Rolling enrollment open. Courses prorated.
Explore now.Are you fascinated by the untold stories lurking in the shadows of history? Go deep into the past with Dark History: Madmen, Movements, Murderers, and More, a unique course that sheds light on the darker side of human history. From chilling tales of human and animal experimentation to the horrors of concentration camps, this class fearlessly explores the depths of the human experience. Each week, we'll dig into different subjects, ranging from notorious serial killers to ruthless dictators. Uncover the secrets behind the father of propaganda, his connection to Hitler, and how he manipulated the United States into a conflict involving banana farmers.
This course is not currently being offered. Please check back later or explore our other available courses.
Are you fascinated by the untold stories lurking in the shadows of history? Go deep into the past with Dark History: Madmen, Movements, Murderers, and More, a unique course that sheds light on the darker side of human history.
From chilling tales of human and animal experimentation to the horrors of concentration camps, this course fearlessly explores the depths of the human experience. Each week, we'll delve into different subjects, ranging from notorious serial killers to ruthless dictators. Uncover the secrets behind the father of propaganda, his connection to Hitler, and how he manipulated the United States into a conflict involving banana farmers.
Dark History is not your typical history course; it's an immersive and thought-provoking journey into the underbelly of our past. Within a safe and trusting environment, we come together to explore these weighty topics, providing the necessary context for a deeper understanding.
In this course, we create a space where students can process their thoughts, ask profound questions, share their emotions, check in with one another, and embark on a voyage of exploration. Throughout Dark History, we will fearlessly delve into subjects such as murder, atrocities, violence, and everything in between.
To ensure a supportive learning environment, each session will begin with a trigger warning list, enabling students to prepare themselves for the content that will be discussed.
Course takers bolster their historical knowledge and are exposed to unique content in a fresh and engaging way, with highlights from around the world and throughout time. Students sharpen their critical thinking as they navigate gripping discussions and revelations that challenge their perceptions of the world we inhabit.
If you are eager to uncover the enigmatic and sinister aspects of history, we invite you to join us in Dark History. Together, we will navigate the darkest corners of our past, shedding light on the stories that have long been concealed.
Your child is drawn to the unsettling corners of history for a reason. They want to understand how the world really works, not just the sanitized version. This course channels that curiosity into genuine historical analysis. Parents tell us their kids develop a more mature, more informed worldview than most adults.
Who was silenced? Why did this happen? What systems allowed it? These are the questions this course asks, and answering them builds the kind of ethical reasoning that colleges and civic life demand. Your child learns to sit with moral complexity rather than defaulting to simple answers.
YSA is a UC-registered online publisher and WASC-accredited Supplementary Education Center, which means our courses can count toward official college credit requirements. State schools can recognize the courses your student takes here, adding real legitimacy to your homeschooling journey or building on top of your student's existing transcript. That unlocks two ways to enroll: For Credit -- Your student earns official, accredited credit toward their transcript. For-credit students complete weekly assignments that build toward their transcript grade. Outside-of-class work ranges from 1-2 hours per week. Perfect for families who want documentation that reflects what their child is actually capable of -- to show the world how brilliant they are. For Enrichment -- Your student takes the very same course purely for the love of learning. No grades, no outside-of-class work, no credit attached. Just the content, the community, and the growth. Same course. Same mentor. Same experience in class. You choose what fits your family.
If you homeschool, this works seamlessly. If your student attends another school full time, we create a report card and transcript that we share with you, and you share with the school. It is up to your primary school to accept it and add it to your student's official transcript.
