Online Afterschool and Homeschool

Inspiring Life-Long Learners by making education emotionally engaging and directly applicable to life.

Is online school limiting your student’s social life and learning potential?


Guardian Adventures provides Online Afterschool & Outdoor Adventures for families where:

  • Your student misses the social time that used to be provided at school and needs an opportunity to make new friends and connect with others
  • Your student thrives in an exciting and immersive learning environment where all they are a hero in an interactive adventure
  • Your student won’t be “lost in the crowd” as our instructor-led online classes allow no more than a 1:10 ratio
  • You want to get your student up and out of their seat and physically active or running about outside while still engaged with the online adventure

You may also be interested in our Online Homeschool & Essential Learning Skills with the same elements as our Afterschool programs but with more specific education curriculum where:

  • You can use our Homeschool classes to either replace or supplement your student’s online school classes
  • Classes are taught by mature instructors who have experience in both  online learning and online classroom management and engagement
  • Students are encouraged to find ways in which the subject matter pertains to their personal life, which helps make the lessons immediately applicable
  • Highly creative students find our environment more flexible as they can express their comprehension through a variety of methods
  • Topics covered include real life skills such as finance, public speaking, project management, and more.

Our mission is to enhance your student’s learning and inspire them to become lifelong learners.

Based on our mission of inspiring life-long learners, our belief that education should be an interactive voyage, and our desire to help our heroes pivot to a world of digital learning, we are presenting a full semester of STEM-based, story-centered, and essential learning skills integrated adventures.

The Homeschool classes have a United States standards-based curriculum that is designed to motivate through the use of stories and discovery-based learning; engage through interdisciplinary studies, and energize through interactive and play-based activities.

Our teachers and instructors have been running our story-based STEM Summer Camps for over 20 years in Massachusetts and we now have online versions for students that wish to experience their learning adventures from home.

We hope your student will join us on this adventure in learning and socializing!



Boredom is making your student’s remote experience ineffective.

We make your student’s online experience emotionally engaging.



How do we do this?

(Click on the plus icon for more details)


BEFORE

  • We find out from students why the story or topic being covered matters to them.
  • We spend the first part of every adventure and class getting input from the students.
We find out from students why the story or topic being covered matters to them.

How can it be applied in their life? What benefit do they believe they can get from it? If they don’t have ideas about this, we ask them questions about what they are interested in, and we help them see how the topic can benefit their interest. This comprehension of personal application can pique curiosity and help motivate the student.

We spend the first part of every adventure and class getting input from the students.

This input lets us know what the student may already know about the topic and what they don’t know but want to know. This helps the teacher and the student define a beginning point for knowledge and determine progress at the end of the course.


DURING

  • We allow for Lateral Learning, which is necessary for innovation.
  • We present the story or lesson in the form of an interactive and exciting adventure.
  • Our primary focus is not on what to learn… but instead, on how to learn.
We allow for Lateral Learning, which is necessary for innovation.

Lateral Learning means that if a student begins to learn a topic or plot point but discovers something more applicable and interesting to them that is directly related to the topic or story, we allow them to focus on this aspect. This is important because lateral thinking and learning can inspire innovation by allowing students to experiment with tangents. This process also engages students, because it provides autonomy in the learning process.

We present the story or lesson in the form of an interactive and exciting adventure.

The students play the role of a hero in a dynamic adventure and have to work together to overcome the challenges using the knowledge they have acquired. We involve scenarios that have them brining their portable devices outside to discover solutions in their environment. They run and they explore while communicating with each other towards a common goal. This team approach inspires a sense of belonging. As well, the stories provide a narrative context for the lesson which can improve comprehension and retention of the knowledge.

Our primary focus is not on what to learn… but instead, on how to learn.

Our teachers are not “sages on stages”. Instead, we are “guides on the side”. We see our job as inspiring students to become lifelong learners. This term has become a buzzword that many institutions claim to embrace but rarely enact or support in daily practice. Every step of the way, our objective is to empower students to expand their knowledge by using their own interests as a stepping stone. We do this by providing them with challenges that engage their curiosity, interest, and even passion, and then we walk beside them through their educational journey.


AFTER

  • When students want to learn more about a specific topic, we assist them.
  • Students discuss how their new knowledge has changed their perspective.
  • We redefine failure.
When students want to learn more about a specific topic, we assist them.

We partner with them to find additional resources and help them establish connections between their interest and a wider set of topics. This approach allows them to expand their focus and include subjects that they may not have considered of interest before they started.

Students discuss how their new knowledge has changed their perspective.

It can be tough to change your mind.  But when you learn a new perspective it can change your objective and open up new opportunities.  This process improves two specific outcomes: It promotes a growth mindset that allows a student to change their mind about a previously held idea, and it improves the transfer of knowledge into their personal life by making it directly applicable to their own objectives.

We redefine failure.

