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Young Scholars Academy is a virtual village that helps twice-exceptional & differently-wired students to feel seen, nurtured, and happy as heck through strength-based courses, camps, and community!

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Whether you're a parent, educator, or simply passionate about supporting neurodivergent learners, this blog is your go-to resource for all things related to strength-based education and fostering a community of belonging.

Classes Starting-  Here’s What You Can Expect 🎆
Amber K Willburn Amber K Willburn

Classes Starting-  Here’s What You Can Expect 🎆

I love the beginning of the year. It’s always so full of promise. It’s exciting, and sometimes a little nerve-wracking! As a parent, my first school week is best categorized by running about 5 minutes late to EVERYTHING and at least one drive-through meal because I forgot how long it takes to get somewhere. Many of our 2e kiddos need more support starting something new. The unknown can feel so anxiety-provoking!

Do you know what helps me most with difficult transitions? Knowing exactly what to expect!

In hopes that this will help your family, too, we want to make sure you know exactly what happens from the moment that you register for class to the beginning of the course.

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Building Strength-Based IEPs/504s
Amber Willburn and Mr. Sam Amber Willburn and Mr. Sam

Building Strength-Based IEPs/504s

Children are amazing!

They are funny, clever, and brave. They can remind us of all of the very best things about this world, and they are so much more than any IEP, 504, assessment, report, or document could ever say. They are more than a moment in their educational career, and they deserve to be seen as the complex, unique beings that they are.

So here are a few tips for helping the IEP/504 team develop a strength-based approach to your child’s educational needs.

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Alternative Education Paths: Removing Barriers to Learning for 2e children
Amber Willburn and Mr. Sam Amber Willburn and Mr. Sam

Alternative Education Paths: Removing Barriers to Learning for 2e children

I invite you to see a different way to approach education – one that is passion-driven rather than proscriptive, one that is interest-led rather than top-down, one that caters to the unique learning strengths and challenges of EVERY SINGLE CHILD rather than a cookie cutter education that eschews anyone who doesn’t fit the mold.

I know. I am asking you to depart from culturally entrenched ideas of what school has been for a century. Instead, I want you to embrace what learning CAN be.

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The Twice-exceptional Elephant: What 2e Is, and Most Importantly, What It Isn’t.
Sam Young Sam Young

The Twice-exceptional Elephant: What 2e Is, and Most Importantly, What It Isn’t.

What exactly does 2e mean? How do you know your child is 2e? Who gets to define what 2e is, and maybe more importantly, what it isn’t? The Twice-exceptional Elephant analogy can help define what 2e is, and maybe more Importantly, what it isn’t.

I often joke that I will retire the day that when I tell people my purpose in this world is serving “twice-exceptional students,” they will say “nice!” instead of “what’s that mean?” While the term 2e, or twice-exceptional, has been around for a while as a concept, the terms are fairly new in the fields of psychology and education. If you haven’t heard it, don’t worry, you're not alone. It just means there’s still lots of work to do!

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YSA Facebook Live 8/11/21
Sam Young Sam Young

YSA Facebook Live 8/11/21

Missed last week's Live? Check out the recording here. We discussed cultivating environments to foster gifted behaviors. You’re not ogng to want to miss this one!

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Sculpting David
Sam Young Sam Young

Sculpting David

For many, Michaelangelo's ICONIC David statue is the embodiment of art. Stylistic perfection! What many people don't know is that originally, Michelangelo wasn’t even meant to sculpt the David. In fact, he wasn’t even the second choice…

Originally, an artist by the name of Agostino di Duccio was commissioned to sculpt the marble. Shortly after signing up, he quit…

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