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The Hub's Microschool

The Hub is a part-time online microschool that brings homeschooled tweens and teens together in small facilitated cohorts twice a week, for shared activities, life skills, and community.

→ See how it works
→ Take a look inside The Hub
→ Read our FAQ

→ Watch recorded info sessions

How It Works

Structure

  • Ages: 10-16 (cohorts age up with participants).
  • Group Composition: Maximum 10 participants per cohort, plus two facilitators, for a 1:5 facilitator-to-student ratio or better. Participants are grouped based on expected compatibility.
  • Meeting Frequency and Duration: Two three-hour sessions per week, including breaks (participants share why the time flies by in this short video).
  • Dates: Fall term runs from mid-September to mid-December; spring term from early January to late May (exact dates are listed on the Join page).
  • Tuition: Please see our Join page.
  • Optional Extras: Summer clubs or workshops can be requested by microschool participants; if offered, these are arranged and priced separately.


Cohort Schedule Options

  • Tuesdays and Thursdays: 9:30am - 12:30pm Eastern Time
  • Tuesdays and Thursdays: 9:30am - 12:30pm Pacific Time (12:30pm – 3:30pm Eastern Time)


Daily Session Flow

The schedule below serves as a starting point that may be adjusted based on each group’s needs and interests. Periods may include break-out rooms focusing on different activities.

45 minutes: Setting the Foundation

  • Share and reflect on any personal updates or interesting discoveries.
  • Engage in short activities to inspire project ideas, or to delve into a new topic.


15 minutes: Break


45 minutes: Purposeful Activities 

  • Work together on group-selected activities (see examples in next section).


15 minutes: Break


60 minutes: More Activities, and Wrap Up

  • Work in small groups on chosen longer-term project(s), or other activities.
  • Reflect on the day and wrap up


Optional Extra Time: The formal part of the program ends here. Participants may stay longer for informal interaction, at the facilitators' discretion.


Session Dynamics

The Hub is an oasis of humanity in the digital realm, rooted in active engagement, creative collaboration, and growing together as a well-bonded group.

Sessions are designed around participants’ interests, with activities jointly chosen by the participants and facilitators to engage minds, build skills, and strengthen connection. See image gallery below for examples.


Shorter activities include collaborative storytelling or art; discussions; puzzles; and purposeful games featuring topics such as financial literacy or geography. Other popular examples include “history showdowns” (e.g., debating which historical figure might make the better neighbor, and why) and Wikihunts (finding connections between random Wikipedia entries). Participants may also lead workshops or give presentations on topics of interest. There are also occasional guest speakers and virtual field trips.


Longer-term activities
take the form of months-long group projects. Examples include multimedia world-building (featuring imagined life forms, cultures, economies, geographies, etc.), illustrated short story anthologies, e-zines, videos, and websites. A “learning artifact” is presented to family and friends at the end of each term. 


Facilitators (two per cohort) actively participate alongside the tweens and teens, bringing a variety of life experiences, interests, and perspectives to the table. They model curiosity, learning, and thoughtful conversation, often using the Socratic method to encourage deeper thinking. Their role is to help the group grow, both as individuals and as a high-functioning team.

→ To get a fuller sense of the program in action, check out these video highlights from some short bonus sessions. 

→ For additional details, see the FAQs.

Interested in Joining Us?

Attend an open house or schedule an individual discovery meeting to see if The Hub is the right fit for your child.

Start the Process

Inside The Hub: Glimpses of Our Activities

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this for?

The Hub is ideal for homeschooled tweens and teens (ages 10–16) who are curious and collaborative, and enjoy group learning. We also consider mature 9-year-olds. 

Is this a full academic program?

No; The Hub is designed to provide a consistent, rich and empowering "learning in community" experience that complements a child's other homeschooling/unschooling pursuits. Sessions broaden intellectual horizons and enhance understanding of the world through interdisciplinary activities. They also develop life skills and meet the need for a consistent community of peers. Time outside the program can be used for core academics as well as individual interests (see our Resources page for ideas).

