Rolling enrollment open. Courses prorated.
Explore now.Your child designs their own course and builds a real project on a topic they choose. Two tracks available: Arts & Humanities and STEM. Students work through the entire project lifecycle from research to final creation, then present at the Young Scholar's Symposium. Parents watch their kids light up about learning in a way they haven't seen before. This is where self-directed passion meets expert mentorship, college-ready skills, and real pride in creation.
Imagine the excitement in your child's eyes as they design and take their dream course on a topic of their choosing. The Young Scholars Fellowship is designed for students to delve into self-directed passion projects with guidance from expert mentors, fostering true individualized passion and inquiry-based learning. This unique fellowship offers two distinct tracks: Arts & Humanities and STEM.
Rather than following direct instruction, students write their own curriculum for a project that means the world to them. With expert guidance, individualized feedback, and a proven framework, your child will thrive in a supportive community, fueled by collaborative research and development. Resources are custom-tailored to each student's needs and desires. Guided by that framework, participants navigate the entire project lifecycle: ideation and research, pacing and management, and culminating in a final polished creation.
The best part is the finish. Students showcase their Fellowship projects at our Young Scholars Symposium. This event is not just a culmination, it is a celebration of authentic learning and achievement.
In the Arts & Humanities Edition, young visual artists, creatives, writers, budding sociologists, historians, and any combination thereof delve into projects that ignite their creativity and critical thinking. Projects might range from crafting compelling narratives and artworks to conducting historical research or sociological studies. Students have dedicated time to cultivate personal projects within a supportive community, developing both their technical skills and their ability to express their ideas and passions. Past students have authored their own book after studying storywriting, painting, and branding; envisioned and created an original comic book series from characters to cover; and produced period-era clothing based on historical studies of how various civilizations and political institutions shaped fashion and dress throughout history.
In the STEM-focused Fellowship, students explore the world through the lens of science, technology, engineering, and math. Based on their individual interests, observations, inquiries, and skills, learners are guided through research to deepen their understanding and develop ideas for contributing to the broader scientific community. Projects may include designing and conducting experiments, building mathematical models, or creating innovative technological solutions. Past projects include solar ovens built from reclaimed recycling materials to heat food for people without access to electricity, research into whether electromagnets can kill bacteria and mold to keep food fresh longer, and comparative studies on container gardens.
By joining the Young Scholars Fellowship, your child will not only develop deep expertise in their chosen field but also gain invaluable life skills such as project management, critical thinking, and effective communication. The course bakes in essential executive function skills like project planning, time management, and organization. Your child crafts something truly special they can take pride in, earns major bragging rights for college applications by showcasing their unique journey, and builds skills aligned with success in the modern workforce.
Fellowship students design, build, and present a substantial independent project that demonstrates initiative, expertise, and follow-through. The Symposium presentation and the project itself are exactly what admissions officers look for. This is not busywork. This is portfolio-worthy work your child will be proud to talk about in interviews and applications.
Project planning, time management, meeting deadlines, adapting when things do not go as planned. These are the skills parents worry about most, and Fellowship builds them naturally through the structure of managing a real project from start to finish. Your child gains independence and confidence without it ever feeling like a lesson.
Design and build a real passion project from scratch in Arts & Humanities or STEM, guided by an expert mentor through every stage of the process 
Develop executive function skills like project planning, time management, and organization through the natural structure of managing a self-directed project 
Present at the Young Scholar's Symposium, building public speaking confidence and creating portfolio-worthy work with real college bragging rights 
Gain invaluable modern workforce skills including critical thinking, effective communication, and the ability to bring a creative vision from concept to completion See what the Fellowship experience looks like at YSA
Watch our Fellowship Symposium 2025
See this course in action
Amy Bechtol is a neurodivergent individual, educator, and activist. Six years ago she thought it would be fun to volunteer teach for a week as a break from entertainment design work, and accidentally found her passion. Amy has worked in neurodivergent and twice-exceptional education ever since, covering a wide breadth of topics from the humanities, to the sciences, to the visual arts. Her background as an entertainment designer and storyteller informs her teaching practices, finding ways to make content relevant to human experiences. Amy loves getting to work with her students, who often share a neurology similar to her own, connecting them to curriculum in a way that is meaningful, novel, and fun. Utilizing a strength-based, talent-focused model, Amy seeks to engage learners by allowing them to connect their best, most authentic selves to the material. She believes that a state of growth is the natural state of a human mind, and it is the purpose of a classroom to facilitate that process, and allow it to be a joyful one. In addition to Fellowship, Ms. Amy teaches Guns, Germs, and Steel, Kerbal Space, Digital Art, Technical Drawing, and Weapons of Mass Communication.
