Programs and Services

A: Our online micro-academies for ages 9-16+ cater to young people (whether homeschooling or not) who would enjoy an intellectually and personally stimulating group program with a consistent cohort and a socially healthy culture.

They may be bored or disengaged in a one-size-fits-all setting, but come alive when given the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge at their own pace, within the context of a program they can help shape, based on authentic interests. Or they may already be learning in a customized way that engages their minds, but be craving a more creative and inquiry-based format, and/or a more consistent cohort experience. 

Examples of activities: games focused on geography, financial literacy, and other topics; collaborative story-telling or art; puzzles; researching and sharing findings on topics of interest; discussions. Group project examples: worldbuilding; producing a newscast or other video; producing a book of collaboratively written short stories; creating a multimedia art project featuring "alternative histories."

We also offer occasional other à-la-carte short-form programs and camps for tweens and teens, some of which are open to the general public and suitable for anyone who resonates with their themes.

Participants can be located anywhere in the world, as long as the schedule works for them. 

A: The focus is on offering wide-ranging, part-time, learning-community experiences as well as support (as needed) for combining these programs with other activities to create a comprehensive whole. 

The micro-academy is designed to broaden horizons by exposing young people to new ideas and bodies of knowledge, in a holistic, inter-disciplinary way. They may go on to more deeply discuss and/or research topics that feel relevant and aligned with their interests, which sets up the optimal conditions for them to integrate and retain knowledge. The facilitators also focus on guiding participants to develop their personal and inter-personal "soft skills," including the “5 Cs” that are essential to a lot of success in life—critical thinking and problem solving; communication; collaboration; creativity and innovation; and citizenship. There is ample time outside the micro-academy to acquire other skills and knowledge that are needed to meet each young person's and family's goals. 

The Hub also offers select à-la-carte offerings, in response to member and community interest. 

The Hub's wraparound support services are designed to help families who would like assistance with finding resources, putting the pieces together, and/or documenting what's being learned. Examples are also provided of curated learning pathways and portfolios. 

Our Resources page lists many ideas for how time outside The Hub can be spent. "The Full Story of The Hub" explains our approach and how everything fits together in greater detail. 

A: Standards are actually not very standard, in the sense that different individuals (or groups of individuals) have different ideas about what they consider important to know at various points of one's life. Our facilitators provide parents with updates several times per term, describing (at a high level) the various activities and projects that have been taking place. Parents can use this information, as well as information provided by their children, and artifacts produced via some activities, to prepare portfolios and transcripts that meet their individual needs.

Here's an example of how learning can be documented, in this case accounting for just the first month of a micro-academy tween cohort. (Please bear in mind that a cohort's first few weeks are generally heavy on icebreaker activities, getting to know each other, and building a healthy team culture and foundation before branching out into more activities and projects. Also, this example only lists the "general capabilities" categories within a curriculum that some families are following; knowledge gained through activities/projects can be mapped to many other academic subject areas as well.)

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"Literacy: Participants frequently navigate online activities and group participation by writing and reading. In the first few sessions, we also discussed parts of speech whilst doing and critiquing Mad Libs. Participants have been sharing book reviews and have begun discussing Shakespeare. We have also started Dungeons & Dragons (DnD), a group narrative-building activity.

Numeracy: As well as using arithmetic during DnD, participants have solved puzzles and decoded messages using many numeracy skills. Time keeping is also a large part of sessions, as we all come back at the same time from breaks and participants currently span four different time zones, which means we often calculate and discuss different times, factoring in the additional complexity of daylight savings time.

Information and communication technology (ICT) capability: As the Hub is an online activity, there are many passive ways students are intuitively and contextually picking up and practicing ICT skills. Participants also teach each other new skills required to navigate different programs and applications, such as Canva (used for graphic design), online communal art tools, and different types of games. Additionally, students have discussed safety online whilst playing cooperative games. Facilitators also identify potential skills that participants don't have but would be useful. For example, we have begun to introduce the Google suite of programs, including starting to edit Google documents.

