Rolling enrollment open. Courses prorated.
Explore now.In this introductory ethics course we will grapple with our everyday lives through a lens of moral philosophy. Each week I will provide an overview of a foundational reading in the area of ethics and then, as a class, we will consider constructions of right and wrong via research and statements about consequences, duty, reaction, and power. Connected to these discussions, students will also engage in extension activities through which to identify ethical frameworks in our socially constructed world.
What does it mean to do the right thing, and how do we know?
This course invites students into the rich tradition of philosophical ethics, exploring the major moral frameworks thinkers from Aristotle to modern philosophers have used to reason about human behavior.
Students examine real-world dilemmas across technology, justice, and personal relationships through Socratic discussion, case studies, and reflective writing.
Students develop their own reasoned moral perspectives while learning to engage respectfully with challenging viewpoints. It is for students who want to think more carefully about the world and their place in it.
The thinking, collaboration, and confidence your child builds in this course do not stay in the classroom. Parents consistently tell us they see the difference at home, at school, and in social situations. When learning is driven by genuine interest, the growth is real and lasting.
For gifted and 2e kids, finding a place where they feel understood can change everything. This course surrounds your child with peers who think like they do and a mentor who celebrates what makes them different. Parents tell us this is the first program where their child truly felt at home.
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.
Dive deep with an expert mentor who meets every student where they are and pushes them to grow 
Build confidence, critical thinking, and genuine expertise through hands-on learning and real engagement 
Connect with a small group of like-minded peers who share their interests, forming real friendships in the process 
Develop skills that transfer beyond the classroom, including communication, collaboration, and independent thinking 
Hi! Thank you for taking a moment to learn a bit about me and about how I might be able to help support your learner on their educational journey. Over the past twenty-five years, I have valued the opportunity to teach across various educational levels including, K-12 public schools, community colleges, and at 4-year public and private universities. I hold a PhD in Sociology and I am a generalist by training. I currently teach courses in the areas of class, culture, family, ethnicity, gender, methodology, philosophy, race, social justice, and theory. I also actively mentor students in research, writing, and in their continuation into graduate, law, and medical school. Over the past decade, I have also created programs to help incoming college students develop a sense of belonging, connect to positive peers, and academically excel. In all of my classes, I work to develop strategies that foster presence, openness and a reflexive learning environment where student support, acknowledgement of the intrinsic value of every student, and efforts to promote student persistence and success are requisite. Through critical, contextualized learning; active and ongoing student mentorship; progressive and responsive course development, and the creation of experiential opportunities, I have constructed inclusive and enriched academic experiences for students, where they are at, and that help equip them for where they want to go. At YSA, I look forward to providing courses that build knowledge through reflexive, reciprocal learning, to inspire growth in the minds and lives of our students, and to help foster belonging within this rich learning community. See you soon! Eric
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.
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric gets my daughter to reason through hard questions instead of just having opinions. Her thinking has grown so much."
Naomi S.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son loves debating right and wrong with Dr. Eric. He listens, he challenges, and he never tells kids what to think."
Curtis B.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric gets my daughter to reason through hard questions instead of just having opinions. Her thinking has grown so much."
Naomi S.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son loves debating right and wrong with Dr. Eric. He listens, he challenges, and he never tells kids what to think."
Curtis B.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric creates a respectful space where my daughter can wrestle with big moral questions. She leaves every session thinking harder."
Elaine V.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric taught my son to slow down and consider every side. That habit has spilled into how he treats his friends."
Miguel A.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric creates a respectful space where my daughter can wrestle with big moral questions. She leaves every session thinking harder."
Elaine V.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric taught my son to slow down and consider every side. That habit has spilled into how he treats his friends."
Miguel A.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My daughter now weighs consequences before she acts. Dr. Eric made ethics feel real and relevant to her life."
Roshni D.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric handles disagreement with such maturity that my son felt safe voicing unpopular views. He is a sharper, fairer thinker for it."
Grady F.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My daughter now weighs consequences before she acts. Dr. Eric made ethics feel real and relevant to her life."
Roshni D.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric handles disagreement with such maturity that my son felt safe voicing unpopular views. He is a sharper, fairer thinker for it."
Grady F.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric gets my daughter to reason through hard questions instead of just having opinions. Her thinking has grown so much."
Naomi S.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son loves debating right and wrong with Dr. Eric. He listens, he challenges, and he never tells kids what to think."
Curtis B.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric creates a respectful space where my daughter can wrestle with big moral questions. She leaves every session thinking harder."
Elaine V.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric taught my son to slow down and consider every side. That habit has spilled into how he treats his friends."
Miguel A.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My daughter now weighs consequences before she acts. Dr. Eric made ethics feel real and relevant to her life."
Roshni D.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric handles disagreement with such maturity that my son felt safe voicing unpopular views. He is a sharper, fairer thinker for it."
Grady F.
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.
Gifted kids are natural philosophers. They already ask the big questions - we give them frameworks, vocabulary, and a community of peers who think the same way. Our mentors guide discussions without dumbing them down. Students leave with sharper critical thinking, better argumentation skills, and the confidence that their deep questions deserve serious exploration.
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.
Ethics 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.
An internet connection and a can-do attitude!