The Hub's Microschool

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. 

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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