Explore the darker chapters of history that textbooks skip, from propaganda and conspiracy to movements that changed the world 
Build the ability to analyze how systems of power enabled atrocities, and what lessons those events hold for today 
Discuss uncomfortable truths with peers in a structured environment where curiosity about difficult subjects is welcomed 
Develop historical empathy and moral reasoning by sitting with complex, challenging material rather than looking away 
Nicole P, M. Ed. I specialize in fun and sometimes scary history. I love to tell a good story. I love to create a tale in such a way that you are drawn in and you don't necessarily realize that you are sitting in a classroom. I also love to laugh. I love to be creative and design opportunities for students to connect to other students. I am a proud mom, serial entrepreneur, artist, case worker, author, mom, and teacher. Educationally, I have degrees in Sociology, Psychology, philosophy, and criminal justice and I recently completed my Master's in Education program and am getting my history certifications. I have run a domestic violence shelter, worked on mental health in a hospital, and did drop out prevention. I worked in the "field" for over a decade before going into business for myself. A lot of my work with children has involved teaching them how to evaluate, plan, and use logic to understand the world, events, and consequences. Critical thinking is a skill that I encourage and like to build into my classes as well as flexible thinking as both are essential life skills. I am also a published author and have been writing books, poetry, and for newspapers and magazines for over 30 years. I am a certified Common Sense Educator and have training in internet safety and working with students on digital citizenship.
WHAT PARENTS ARE SAYING
Parents don't just see happier kids. They see sharper thinking, stronger friendships, and a child who actually wants to log on.
★★★★★
"My son is drawn to the dark corners of history, and Nicole gives him a place to dig into it seriously instead of being told it is too much. He comes to dinner with the wildest true stories."
Priya N.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Nicole opens every session with a trigger warning and a real check-in, so my anxious daughter always feels safe going into the heavy material. That care is why she keeps signing up."
Gabriel M.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son is drawn to the dark corners of history, and Nicole gives him a place to dig into it seriously instead of being told it is too much. He comes to dinner with the wildest true stories."
Priya N.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Nicole opens every session with a trigger warning and a real check-in, so my anxious daughter always feels safe going into the heavy material. That care is why she keeps signing up."
Gabriel M.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My 2e son used to shock adults with his interest in dictators and propaganda. Nicole channels it into actual analysis of how power works, and his thinking has gotten remarkably mature."
Renata T.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dark History is the first course where my daughter debates ethics with other kids instead of with me. Nicole makes room for hard questions without ever sensationalizing them."
Desmond F.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My 2e son used to shock adults with his interest in dictators and propaganda. Nicole channels it into actual analysis of how power works, and his thinking has gotten remarkably mature."
Renata T.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dark History is the first course where my daughter debates ethics with other kids instead of with me. Nicole makes room for hard questions without ever sensationalizing them."
Desmond F.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Nicole tells these stories so well that my son forgets he is learning. He can now explain the man behind the banana wars better than I can."
Camille O.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"We tried other history programs and my daughter was bored within a week. Nicole keeps her reaching, and she finally found peers who love the unsettling stuff as much as she does."
Marcus L.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Nicole tells these stories so well that my son forgets he is learning. He can now explain the man behind the banana wars better than I can."
Camille O.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"We tried other history programs and my daughter was bored within a week. Nicole keeps her reaching, and she finally found peers who love the unsettling stuff as much as she does."
Marcus L.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son is drawn to the dark corners of history, and Nicole gives him a place to dig into it seriously instead of being told it is too much. He comes to dinner with the wildest true stories."
Priya N.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Nicole opens every session with a trigger warning and a real check-in, so my anxious daughter always feels safe going into the heavy material. That care is why she keeps signing up."
Gabriel M.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My 2e son used to shock adults with his interest in dictators and propaganda. Nicole channels it into actual analysis of how power works, and his thinking has gotten remarkably mature."
Renata T.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dark History is the first course where my daughter debates ethics with other kids instead of with me. Nicole makes room for hard questions without ever sensationalizing them."
Desmond F.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Nicole tells these stories so well that my son forgets he is learning. He can now explain the man behind the banana wars better than I can."
Camille O.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"We tried other history programs and my daughter was bored within a week. Nicole keeps her reaching, and she finally found peers who love the unsettling stuff as much as she does."
Marcus L.