Our definition of success is not to end up with a predetermined outcome. Instead, it is to show progress in overall knowledge. As such, failure MUST be acceptable. This attitude is illustrated by Thomas Edison’s reply to Mr. Mallory, who expressed regret that the first nine thousand and odd experiments on the storage battery research had been without results. Edison replied, with a smile: “Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results! I have found several thousand things that won’t work.” We don’t just subscribe to Edison’s idea, we teach it wholeheartedly by allowing for failure and revise it to mean “steps towards success”. This perspective is what builds resilience when a student isn’t able to immediately achieve their desired outcome.


Guard Up/Story School has been doing virtual camps and weekly gaming groups and they do an AMAZING JOB. My son was online for the whole day for many weeks this summer and during April vacation but WAS NOT BURNT OUT. He came downstairs, bright eyed and full of energy from a day of imaginative, physical, and intellectually challenging play with his peers. They inspired him to take on analog projects outside of camp and he thought about his adventures long after they were over. These people know what they are doing when it comes to engaging kids, in person, online, anywhere! In person there is legit sword fighting techniques involved, but even online they get kids working! And of course, there’s always a possibility of costumes. 🙂 This fall they are offering online programs including homeschooling supplementation, two weeks of camp in early September for schools that are starting later and I really recommend folks check them out!” – S. Johnston (Mother of a Hero)


Your student already knows that learning is important. They have been doing it since the day they were born.  Let us show them how to focus that powerful and innate skill, expand their interests, and discover how to build upon their passion.


If school could be like that, I would definitely homeschool!” – A. Edson (6th Grade Hero)


Just take a look…



Studies that show the importance of our specialties:

Emotional Engagement and Motivation: https://jime.open.ac.uk/articles/10.5334/jime.472/

Context and Transfer: https://sites.psu.edu/maurakwikpsu/2015/09/26/how-important-is-context-in-terms-of-learning-specifically-mobile-learning/

Curiosity enhances learning and retention: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079612316300589

Influence of Emotion on learning and memory: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5573739/

Emotional Design improve learning and outcome: https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0026609



Hands-On Learning

Interactive Story-Telling

STEM Education


What is STEM?

STEM education is an interdisciplinary approach to learning where rigorous academic concepts are coupled with real-world lessons as students apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in contexts that make connections between school, community, work, and the global enterprise enabling the development of STEM literacy and with it the ability to compete in the new economy. (Tsupros, 2009)


Guardian Adventures approaches STEM learning in a unique manner: Through the context of story.  Often, STEM education is presented in project manner without much context as to the problem that the project can solve and why it is important.  This is a key difference from formal education which promotes learning for the sake of learning.  Our method is to offer learning that provides a solution to a problem the student wants to solve because they are emotionally engaged in the larger context.

STEM and story are a perfect union.  And over the decades, we have perfected that process.


What are Essential Learning Skills?

We need to engage them in higher-order thinking skills in order for them to develop the skills that will be critical to their future success. As educators, we need to stop depending on the lower level skills, such as memorization and recall, and help students develop higher-order thinking skills such as applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. (Oliver Schinkten)


It’s not enough for our students to just learn about STEM or other academic subjects.  Processing this information and applying it to their lives outside of school is necessary… as well as developing vital skills that will help them with whatever endeavor they pursue later in life.  Guardian Adventures has selected a number of essential learning skills that we are certain will be both applicable and important to our students, whether they wish to become computer game designers, scientists, authors, inventors, artists, or any other career path. Essential learning skills will help them forge a path when there isn’t a teacher available to tell them how.


What is the Online Afterschool Program & Outdoor Adventures?

Whether your student is attending in-person school, remote school, or our online homeschool program, they may desire a social experience that has the safety of staying remote while also being engaged with other kids or teens in exciting, interactive adventures run by our instructors.

Our Online Afterschool Program & Outdoor Adventures touches on education and provides ample opportunity for practicing essential learning skills but with more emphasis on story, adventure, exploring the outdoor environment, and camaraderie than education.  We call our participants “Heroes” as they navigate an ongoing story that never repeats where they make decisions and battle antagonists like monsters and zombies with their wits and special skills.  Think of a computer game… but where the story is relayed live, by our instructors. Instead of using avatars, the other heroes are there, on screen with you.  And instead of sitting in your chair for hours, you are physically active as you grab your remote device and head outside to find solutions and answers to your challenge in your environment (see video below for example).


What is the Story?

Adventures in Time / Preventing the Apocalypse

We learn from the past, we learn from stories, and we learn from being an active participant in our own education. What if you could accomplish all three in a single day? That is the thought behind our story-driven, STEM-focused homeschool class adventures: The Chronokeepers.

