Programs and Services

Our micro-academies are facilitated, co-created blends of individual and group projects and activities, as well as discussions, explorations and skill-building, in small-group settings. There is a slight overlap between the age ranges in order to account for variability among individuals. 

Essential Details (Fall 2023):

Ages and Times (scroll down to see a breakdown of the day):

Micro-Academy for Ages 9 to 12—9:30a.m. to 1:30p.m. U.S. Eastern Time.

Micro-Academy for Ages 12 to 15—9:30a.m. to 2:30p.m. U.S. Eastern Time (the last hour for this older cohort is informal and optional).

Days: Tuesdays and Thursdays

Size: We cap each cohort size at the point when the group "feels" full, so that a personal touch can be retained. We do not anticipate ever exceeding 16 children per cohort, with two facilitators.

Enrollment: The tuition and application process are described in detail here.
Location: Online

The emphasis is on deep, interdisciplinary learning about the world and one's place in it (spanning subjects such as history, cultural anthropology, economics, geography, sociology, psychology, literature, civics, science, engineering, and math) plus the development of key personal and inter-personal life skills, such as the “5 Cs” (critical thinking and problem solving; communication; collaboration; creativity and innovation; and citizenship). This is accomplished via a combination of longer-term group projects, discussions, and short-form activities. 

Each cohort has two facilitators. This allows for break-out rooms (and thus more choices) and also provides a generally richer experience, with two adults actively participating in activities; bringing different life experiences, perspectives, interests, ideas and personalities to the table; and modeling intellectual curiosity, learning, and conversation. Additionally, operating the cohorts concurrently opens the door to interactions among their participants, whether to work on something of shared interest in a breakout room, or to jointly participate (when practical) in field trips, guest speaker sessions, and other types of presentations. 

The participants are given a lot of agency to shape the program alongside the facilitators. With agency comes responsibility, so they are expected to engage and play an active role. Everyone has a say in choosing projects and activities, and group members decide how to divide up roles, according to their strengths and interests, as well as new skills they're working on developing. 

The cohort functions like a learning team, therefore the development of an intentional, supportive culture is a key priority. This creates fertile ground for valuable peer-to-peer learning, deeper engagement, and the development of higher-order abilities to navigate life's challenges. Participants also hold each other accountable for following through on their commitments to the group. The team culture extends beyond the cohort itself, as we seek to learn from and with others too. We offer occasional interactive online field trips (e.g., a guided walk through a historic French town or a tour of a marine sanctuary in Belize) and bring in guest speakers (e.g., renowned software tester and author James Marcus Bach, who launched his career at age 16, talking about the importance of critical thinking and how to be a self-directed "buccaneer-scholar"). 

To find out more, you can listen to one of our information session recordings here.

What Happens Outside the Micro-Academy Hours?

Outside of micro-academy hours, participants are free to follow other elements of their customized learning pathways, whether that involves working individually on building core skills (with the help of on-demand resources such as Khan Academy, software apps, books, or eclectic independent studies); attending tutoring sessions; participating in The Hub's à-la-carte programming, or third-party online or offline classes; or doing other activities. The sky's the limit! (The Resources page includes lists of ideas that can serve as a starting point.) Overwhelmed with options? We can help you cut through the clutter, suggest tailored ideas, and offer other guidance (as well as connect you to people with specialized knowledge about things that fall outside our own areas of expertise) via The Hub's wraparound services. 

The participants are also encouraged to continue interacting with each other outside micro-academy hours. They are given access to The Hub's private social network, where they can collaborate on projects, socialize, and post activity playlists, among other things.

Can I Try It Out First?

Yes! To get a taste of the micro-academy, children ages 12 to 15 are welcome to join us for a complementary mini-session. Please check the events page for the open-house schedule, description, and registration instructions.

This is the starting point for the micro-academy's daily flow. We aim to be agile and adapt the details—based on observations, feedback, and where the energy is flowing on a given day—in order to optimize the experience, while remaining true to the core principles and ideas. When warranted, some periods feature a choice of break-out rooms, each focusing on different things.

9:30a.m. – 10:15a.m.: Setting the foundation

• Community building—check in, and share and reflect on what else everyone has done since the previous meeting.
• Expanding horizons—e.g., watching a short video to inspire new project ideas; a guest speaker presenting a “show and tell” about a job or hobby, etc.