How is this different from other online programs?

We focus on nurturing the whole person, not just the intellect, and emphasize relationships, life skills, curiosity-driven learning, and empowerment (our facilitators co-create each term with the participants). Unlike most programs that meet for just an hour or two a week and have to use that time to get through a predetermined agenda, our sessions are more open-ended and meet frequently enough and for long enough to allow genuine friendships and intellectual exploration to take flight. There's more room for deeper conversations, spontaneous discoveries, and authentic connection. 


The rhythm also becomes a grounding, enjoyable part of many participants’ weekly routines, offering a comforting constant as they navigate a rapidly changing and sometimes confusing and challenging phase of life. The result is a vibrant, nourishing learning community with an uncommon level of consistency (many participants stay for years) and a rare sense of belonging.

What if my child wants in-person interaction?

Our part-time format leaves plenty of time for in-person activities. Some families also coordinate in-person Hub meetups if they're in the same area.

Why two facilitators per cohort?

Having two facilitators per cohort is a pedagogical as well as logistical choice. It allows for richer discussion, more personalized support, and greater flexibility (for instance, running breakout rooms or responding to different energy levels in the group). It also gives participants the chance to engage with adults who bring different perspectives, personalities, and passions to the table, creating a more vibrant, well-rounded learning environment.

Facilitators can play to their individual strengths while also modeling thoughtful, collaborative conversation. This dual presence strengthens the group dynamic and deepens the learning experience for everyone.

Are there homework assignments or grades?

We don’t assign homework or grades. Participants may choose to work on projects between sessions, but that’s entirely up to them. 


Assessments can come in many forms, and they can either advance or hinder larger objectives. When kids aren’t worried about being judged or ranked in a high-stakes way, they’re more willing to be authentic, take creative risks, and step outside their comfort zones. We cultivate an atmosphere that's cooperative rather than competitive—participants support one another and take genuine interest in each other's progress and celebrate each other's achievements. That said, there’s also room for friendly competition when it sparks motivation and fun. Families assess the effectiveness of the program based on what they observe in their child. In addition to the joy they find in the peer interactions, they often tell us they notice increased confidence, self-direction, and personal growth, as well as greater thoughtfulness, improved skills in communication and other areas, and engagement with new ideas.

Why age ranges rather than grade levels?

Grades are arbitrary; developmental stages are not. We group by maturity level and compatibility, to support emotional, social, and intellectual growth, while embracing the benefits of mixed-age collaboration.

What do families and participants say about The Hub?

Hear directly from parents and participants in this short testimonials video.

What’s the tuition, and what's the process for joining The Hub?

See the Join page for tuition details and to begin the process. We offer open houses and discovery calls to ensure mutual fit.

Can my child try it out first?

Our open houses include sample mini-sessions for ages 10 to 13. These video highlights also give a pretty good idea of what any child can expect from our program.

How can I support The Hub?

Get in touch if you might be interested in providing scholarship funding or want to explore other partnership ideas or share other resources.

Recorded Info Sessions

Want to Learn Even More?

Explore recorded info sessions where we walk through The Hub’s approach and answer common questions from interested families.

Still-current recordings:

  • How Our Learner-Driven Approach Works (Summer 2022) — How our learner-driven model differs from a curriculum-driven one, how we assess progress without traditional grading, and more.
  • Vision in Practice (Summer 2021) — The Hub’s founding vision and how it takes shape in day-to-day practice, from collaborative projects to group dynamics.


Archived recordings (these offer insight into our model’s evolution over the years):

  • First Term Reflections and Next Steps (Winter 2020-2021) — A look back at The Hub’s first term and upcoming plans.
  • Founding Vision and Launch Plans (Fall 2020) — The vision behind The Hub and plans for its first term.

Copyright © 2025 TheHub.Community - All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. (The Hub's logo, inspired by a sketch by then-10-year-old J.S., was generously gifted by Lena Markley of Dovetail Design Studio. Home page header photo by Nick Fewings.)
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