YSA parent
If you’re not 100% in love with the course, you have options depending on how you enrolled:
You can switch to another course of equal or lesser value that’s a better fit or get a credit to use toward a future course.
You can either get credit toward a future course, switch to another course of equal or lesser value that’s a better fit, or stop all future payments after a 30-day processing period.
No risk. No stress. Just the learning and belonging you have been looking for.
We can offer this because we know what we do works for thousands of other families. Kids become more self-confident. They find their people. And families tell us this is the place where their student finally feels welcome. We know it will work for your family, too.
All-Access Passes have separate terms and conditions. Please see the All-Access Pass pages.
It goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway... to qualify for the satisfaction guarantee policy, you have to actually attend the classes. This is not a cancellation policy. It’s a satisfaction guarantee. You can’t be satisfied or dissatisfied if you don’t attend.
Young Scholars Academy is a virtual village that offers one-of-a-kind, engaging enrichment courses and community for 5-18-year-old bright, quirky kids to empower them to develop their strengths, make like-minded friends, cultivate life skills, build confidence, and feel great about themselves under the loving care of expert mentors. description2: >- Picture a place where your child fits in, is celebrated, mentored, and loves learning the unique content their beautiful brain craves. That happens every day at YSA for over 1,200+ families, and it can happen for your family, too.
WASC Accredited · 1,200+ Families · 93% Re-Enroll · 47+ States, 17 Countries, 6 Continents
Learn more about YSAQUESTIONS ABOUT THIS COURSE
Everything you need to know before enrolling your child.
Many of our strongest writing students started as reluctant writers. The difference is topic choice and audience. When a gifted kid writes about something they actually care about, for peers who share their interests, the resistance disappears. Our mentors create a safe space where your child writes freely, gets constructive feedback, and builds confidence in their voice.
Yes. YSA families join from 47+ states and 17 countries across 6 continents. All you need is an internet connection. We schedule sections across multiple time zones so families worldwide can find a time that works.
Dark History: Madmen, Movements, Murderers and More meets once per week for 50 minutes, every week from August through December. Your child joins the same tight-knit group of up to 8 students and the same mentor all semester long. Same friends, same mentor, a new challenge every week.
Our gifted and 2e students experience such asynchronous development that hard age limits rarely tell the full story. If your student should be aged up or aged down, contact us at support@youngscholarsacademy.org or click the chat in the bottom right corner of the screen. We do this all the time.
Please don't confuse reactive distance learning with what happens at YSA. When a kid is engaged in a course they chose, with a mentor who gets them and peers who share their interests, the screen disappears. They're not on a screen. They're with their people. Parents tell us their children fight to log on to YSA.
If your child isn't loving a course by the end of the first week, swap into a different course. Same semester. No questions. Not the right fit within the first month? We'll stop payments, switch courses, or issue credit toward any future course. The credit never expires. And you keep every bonus you've received. Over 93% of YSA families don't just stay. They add more courses.
No. Cameras are always optional. Always. Many of our students start with cameras off and turn them on when they're comfortable. Our mentors engage every student equally, cameras on or off.
No. If you're here, you're in the right place. We don't require paperwork, evaluations, or labels. Whether your child has been formally identified as gifted or twice-exceptional, whether you suspect it but haven't pursued testing, or whether you just know your kid's brain works differently and nothing else has fit, they're welcome here.
Yes. YSA is an approved vendor with 10+ state ESA programs including Arizona ESA, Utah Fits All, ClassWallet, My Tech High, Florida Step Up, and others. Enroll directly to secure your child's spot, submit the invoice to your ESA, and your payment method is refunded when funds transfer. Many families pay zero out of pocket.
Click "See Available Times" on this page, pick the section that fits your schedule, and your child's spot is secured immediately. No phone call. No placement test. No prerequisite.
Right now, a kid who thinks like your kid is in a course they chose, with a mentor who was once just like them, surrounded by friends who don't think they're weird... they think they're interesting.
Your child is one click from finding out what that feels like.
Internet connection and enthusiasm to learn more about history mysteries!