In the future, the worst has happened. The apocalypse has come and the world is destroyed, but all is not lost. A select few have been sent back in time to make everything right. Join the Chronokeepers: an elite group of adventurers tasked with preserving the timeline. Learn from the past, work in the present, and save the future. Join us for a set of homeschool classes designed to educate and entertain. You have three levels of adventures:

  • STEM-focused and academically-aligned homeschool courses allow students to practice discovery-based learning as they identify problems and use STEM education to resolve the problems before they create disasters in the future
  • Modern-day essential learning skill modules to train them into better and more well-rounded Chronokeeper heroes including learning to recognize media biases, learning financial literacy, and honing their critical thinking skills
  • Afterschool socialization focused adventure modules where they will adventure with their peers on epic quests to save the day and reinforce the educational modules from the day’s lesson




  • Our Philosophy
  • Pricing Options
  • Schedule
  • Sample Homeschool Curriculum
  • Homeschool Portfolios & Assessments
Our Philosophy

Our Mission

To inspire life long learners who want to make a difference in the world

Our Values

The Three Tenets of a Hero: CourageHonor, and Compassion

Our Purpose

To create a safe, fun, and educational environment where our Heroes and Guardians can grow and learn

Our Vision

To be the preeminent source and curator of interactive story-based education

These important guideposts have been our compass for over two decades.  We have taught and inspired thousands of children and teens from around the world.  This success now brings our methodology and our passion for education into the online homeschool environment.  We do hope you will join us for the adventure of learning!

Pricing Options

Full Semester (20 weeks) Options:

    • After School Only: 2 days (T/TH) per week $18 per class: $720
    • Homeschool Only: 1 class a day for 5 days a week at $12 per class: $1200 (this includes office time)
    • Both Homeschool and Afterschool classes at $10 per class: $1400 (this includes office time)
  • Note: Once a session has begun, a student can apply to enter mid-session with a prorated fee.

Single Week (Trial) Options:

    • Homeschool Only: 1 class a day for 5 days at $20 per class: $100 (this includes office time)
    • After School Only: 2 days (T/TH) at $25 per class
Schedule

Online Homeschool STEM Class & Essential Learning Skills:

  • Monday – Friday 2:30-3:30pm Eastern Time (starts: 1:30pm CT, 12:30am MT, 11:30am PT)

Online Afterschool Program & Outdoor Adventures:

  • Monday – Friday 4:00-5:00pm Eastern Time (3pm CT, 2pm MT, 1pm PT)
Sample Homeschool Curriculum

A sample 20 week curriculum:

  • STEM

    • Science

      • Matter

      • Molecules and Elements

      • The Solar System

      • Earth biosystems

      • Ecosystems

      • Single Cell Organisms

    • Technology

      • Tools

      • Coding

      • Computers

      • Basic Robotics

    • Engineering

      • Simple Machines

      • Combating Mobile Forces

      • Bridge Building

      • Hydraulics

    • Math

      • PEMDAS

      • Powers of 10 and multidigit #s

      • Numerical Patterns and Form Pair rules

      • Decimals

      • Fractions

      • Statistics & Probability

  • Essential Learning Skills

    • Social Studies

      • Continuity and casualty in HIstory

      • Questioning/Analyzing History

      • Media Bias & Sources

      • Culture and Environment

      • Social Media / Online Communication

    • Communication

      • Creative Writing

      • Technical Writing

      • Learning Styles

      • Oration and Debate

    • Critical Thinking & Analysis

      • Research and sourcing research

      • Interpersonal skills and conflict management

      • Learning Styles (kinetic, auditory, visual, tactile, etc.)

      • Understanding Documents

    • Life Management and Financial Literacy

      • Diet, Nutrition, and Food management

      • Body Mechanics / Physical Fitness

      • Statistics

      • Entrepreneurial skills: running a business

      • Stock Trends and History

      • Budgets and Empathy (every household is different)

Homeschool Portfolios & Assessments

All learning modules and curricula will be presented in a manner friendly to newer and accomplished homeschoolers, unschoolers, and distance-learners while also providing documentation and results that allow parents to assess their progress:

  • Online portfolios showing projects and assignments

  • Online record-keeping of individual student performance and progress

  • Online lesson plans and artifacts

  • Pre and Post lesson assessments

There’s never been a better time in our lives for the phrase “it takes a village.” With schools around our nation limiting students in the ability to learn and to engage in vital socializing with their peers, we are dedicating our team to keeping students engaged and educated while making learning and adventure.

You may be a parent who is struggling to find ways to keep your student excited about learning.

Perhaps you don’t have the time required to provide an expansive (or expensive) education.

You might simply want your student’s screen time to be productive and engaging as well as physically interactive and encourages outdoor exploration.

We’re ready to give your student what they need to help you need overcome these challenges. It takes a village… and we will be yours. To contact our team and tell us about your afterschool or homeschooling needs, please fill out the form below or give us a call today at (781) 270-4800.


Contact us for more information about our Online Afterschool & Outdoor Adventures or Online Homeschool & Essential Learning Skills.

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