Rolling enrollment open. Courses prorated.
Explore now.Are you looking for an interactive, exciting, story-based history class? Join us on an adventure through time as part of the History Detectives: Historical Adventurers' Club. Get ready to uncover the mysteries of how our world became what it is today. Some of these classes will take you on thrilling mysteries, some will explore unusual tales, and others will venture into the realm of the eerie and uncanny. Great history classes start with captivating stories, and our goal is to provide a class that engages students at a high level, fosters social interaction, builds a sense of community, and, of course, offers intriguing historical narratives that most students won't encounter elsewhere.
This course is not currently being offered. Please check back later or explore our other available courses.
Are you looking for an interactive, exciting, story-based history course? Join us on an adventure through time as part of the History Detectives: Historical Adventurers' Club.
Get ready to uncover the mysteries of how our world became what it is today. Some sessions take you on thrilling mysteries, some explore unusual tales, and others venture into the realm of the eerie and uncanny. Our sessions are designed to be fun, quirky, and fast-paced, capturing the feel of gathered-round storytelling with fascinating and unique stories from throughout history.
We believe that great history courses start with captivating stories, and our goal is to provide a course that engages students at a high level, fosters social interaction, builds a sense of community, and offers intriguing historical narratives that most students won't encounter elsewhere.
Each session features a captivating story from history presented with active student involvement, immersive storytelling techniques, student insights, and multimedia elements. We kick off each session with five minutes of sharing to foster engagement and encourage bonding. It's common for students to continue their conversations afterward, further developing these connections.
History Detectives is designed to be inclusive and accessible for diverse students. We've crafted the course to engage students verbally and visually, without a reading or writing component. Whenever possible, closed captioning is provided to support students in associating words and phrases.
As students embark on this journey, they sharpen their skills of intuition, connect historical knowledge, and are exposed to classic content in a fresh and engaging way, with highlights from around the world and throughout time.
Join us on this extraordinary quest as we unravel the secrets of history and ignite your child's passion for the past. Get ready for an immersive experience that transports them to different eras and deepens their understanding of the world we live in.
This course is designed to make history feel like an adventure, not a textbook. Your child explores quirky, fascinating, and sometimes eerie tales from throughout history that spark genuine curiosity. Parents tell us their kids start reading about history on their own and bringing stories to the dinner table.
Every historical mystery requires students to think about evidence, ask good questions, and piece together what really happened. Your child builds these foundational thinking skills in a setting that feels like play. That combination of fun and genuine intellectual growth is exactly what keeps gifted kids engaged.
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.
Uncover mysteries, unusual tales, and eerie stories from throughout history in fast-paced, campfire-style sessions 
Build critical thinking by investigating how our world became what it is today, one thrilling story at a time 
Share the adventure with fellow history detectives who love uncovering secrets and solving historical puzzles together 
Discover that history is full of surprises, building a genuine love for learning about the past 
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 struggles with reading, so a history course with no writing was a gift. Nicole draws him in with pure storytelling, and he remembers every mystery she tells."
Yolanda B.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"The five minutes of sharing at the start changed everything for my shy daughter. Nicole built a little community, and now my kid has friends she messages afterward."
Trevor K.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son struggles with reading, so a history course with no writing was a gift. Nicole draws him in with pure storytelling, and he remembers every mystery she tells."
Yolanda B.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"The five minutes of sharing at the start changed everything for my shy daughter. Nicole built a little community, and now my kid has friends she messages afterward."
Trevor K.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Nicole turns history into a detective case my son cannot put down. He spent a week researching the Taured Mystery on his own after her session."
Bianca S.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My 2e daughter needs things fast-paced and visual, and that is exactly how Nicole runs it. She is engaged the entire time and quizzes us on eerie history at dinner."
Grant E.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Nicole turns history into a detective case my son cannot put down. He spent a week researching the Taured Mystery on his own after her session."
Bianca S.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My 2e daughter needs things fast-paced and visual, and that is exactly how Nicole runs it. She is engaged the entire time and quizzes us on eerie history at dinner."
Grant E.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Nicole treats every kid's guess and theory like it matters. My quiet son started raising his hand for the very first time."
Odette R.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"We have done a lot of enrichment and History Detectives is the one my daughter refuses to miss. Nicole made the past feel like an adventure."
Nathaniel D.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Nicole treats every kid's guess and theory like it matters. My quiet son started raising his hand for the very first time."
Odette R.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"We have done a lot of enrichment and History Detectives is the one my daughter refuses to miss. Nicole made the past feel like an adventure."
Nathaniel D.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son struggles with reading, so a history course with no writing was a gift. Nicole draws him in with pure storytelling, and he remembers every mystery she tells."
Yolanda B.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"The five minutes of sharing at the start changed everything for my shy daughter. Nicole built a little community, and now my kid has friends she messages afterward."
Trevor K.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Nicole turns history into a detective case my son cannot put down. He spent a week researching the Taured Mystery on his own after her session."
Bianca S.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My 2e daughter needs things fast-paced and visual, and that is exactly how Nicole runs it. She is engaged the entire time and quizzes us on eerie history at dinner."
Grant E.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Nicole treats every kid's guess and theory like it matters. My quiet son started raising his hand for the very first time."
Odette R.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"We have done a lot of enrichment and History Detectives is the one my daughter refuses to miss. Nicole made the past feel like an adventure."
Nathaniel D.
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.
History Detectives: Historical Adventurers’ Club 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!