Rolling enrollment open. Courses prorated.
Explore now.This is an incredibly fun, highly interactive STEAM series taught in a way that aligns perfectly with how our neurodivergent students learn. Your child will love the curiosity-based, active, hands-on approach to STEM exploration in this course. We offer two full school years of exciting STEM topics and projects, with a gamified approach that keeps kids hooked week after week. The STEAM Explorers method is so engaging your child will be asking when the next session starts.
Curious kids are invited on a journey of discovery. STEAM Lab is an incredibly fun, highly interactive STEAM series taught in a way that aligns perfectly with how neurodivergent students learn in the 21st century. Your child will love the curiosity- based, active, hands-on approach to STEM exploration, with two full school years of exciting STEM topics and projects.
Your child will love the fun, curiosity-inspiring, gamified, unboxing approach in this course. Students also get a printable STEAM Lab Passport that lets them collect a weekly topic stamp to track everything they learn. Collect them all!
Ms. L presents a brief lesson about a featured STEAM topic. Students take turns sharing what they already know and what they are wondering about, then explore through short activities, discussion, read-alouds, video clips, and hands-on STEM projects, both open-ended and guided. Students keep a STEAM travel journal to reflect on what they learned each week.
Junior and Intermediate each cover a full school year of STEAM Lab: Discovery Quest, but there are no prerequisites for either level. They can be taken in any order, even at the same time, depending on your child's age, abilities, and interests. Junior students often work on guided or creative projects with some adult help, while Intermediate students can read and work more independently on guided and open-ended challenges.
Every week brings a new topic, a new stamp, and a new reason for your curious kid to fall in love with learning.
This course feeds the hunger to understand how the world works. Your child builds real scientific thinking, not just memorized facts, through investigation and discovery guided by an expert mentor. Parents tell us their kids start designing their own experiments at home and asking questions that go far beyond the textbook.
When science connects to things your child already cares about, it sticks. This course bridges classroom concepts and real-world applications in ways that make learning feel natural and exciting. Parents see their kids retain more, engage more, and develop genuine enthusiasm for discovery.
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 opens up 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.
Feed their scientific curiosity, building real investigative skills guided by an expert mentor 
Develop the ability to ask good questions, design investigations, and draw evidence-based conclusions 
Connect classroom science to real-world applications in ways that make learning feel natural and genuinely exciting 
Build confidence approaching complex scientific material in a small group where every question is welcomed 
Meet Miss Louise - Your Child’s Learning Ally and Biggest Cheerleader Hi there! I’m Miss Louise - a teacher, mentor, and passionate advocate for every quirky, curious, twice-exceptional (2e) kiddo out there. My classroom is a place where thinking differently is celebrated, creativity is encouraged, and every student knows they matter. Parents often describe me as kind, patient, and endlessly flexible - and I take that to heart. I know that every learner is unique, and I pride myself on meeting students where they are, whether they’re bouncing off ideas a mile a minute or need a quiet moment to gather their thoughts. I’m here to listen, guide, and make sure your child feels seen, heard, and empowered to shine in their own way. My classes are filled with laughter, curiosity, and connection. I make sure instructions are crystal clear and that every student has the support they need to succeed. Most importantly, I create a space where kids feel safe to be themselves - because that’s where the real magic of learning happens. When your child joins my class, they’re not just gaining a teacher - they’re gaining a partner in learning who truly gets them. I can’t wait to welcome them in. SHORTER VERSION as I'm not sure on the norm! Hi! I’m Miss Louise - and I love working with 2e and neurodiverse kids. My classroom is a safe, welcoming space where students can be themselves, learn at their own pace, and feel truly supported. I’m known for being patient, kind, flexible, and clear in my teaching - and I always do my best to make learning fun and engaging. Parents trust me because I meet kids where they are, help them feel confident, and create a positive environment. Whether your child needs extra encouragement or just someone who “gets” them, I’m here to help them shine. I can’t wait to meet with your amazing kid!
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.
★★★★★
"This is a wonderful class with an exceptional teacher! My daughter is thriving in this class!"
Marta C.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My daughter collects every passport stamp like treasure. Miss Louise makes science feel like unwrapping a present each week."
Leonard B.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"This is a wonderful class with an exceptional teacher! My daughter is thriving in this class!"
Marta C.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My daughter collects every passport stamp like treasure. Miss Louise makes science feel like unwrapping a present each week."
Leonard B.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Ms. L meets my curious kid's endless questions with real enthusiasm. He leaves every session wanting to learn more."
Adaeze O.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"The hands-on projects finally clicked for my 2e son. Miss Louise teaches in a way that matches how his brain works."
Preston V.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Ms. L meets my curious kid's endless questions with real enthusiasm. He leaves every session wanting to learn more."
Adaeze O.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"The hands-on projects finally clicked for my 2e son. Miss Louise teaches in a way that matches how his brain works."
Preston V.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My daughter used to say she hated science. After a semester with Ms. L she calls herself a scientist."
Fabiana R.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Miss Louise turns each new topic into an adventure. My son keeps a STEAM journal now and reads it back to me proudly."
Quentin M.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My daughter used to say she hated science. After a semester with Ms. L she calls herself a scientist."
Fabiana R.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Miss Louise turns each new topic into an adventure. My son keeps a STEAM journal now and reads it back to me proudly."
Quentin M.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"This is a wonderful class with an exceptional teacher! My daughter is thriving in this class!"
Marta C.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My daughter collects every passport stamp like treasure. Miss Louise makes science feel like unwrapping a present each week."
Leonard B.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Ms. L meets my curious kid's endless questions with real enthusiasm. He leaves every session wanting to learn more."
Adaeze O.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"The hands-on projects finally clicked for my 2e son. Miss Louise teaches in a way that matches how his brain works."
Preston V.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My daughter used to say she hated science. After a semester with Ms. L she calls herself a scientist."
Fabiana R.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Miss Louise turns each new topic into an adventure. My son keeps a STEAM journal now and reads it back to me proudly."
Quentin M.
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.
Very. Our science courses are designed around engagement, not lectures. Students participate in live discussions, experiments they can do at home, collaborative investigations, and real-world applications. The small group format means every student is actively involved every session - no hiding in the back of a 30-person class.
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.
STEAM Lab: Hands On Science (45 min) meets once per week for 45 minutes, every week from August through December. Your child joins the same tight-knit group of up to 6 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.
Each week, we will use some or all of the following: