Monica
Strength-Based 2e Educator
- Strength-based approach
- 2e specialist
Specialties: Gaming · Art · Life Sciences
Why Monica teaches here
Monica enjoys teaching 2E students through a strength based lens, using humor and novelty to grow interest in new topics. She also encourages students to observe the world around them and see nature, games, and art as opportunities to continue learning in all aspects of their lives.
What students experience in Monica's classes
High Engagement
Monica teaches through a strength-based lens, using humor and novelty to grow a kid's interest in something new. Whether they are planning a garden, cataloging life with iNaturalist, inventing a species, or running a cozy Stardew Valley farm together, her students are always making and growing something rather than just reading about it.
Intellectual Safety
Having taught at one of the world's leading schools for twice-exceptional kids, Monica knows how 2e learners think and what they need to feel safe. She encourages students to see nature, games, and art as chances to keep learning, so curiosity feels like the point rather than a risk.
True Belonging
Monica meets kids through what genuinely interests them, drawing the ones who love nature, art, and the gentler corners of gaming into a space built around care. Students who find their calm in growing things and designing worlds discover a group that shares that quiet, creative joy.
The right mentor can change everything.
You don't have to figure this out alone. See where Monica and the rest of the YSA village are teaching this season.
Explore Monica's Courses →Explore Monica's Courses
Discover the courses and camps Monica teaches.
AP® Biology (75 min)
Try It From The Inside Satisfaction Guarantee: Our Promise To You: If you’re not 100% in love with t ...
Creature Lab
Does your student enjoy world-building in a realistic way? Do they like folding science into their f ...
Ecology: Field Detectives
If your student loves the outdoors and looking for new things outside, this is the class for them! B ...
Fantasy Botany
If your student is interested in plants, fungi, and fiction, this is the class for you! Plants and f ...
Homework Help: EF Study Hall
Try It From The Inside Satisfaction Guarantee: Our Promise To You: If you’re not 100% in love with t ...
Horticulture: Garden Planning Unit 1
If your student loves to be outside and has expressed interest in growing a garden, this would be th ...
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions Parents Ask.
Everything you need to know about Young Scholars Academy.
What is Young Scholars Academy?
YSA is a WASC-accredited virtual village for gifted, twice-exceptional, and differently-wired students ages 5–25. We offer 200+ live online courses (from Minecraft Redstone Engineering to AP Psychology to Mock Trial) with a maximum of 6–8 students per course, taught by 20 hand-selected mentor teachers who are neurodivergent themselves. We serve 1,200+ families across 47+ states and 17 countries. This is not a marketplace. It's a school and a community.
How does it work?
During Fall and Spring semesters, courses meet once a week, live on Zoom, 50 minutes per session. During Summer, camps run Monday through Friday, one week at a time. When your child enrolls in 3 or more courses, they get free access to Homeroom Social Club — a weekly gathering with a consistent group of friends. Between courses, students hang out on our virtual campus where they walk as avatars, eat lunch together, and build real friendships with kids from around the world who finally get them.
Who is this for?
Gifted, twice-exceptional, and differently-wired students, including kids with ADHD, autism, giftedness, anxiety, dyslexia, and PDA. No diagnosis required. If your child is clever, quirky, and hasn't found their people yet, they belong here. About 65% of our families homeschool. The rest use us alongside traditional or charter schools.
Is this a low-demand environment?
Yes. Enrichment courses have no grades and no traditional homework. However, for-credit courses include assignments and letter grades. Cameras always optional. Challenge by choice. Students are never cold-called, never forced to participate, and never penalized for how they choose to engage. For students with PDA, demand avoidance, or anxiety, this is the difference between a program they resist and one they ask to log into.
How much does it cost?
Semester courses start at $624. Summer camps are $149–$169 per camp. Payment plans, sibling discounts, referral credits, and ESA/charter funding accepted. We're an approved vendor with 10+ state ESA programs.
Will my child actually make friends?
This is the part that surprises parents most. Your child joins a course about something they love and meets 6–8 kids who love it too. Same group all semester (or all week for camps). Parents tell us their children are more connected with this community than with anyone physically around them. 93% of families re-enroll because their kids won't let them stop.
What if it doesn't work?
100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Switch courses, receive a credit, or stop payments. No questions asked. We can offer this because we know what happens when these kids find their people.
What do parents get?
Virtual Coffee & Connect hours every couple of weeks. Regular Expert Talks with leaders like Seth Perler, Debbie Reber, and Dr. Temple Grandin. A Facebook group where families connect and support each other. Progress updates from mentors. And the ability to watch your child's courses anytime (just stay off camera). You're not just enrolling your child. You're joining a village.