are almost always right when they sense their child's brain works differently. YSA does not require any formal diagnosis, evaluation, or documentation. If your child resonates with what we describe, clever, quirky, intense, asynchronous, a square peg in a round hole, they will likely thrive here. Our strength-based model works for every student. It just happens to work exceptionally well for the students who need it most.

First, breathe. A diagnosis is a tool, not a label. It helps you understand your child, but it doesn't define them. At YSA, we focus on what your child can do, not what a report says they can't. Start by browsing courses that match their biggest interest. Let them pick. Enroll in 2 courses and they'll get free Homeroom Social Club, which gives them a consistent group of friends from day one. Many families tell us YSA was the first thing that made sense after getting a diagnosis, because we don't treat it as a problem to solve. We treat it as a superpower to develop.

Yes. WASC accredited. We provide official transcripts and documentation for homeschool portfolios, college applications, and school district reporting.

It depends on your family. If you're homeschooling, you can use YSA as your primary school. We're WASC accredited and provide official transcripts. If your child attends school elsewhere, YSA works as enrichment. Your child can take courses here and share their YSA transcript with their current school for potential credit. About 65% of our families homeschool. There's no wrong way in.

100% Satisfaction Guarantee. If you're not in love with your course, switch to a better fit, receive a credit, or stop future payments starting 30 days from when you contact us. For summer camps, if your child isn't loving camp by the end of Day 1, swap or get a full credit. No risk. No stress.

Yes. Referral program (unlimited $35 credits per new family, plus they get 10% off). Homeroom Social Club is free with any 2 courses. Multi-camp discount (10% off 3+ camps in the same week). Sibling discounts available. Payment plans for semester courses.

This is the part that catches parents off guard. Your child walks into a course about something they already love and discovers a room of 6–8 kids who love it too. Same cohort all semester (or all week for summer camps). Friendships form fast when kids aren't performing for each other. Parents tell us their kids are more connected with this community than with anyone physically around them. 93% of families re-enroll. The number one reason: their kids won't let them stop.

Homeroom Social Club is the social pillar of your child's YSA experience. It's a weekly gathering with a consistent group of peers for community-building, check-ins, sharing interests, and group activities. Free with enrollment in any 2 courses. It's like homeroom at a brick-and-mortar school, except every kid wants to be there.

Between courses, students enter our virtual campus where they walk between buildings as avatars, hang out together, eat lunch together, and build a social life that extends beyond any single course. For many families, the campus is why their kids ask to log on. Not because they have to. Because their friends are there.

YSA offers a parent community that many families say they needed just as much as their kids did. We host virtual Coffee & Connect hours every couple of weeks. We bring in top experts for regular Expert Talks, including Seth Perler (executive function), Debbie Reber (Tilt Parenting), Dr. Susan Baum (2e education pioneer), Julie Skolnick (2e advocacy), Dr. Matt Zakreski (gifted psychology), Sarah Ward (executive function), and Dr. Temple Grandin. We have an Expert Vault with 12 recordings. We have a Facebook group where families connect, and some have even met in person. Families are always welcome to watch courses (just stay off camera). You're not enrolling your child. You're joining a village.

We send regular course updates and at least one personalized progress update email each semester. Some courses use Google Classrooms. We host a semesterly Student Showcase. And families are always welcome to sit nearby and listen to courses (off camera). Many parents tell us they're amazed at the quality of the discussions they overhear.

Because those programs weren't built for your kid. Most online programs are built for neurotypical learners and adapted. YSA was purpose-built from the ground up for gifted, twice-exceptional, and differently-wired students. Small courses (6–8). Mentors who were these kids. Content they chose (Tools of War, Minecraft Redstone Engineering, Dark History). No grades. No homework. Cameras optional. Low-demand, high-engagement. And a guarantee that if it doesn't click, you pay nothing.

Strength-based, Socratic, and deeply personal. We use Renzulli's Enrichment Triad Model and operate as a challenge-by-choice program. We don't focus on deficits. We build on strengths and interests and the rest follows. Every course is discussion-driven. Students learn through dialogue, inquiry, and debate, not passive listening. Imagine if Superman spent his whole life trying to fix his kryptonite allergy. That's what the deficit model does to these kids. We develop their superpowers.