10:15a.m. – 10:30a.m.: Break

10:30a.m. – 11:30a.m.: Purposeful activities

• Mini tutorials or interactive group and/or individual activities that build knowledge in various areas of interest, and/or that develop a meta-skill such as project management.

11:30a.m. – 11:45a.m.: Break

11:45a.m. – 12:30p.m.: Project work 

• Working in groups of various sizes, on projects of their choosing, with a facilitator's guidance. The elements that are productive to do together are done jointly online; the participants work independently on the rest, either online or offline. 
• A learning artifact comes out of each project, whether in the form of a written document, a PowerPoint presentation, a video, a piece of art or music, etc. This further develops important communication and presentation skills, and engaging in creative self-expression.
• Facilitators actively participate in projects too, serving as role models. Additionally, they check in with each group, guiding participants to work together to answer questions that have arisen, demonstrating how to find resources to get through bottlenecks, etc.

12:30p.m. – 12:45p.m.: Break

12:45p.m. – 1:30p.m.: Wrapping up (younger cohort) or seminar time (older cohort), with a "working lunch," if desired

• Younger cohort (ages 9 to 12): Children and facilitators may use this time to either continue working on their projects or to do another activity.
• Older cohort (ages 12 to 15): This is a time for in-depth discussions (of topics originating from the participants or from prompts). Discussions often lead to additional questions, as well as research to find answers. 
• Show-and-tell presentations and Q&As (on personal passion subjects), guided field trips and guest speakers may also be scheduled, for both cohorts. 
• Eating a "working lunch" is optional; participants are also welcome to eat as needed to fuel their bodies and minds throughout the session.

The program for the younger cohort ends here. 

The more formal part of the program for the older cohort ends here too; attendance for the extended session period is optional.

1:30p.m. – 2:00p.m.: Extended session period for older cohort (ages 12 to 15)—informal short activities

• This time is set aside for facilitated activities of choice (past group favorites have included playing geography guessing games, giving each other quizzes on topics of personal interest, playing various strategy games, etc.). 

2:00p.m. – 2:30p.m.: Extended session period for older cohort (ages 12 to 15)—open socializing 

• The Zoom room remains open for unfacilitated socializing.

(The Hub's role-playing club also meets once a week during the early afternoon hours.)

"The kids couldn't stop talking about class today. They thoroughly enjoyed their time with you and even continued a few games of geosearch on their own." — Parent

"So fun to hear them laughing and learning!!" — Parent

The facilitators are "real gems" and have "created digital joy, which is very hard to find." — Parent

"I love Miró and Brooklyn! They are so amazing with the kids. [My son] really enjoys The Hub. ... He is engaged and participating. ... I have heard him contribute many thoughts, ideas and opinions." —Parent

"It’s so much more than I expected. My children have been able to engage in important, grown-up  conversations, and their perspectives have been given weight and have been considered important. They continue to talk about these things and  look for applications of them throughout the day. … I think about what different experiences they'll have as adults because of internalizing these experiences, and having opportunities to be leaders at these early ages.” — Parent

"I can't wait until The Hub's spring term starts." — Participant (during winter break)

"I'm grateful that I'm in The Hub." — Participant 

Micro-academy enrollment comes with membership in The Hub. As members of The Hub, enrolled participants and their parents also have access to the following:

Community Spaces and Events 

Hub members have access to private online social lounges where they can come and go and interact with each other at any time. 

Curated Resources

The Hub maintains a curated list of third-party platforms, websites, curriculum packages and events (at a range of price points) that might interest members, to help them choose how to spend their remaining time. New discoveries will be added regularly. We'll also share examples of curated pathways, showing how the micro-academy and various à-la-carte elements can be put together to form a comprehensive whole, as well as examples of portfolios to document learning. (For more in-depth and personalized guidance along these lines, members have access to additional wraparound services.)

Priority Registration and Discounted Tuition for The Hub's À-La-Carte Programming

Hub members receive advance notice of à-la-carte programming, before registrations are opened to the general public. These other programs also offer discounted tuition to members. 

Like our programs, The Hub as a whole will continue to evolve as we observe what works, as well as what additional needs or opportunities emerge, and refine our offerings accordingly. Get in touch if you would like to be added to a mailing list to find out more details as they are officially announced for upcoming years.