Critical and creative thinking: Participants are empowered to help decide what activities take place during The Hub’s micro-academy sessions. They have contributed many creative ideas, which have been supported and explored. One example is the “interest share,” in which participants have been spending 15 minutes each sharing and answering questions about their current favorite game, book, or other interest. Most of the activities require some level of creativity. Critical thinking is encouraged and occurs naturally as participants discuss their lives and interests. Participants often discuss the positives and negatives of different games and activities and how they can be improved.

Personal and social capability: Social-emotional learning is also a central strength of The Hub. To function effectively as a group, participants need to get to know each other, while navigating the additional complications posed by the slight delays in video transmissions. They discuss issues with being spoken over or not listened to, and we work on how everyone can feel included and valued. Taking turns is one strategy participants implement initially, but even then, frustration and upset can still happen. So far the group has done well engaging and discussing any issues that arise, and facilitators encourage everyone to continue to work towards developing their communication and self-regulation skills.

Ethical understanding: The group has spent some time discussing AI and how it may be a positive or negative addition to the world.

Intercultural understanding: Participants log in to The Hub from different countries in which they either permanently reside or are visiting. Often the differences and similarities of different cultural practices are discussed and shared."

A: We have a unique combination of intentional culture, format, and approach. Most importantly, we also have talented, committed and caring facilitators who can weave together these elements into a magical experience. 

On a more reductionist level, these are some of the features that distinguish the micro-academies:

• They're expertly facilitated, yet also highly interactive, creative and collaborative (participants play key roles in shaping sessions)
• They take a holistic approach, broadening intellectual horizons in an inter-disciplinary way, while also developing valuable personal and inter-personal "soft skills"
• They are relational rather than transactional, encouraging facilitators and participants to really get to know each other and forge meaningful connections
• They model a healthy culture that  values both individuality and teamwork, preparing young people for  satisfying lives and careers, while feeding the soul via camaraderie,  creative self-expression, and joy in the present 

Parents and participants tell the story best, though. Many of the participants return year after year, and their parents recommend the program to other families. Some representative snippets of the feedback that has been shared with us:

• "It’s so much more than I expected." 
• "[My son] is really enjoying The Hub!! I was worried it would be too much sitting for him, but he is super engaged.
• "I feel like I'm making connections at The Hub that I've never made in any other way."

Hear directly from parents and participants about what's achievable online, if done the right way, in our short overview video, "What is a Micro-academy?"

A: Micro-academy cohorts meet twice a week for four hours at a time because that allows us to meet our goals—sessions are long enough to allow for a satisfying amount of activity and project time, and for more meaningful personal relationships to develop. Sessions also include several breaks. In this short video, you can hear how participants themselves experience the session length.

A bit of background: Micro-academy sessions were 3.5 hours long during the first term in 2020, but everyone asked for them to be extended. Many still feel that the time flies by (a characteristic of the desirable "flow" state). Nevertheless, four hours seems to meet tweens' needs adequately without over-extending them. Many teens like to stick around longer, so we give them the option to hang out informally after the main micro-academy program ends. (Participants can also communicate with each other between sessions through various channels, including The Hub's private communications platform.)

The below schedule is the starting point for the micro-academy's sessions; details are adjusted as needed. Some periods feature a choice of break-out rooms, each focusing on different things. Sessions are four hours long, which is longer than many other online programs, but participants and facilitators routinely mention that the time flies by (a feature of the productive and enjoyable "flow state," most famously described by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi). You can hear participants themselves describe how they feel about the session length in this short video.

45 minutes: 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.

15 minutes: Break

60 minutes: Purposeful activities

• Mini tutorials or interactive activities (e.g., games such as GeoGuessr, puzzles, art, discussions, collaborative story writing, book club, debate club, or anything else that may be chosen).

15 minutes: Break

45 minutes: Project work 

• Working in groups of various sizes, on projects of their choosing, with a facilitator's guidance. (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.)
• 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.

