Rolling enrollment open. Courses prorated.
Explore now.Linux Club: Explore, Tinker, Learn, BuildReady to go beyond the basics of computing? Linux Club is a hands-on, community-driven experience where you’ll explore the powerful world of Linux - an open-source operating system that powers everything from smartphones to servers. This club is designed for curious minds who want to understand how computers really work and gain real-world tech skills that can serve as a foundation for future development, system administration, cybersecurity, or even programming careers. This is a beginner- friendly club, but it's also a great space for more advanced users to grow and contribute. We'll work together as a team to expand our knowledge and confidence in a supportive, challenge-rich environment.
This course is not currently being offered. Please check back later or explore our other available courses.
Excited to learn about the free alternative to Windows and Mac? Linux is a powerful, open-source operating system, and this course is a hands-on, community-driven space to explore it.
Linux runs most server architecture, tinkering hardware like the Raspberry Pi, and the hottest new gaming device, the Steam Deck. Your child gets a real look at how computers actually work under the hood.
Students learn more about the platform, share open-source Linux software, and ask questions about the benefits and drawbacks of Linux. Best of all, they work on projects together and develop useful collaboration skills.
By the end, your child has a working knowledge of Linux, practical real-world tech skills that can serve as a foundation for future development, system administration, or cybersecurity, and a team of peers to grow alongside.
Most people use computers without understanding how they work. Your child learns the operating system that powers most of the internet, building skills in system administration and command-line tools that give them a serious advantage in any technical field. Parents tell us their kids start fixing tech problems around the house.
Linux skills are the common thread across software development, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and data science. Whether your child ends up in tech or not, understanding how computers actually work builds the kind of confidence and problem-solving instinct that transfers everywhere.
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.
Explore the Linux operating system hands-on, learning how the technology behind smartphones, servers, and supercomputers really works 
Build foundational skills in system administration, command-line navigation, and real-world computing that go far beyond point-and-click 
Tinker and troubleshoot alongside peers who want to understand computers at a deeper level than most adults ever reach 
Gain confidence working with open-source tools and real computing environments used in professional development and cybersecurity 
Hey there! I'm Alex! I've been a game developer for 10 years, and I've worked for Meta and Target. I've also developed a few games, including Totally Reliable Delivery Service (A multiplayer physics game about delivery packages poorly) and Ollie-Oop, a 3D platformer about a skateboarding dog named Ollie who goes on the adventure of his dreams! I was also a home school kid all through elementary school up until college. I love all kinds of video games, puzzles, escape rooms, mystery/detective movies, retro gaming, mechanical keyboards, cooking, and I love dogs!
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.
★★★★★
"My son got a motion sensor to trigger from across the room in Alex's course and cheered like he had won a championship. He talks about Linux at the dinner table now."
Vanessa G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My 2e kid was intimidated by the command line, but Alex made it feel like a puzzle instead of a test. He now troubleshoots his own sensor projects without any panic."
Regina G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son got a motion sensor to trigger from across the room in Alex's course and cheered like he had won a championship. He talks about Linux at the dinner table now."
Vanessa G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My 2e kid was intimidated by the command line, but Alex made it feel like a puzzle instead of a test. He now troubleshoots his own sensor projects without any panic."
Regina G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son adores Alex, talks about Alex at dinner, and cannot wait for the next class."
Sonia G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Alex keeps the group small and the standards high, and my daughter rose right to meet them."
Tanya G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son adores Alex, talks about Alex at dinner, and cannot wait for the next class."
Sonia G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Alex keeps the group small and the standards high, and my daughter rose right to meet them."
Tanya G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Finally a mentor who gets that my son is gifted and struggles at the same time. Alex handles both beautifully."
Denise G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Alex created a space where my daughter feels celebrated instead of tolerated. We are so grateful."
Gina G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Finally a mentor who gets that my son is gifted and struggles at the same time. Alex handles both beautifully."
Denise G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Alex created a space where my daughter feels celebrated instead of tolerated. We are so grateful."
Gina G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son got a motion sensor to trigger from across the room in Alex's course and cheered like he had won a championship. He talks about Linux at the dinner table now."
Vanessa G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My 2e kid was intimidated by the command line, but Alex made it feel like a puzzle instead of a test. He now troubleshoots his own sensor projects without any panic."
Regina G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son adores Alex, talks about Alex at dinner, and cannot wait for the next class."
Sonia G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Alex keeps the group small and the standards high, and my daughter rose right to meet them."
Tanya G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Finally a mentor who gets that my son is gifted and struggles at the same time. Alex handles both beautifully."
Denise G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Alex created a space where my daughter feels celebrated instead of tolerated. We are so grateful."
Gina G.
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.
Specific hardware requirements are listed in the Materials section above and shared after enrollment. Our mentors walk students through setup in the first session. The hands-on nature of robotics and engineering courses makes them ideal for kinesthetic learners and students who thrive when they can build something real while learning.
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.
Linux Engineering: Motion & Heat Sensors 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.
Nothing required, let's talk about whatever Linux platforms you have, or are interested in! Steam Deck, Raspberry Pi, Dual-Booting, etc.