Meet Your Teachers

Mr. Salch

MENTOR

Mr. Salch is a retired tech executive and experienced teacher who has successfully taught over 10,000 students across several platforms, schools, and approaches. Mr. Salch has perfected the art of online teaching with hands-on activities in an exciting and inviting environment.

Check out Mr. Salch's Summer ‘25 Courses Metaverse Masters, Robotics Beginners, Video Game Creators Unity 2D.

Ms. Jackson

MENTOR

Ms. Jackson has been teaching theatre for 26 years and was also a children's performer for ten of those years. She owns a theatre program and puts on a show after every 20 hours of instruction (almost 60 shows in six years!). Ms. Jackson teaches children ages 3-20.

Check out Ms. Jackson’s Summer ‘25 Improv Camp and Interactive Storytelling, Friendship Social Club, Parent Social Club Course and Theatre: Putting on a Play Course

Amy Bechtol

MENTOR

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 model, Amy seeks to engage learners by allowing them to connect their best, most authentic selves to the material.

Check out Amy’s Summer ‘25 Creating College Portfolio, Art Club, Technical Drawing, Digital Art, Visual Storytelling, Kerbal Space Players Courses and Kerbal Space Players, Digital Art Camps

Miss Anna

MENTOR

Miss Anna is an experienced youth mentor and educator of 10+ years who leads each class with humor, kindness, and an upbeat attitude while sending out positive vibes….. to encourage her students to do the same!

Miss Anna fosters a true love for play-based learning and enjoys helping kids create meaningful friendships at YSA by creating fun and engaging activities that help kiddos truly feel seen, heard, and valued in her warm and welcoming virtual classroom.

Check out Miss Anna’s Summer ‘25 Camps Friendship Club Gimkit Teamwork Challenge and Animal Crossing.

Megan Hardy

MENTOR

Megan Hardy is a Professional DM and Mother to neurodivergent kids. She loves role playing games, science fiction, comics and just about anything geeky. She is an expert at building D&D campaigns around individual needs and has taught over 4000 students!

Check out Megan’s Summer ‘25 Dungeons & Dragons Quests​, Dungeons & Dragons Campaign Creator Courses

Nelson Dean

MENTOR

Nelson Dean has been an educator for the last twenty years, working with students of all ages and backgrounds teaching music, history, art history, and English. He has been a STAR teacher award recipient and teacher of the year semi-finalist.

Check out Nelson's Spring ‘25 Tools of War Course

Mr. Z

MENTOR

Mr. Z is a highly experienced and actively certified educator with a Master of Science: Curriculum and Instruction VI degree and multiple active teaching certifications including School Library Media Technology Specialist (PreK-12th grade), English Language Arts (multiple certifications across multiple grade ranges), and more.

Check out Mr. Z’s Spring ‘25 Math 4 Life, Cryptography, Python Programming, AP Crash Course Calculus and Game Theory Courses

Nicole P

MENTOR

Nicole P, M. Ed is an educator, proud parent, mom, serial entrepreneur, artist, case worker, and author with degrees in education, sociology, psychology, philosophy, and more! Nicole believes in bringing students together through story
and games.

Check out Nicole's Spring ‘25 History Detectives and Internet Safety Courses

Ms. Jolene

MENTOR

Ms. Jolene is a neurodivergent educator and a homeschooling parent in the neurodivergent and twice-exceptional community, She understands firsthand the transformative power of the right learning environment. With an M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction, a B.S. in Psychology, active academic certifications, a Minecraft Education certification, and 20 years of experience, she offers enriching Minecraft courses where learners can connect with other Minecrafters and share their ideas, builds, experiences, and knowledge.

Check out Ms. Jolene’s Summer ‘25 All Editions Minecraft, Bedrock Minecraft Survive and Thrive Courses

Mr. Tidman

MENTOR

Mr. Tidman is a father to active, Neurodivergent boys. He believes that neurodivergent students have the highest level of intelligence, yet they are under-served in almost every classroom. His main takeaway as a teacher is that we are all passionate and excited about learning. We are all born with a growth mindset, especially Neurodivergent learners.

Check out Mr. Tidman’s Summer ‘25 Science Explorers Courses

Katie Barnwell

MENTOR

Katie has also been teaching in a variety of settings for over 5 years, from virtual school, to one-on-one music lessons. As a former 2e student, and lifelong learner, she understands the complexity in all people, and the importance of not forcing anyone into a box. Her teaching style is one of adaptability and innovation, allowing each student's unique strengths to flourish.

Check out Miss Katie’s Spring ‘25 Advocacy, Feminism, GSA/LGBTQ+ Club and Songwriting 101 Courses

Miss Alex

MENTOR

Miss Alex has been a STEAM and art educator for 8 years, as well as a homeschool parent, teacher, and advisor for nearly a decade. She applies an eclectic approach to teaching, seeing herself as more of a facilitator and fellow life-long learner than lecturer.

Check out Miss Alex’ Spring ‘25 STEM-ology, STEAM Inventors Creative Engineering, Cryptid Club, Dinosaur Collectors and STEAM Science Lab Courses

Jennifer Hughes

MENTOR

Professor Jennifer Hughes is a retired criminal, international and family court attorney. She has taught both in person and online middle and high school for over fifteen years and was the History Department Chair at a non-traditional charter school. She also was an Associate Criminal Justice Professor and has over thirty years of experience.

Check out Coach Hughes’ Summer ‘25 Intro to Criminal Justice, Speech & Debate and Mock Trial Courses

Malikai Bass

MENTOR

Malikai Bass is a twice exceptional (profoundly gifted/ autistic adhder with dyspraxia/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.

Check out Mr. Malikai’s Summer ‘25 Cubing Club, Boardgames, and Chess: Applied Executive Function Courses

Miriam Patrick

MENTOR

Miriam has been teaching Latin for 14 years and ESOL for three years. She has a Bachelor's in Latin and a Master's in Latin and in Special Education. Miriam also has varying levels of proficiency in a few languages: English, Latin, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, American Sign Language, and Arabic. To say that language is a passion, is probably an understatement.

Check out Ms. Patrick’s Summer ‘25 Latin Novice, Mythology, Ancient Technology, Western Civilization and Spanish Novice Courses

Sean Troy

MENTOR

Sean can’t believe how much fun he’s been having teaching YSA kids from around the world about our beautiful planet and the amazing wonders that stretch to each and every corner of our world! One of Sean's passions is Dungeons and Dragons adventures and he loves having students join us as they build confidence and grow together.

Check out Sean’s Summer ‘25 Dungeons & Dragons and Wonders of the World Courses

Ms. Wish

MENTOR

Ms. Wish is a homeschooling mom, lifelong gamer, and former private school teacher who teaches social gaming clubs where kids develop important social skills while playing their favorite online games, all while keeping the environment safe and age-appropriate. As Maria Montessori said, “Play is the work of the child,” and Ms. Wish embraces the digital world where so much play happens. 

Check out Ms. Wish's Summer ‘25 Roblox Brookhaven Camp and Roblox Gameplay In-Server Camp