Jennifer Hughes
Retired Attorney, 30+ Years Legal Experience
- 15+ years teaching experience
- Former History Dept. Chair
Specialties: Debate · Government
Why Jennifer Hughes teaches here
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.
What students experience in Jennifer Hughes's classes
High Engagement
Coach Hughes brings a real courtroom into the classroom. As a former criminal, international, and family court attorney, she runs mock trial and debate where students argue live and think on their feet, and 30 years of experience mean she knows how to keep a room gripping.
Intellectual Safety
A debate is built for testing ideas, and Coach Hughes makes the rule explicit: a position can be challenged without the person being attacked. As a mom of neurodivergent kids, she is practiced at honoring reasoning that arrives by an unconventional route.
True Belonging
Kids who love to argue, question, and dig into how the world really works find their crowd in her room. Coach Hughes treats sharp, persistent kids as future colleagues in the work of justice, never as "too much."
The right mentor can change everything.
You don't have to figure this out alone. See where Jennifer Hughes and the rest of the YSA village are teaching this season.
Explore Jennifer Hughes's Courses →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.