15 minutes: Break

45 minutes: Wrapping up, with a "working lunch," if desired (individual meal times will vary, so this is just a placeholder in this sample framework)

• This time can be used to either continue working on projects or to do another activity.
• Show-and-tell presentations and Q&As (on personal passion subjects), guided field trips and guest speakers may also be scheduled. 
• Eating a "working lunch" is optional; participants are also welcome to eat as needed to fuel their bodies and minds throughout the session.

(Younger cohorts: The program ends here.)

(Older cohorts: The more formal part of the program ends here too. Participants in established cohorts may be given the option to stay longer in the Zoom room for unfacilitated socializing, at the facilitators' discretion.)

A: The micro-academy is designed for people who consider themselves independent learners (whether formally homeschooling or not), and who enjoy having a communal base that: serves as an extension of their family’s home base; provides consistent social connections; amplifies deep, interdisciplinary learning opportunities; and offers opportunities to work on group projects that are vehicles for learning important, higher-order skills, such as how to manage projects and work effectively as a team. 

Enrollment in the micro-academy can be paired with enrollment in any other programs, as long as regular attendance and engagement is practical. The Hub's à-la-carte classes, workshops and activities are also suitable for anyone.

It is up to families to research and ensure that they’re following any relevant regulations and requirements regarding school enrollment and/or homeschooling. A site that contains a lot of information about homeschooling requirements in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia can be found here; its international counterpart is here.

A: The Hub's programs are part-time, so there's plenty of time left over for in-person activities too.

Families that live in the same area are also welcome to make arrangements among themselves so that their children can get together to do sessions in the same space, either regularly or every once in a while, as some have chosen to do in the past. 

A: A micro-academy facilitator’s role is like a blend between a composer, a conductor and a musician, with the goal of co-creating a beautiful piece of music. As a composer, they bring ideas to the table and offer intellectual and creative challenges. As a conductor, they aim to be attuned to what’s happening with everyone within the group and to help participants develop the skills that foster a healthy balance between meeting individual needs for self-expression and creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. As a musician, they are active participants themselves, modeling intellectual curiosity, how to learn, and respectful ways to engage, contribute to the group, and resolve any disagreements. 

The facilitator is also like a "guide by the side" on the broader learning journey, working in partnership with parents and children to really get to know each participant and what makes them tick, and to use that understanding to help the young person develop their unique set of strengths and interests, while also helping them manage or overcome weaknesses that are standing in the way of them reaching their goals. 

Our micro-academies are led by teams of two facilitators (once the group size exceeds five), who bring different personalities, perspectives and life experiences to the table.

A: Facilitators decide when a micro-academy cohort feels like it's reached full capacity; we expect that most cohorts will not end up exceeding a 1:5 ratio.

For à-la-carte activities organized by The Hub, the person leading each activity will decide the minimum and maximum size they believe will allow them to offer a quality experience.

A: Grade cutoffs are arbitrary and limiting. Individuals learn things (in a meaningful way) only when they’re ready, and no two X-year-olds are the same, whether they’re in the same “grade” or not. On the other hand, young people progress through similar developmental stages that start and end roughly around certain ages, and mixed-ages learning has many benefits, for younger and older children alike. Like human-development age ranges, The Hub’s age range is “ish”—it’s more about maturity level and maintaining good group dynamics, rather than calendar age.

A: The tuition and application process are described on the Apply page.

For a glimpse of what the program is like in action, you can watch these videos: tweens and teens (and near-teens). 

Then, to gauge fit for an individual child, there are three options:

• While our terms are in session, interested young people can visit and participate in part of a session (please contact us to arrange this).
• Between terms, we run open house sample mini-sessions (see Events page for dates and registration links). 
• We can schedule an individual meeting to gauge fit and/or answer questions (contact us to arrange this).

A: "The Full Story of The Hub" (below) explains how everything fits together and where we see things going. Get in touch if you are interested in providing grant funding (to subsidize tuition for families whose children would benefit from such programming, but for whom the full tuition is out of reach, or to help lay the groundwork for expanding this concept in a decentralized way), starting a hub of your own, or want to explore other ideas or share other resources.