Malikai Bass is a twice exceptional (profoundly gifted, autistic ADHDer with dyspraxia and dysgraphia) life-long learner who has been teaching twice-exceptional students virtually for the past four years. He has worked with over a thousand students in classrooms that center, celebrate, and affirm neurodiversity. In addition to Fellowship, Mr. Malikai teaches Chess: Applied Executive Function and Rubik's Cubing Masterclass.
WHAT PARENTS ARE SAYING
Parents don't just see happier kids. They see passion ignited, projects completed, and a child who finally gets to drive their own learning.
★★★★★
"The Fellowship let my daughter design her own course around the thing she loves most, and Ms. Amy guided her the whole way without ever taking over. Presenting at the Symposium was the proudest moment of her year."
Sandra L.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Ms. Amy has a gift for helping a kid with a hundred ideas actually finish one. My son learned to pace himself, manage a real project, and see it through. That has spilled over into everything else he does."
Bradley M.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"The Fellowship let my daughter design her own course around the thing she loves most, and Ms. Amy guided her the whole way without ever taking over. Presenting at the Symposium was the proudest moment of her year."
Sandra L.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Ms. Amy has a gift for helping a kid with a hundred ideas actually finish one. My son learned to pace himself, manage a real project, and see it through. That has spilled over into everything else he does."
Bradley M.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My kid has never fit a standard curriculum. In Ms. Amy's Fellowship, being self-directed and intensely curious is the whole point. For the first time, school feels built for him."
Lauren K.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"What makes Ms. Amy special is that she takes their ideas seriously. My daughter felt like her project mattered because Ms. Amy treated it like it mattered. That belief in herself is priceless."
Kimberly T.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My kid has never fit a standard curriculum. In Ms. Amy's Fellowship, being self-directed and intensely curious is the whole point. For the first time, school feels built for him."
Lauren K.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"What makes Ms. Amy special is that she takes their ideas seriously. My daughter felt like her project mattered because Ms. Amy treated it like it mattered. That belief in herself is priceless."
Kimberly T.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"I worried an open-ended project would overwhelm my anxious kid. Ms. Amy's framework gave him just enough structure to feel safe and just enough freedom to feel ownership. He blossomed."
Roland H.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My daughter finished the Fellowship with a polished project she is genuinely proud of and a room full of peers who cheered her on. Ms. Amy built that community. We cannot recommend her enough."
Beth S.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"I worried an open-ended project would overwhelm my anxious kid. Ms. Amy's framework gave him just enough structure to feel safe and just enough freedom to feel ownership. He blossomed."
Roland H.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My daughter finished the Fellowship with a polished project she is genuinely proud of and a room full of peers who cheered her on. Ms. Amy built that community. We cannot recommend her enough."
Beth S.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"The Fellowship let my daughter design her own course around the thing she loves most, and Ms. Amy guided her the whole way without ever taking over. Presenting at the Symposium was the proudest moment of her year."
Sandra L.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Ms. Amy has a gift for helping a kid with a hundred ideas actually finish one. My son learned to pace himself, manage a real project, and see it through. That has spilled over into everything else he does."
Bradley M.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My kid has never fit a standard curriculum. In Ms. Amy's Fellowship, being self-directed and intensely curious is the whole point. For the first time, school feels built for him."
Lauren K.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"What makes Ms. Amy special is that she takes their ideas seriously. My daughter felt like her project mattered because Ms. Amy treated it like it mattered. That belief in herself is priceless."
Kimberly T.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"I worried an open-ended project would overwhelm my anxious kid. Ms. Amy's framework gave him just enough structure to feel safe and just enough freedom to feel ownership. He blossomed."
Roland H.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My daughter finished the Fellowship with a polished project she is genuinely proud of and a room full of peers who cheered her on. Ms. Amy built that community. We cannot recommend her enough."
Beth S.
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.
The Young Scholars Fellowship is a self-directed passion project course where students design their own curriculum on a topic they choose. Two tracks are available, Arts & Humanities and STEM, each guided by an expert mentor through the full project lifecycle from ideation and research through pacing, management, and a final polished creation presented at the Young Scholar's Symposium.
Past projects span an incredible range. On the Arts & Humanities side, students have authored and illustrated original books, designed comic book series from characters to cover, and created period-era clothing from historical research comparing fashion across civilizations. On the STEM side, students have built solar ovens from reclaimed recycling materials, researched whether electromagnets can kill bacteria to prevent food waste, and conducted comparative container garden studies.
The Symposium is the culmination of the Fellowship experience. Students present their completed projects to an audience of peers, mentors, and families. It builds public speaking confidence, celebrates authentic achievement, and gives students portfolio-worthy work with real college bragging rights.
Yes. Fellowship students develop and complete a substantial independent project that demonstrates initiative, expertise, and follow-through. The Symposium presentation, the project itself, and the executive function skills built along the way are exactly what college admissions officers look for. Many parents enroll specifically for this benefit.
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.
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 "Show Me 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.
Materials for this course will be project dependent