Barefoot Technology Academy is a STEM-focused microschool where bright, gifted and twice-exceptional teens build real projects, master challenging content, and thrive in a small community that actually understands them.
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We are an intentionally small, fully virtual high school built for students who are bored, under-challenged, or misunderstood in traditional classrooms. Instead of worksheets and busywork, students design and complete ambitious projects, guided by expert mentors who respect their curiosity and complexity.
Students tackle meaningful, interest-driven projects in STEM, humanities, entrepreneurial, and creative domains. Their work becomes a portfolio that speaks far louder than grades or test scores.
Learning happens through discussion-based seminars and guided project work. Students use computational tools, data analysis, writing, and design as ways to explore complex ideas.
Each student works closely with a mentor who acts more like an academic advisor than a traditional teacher: guiding research, giving detailed feedback, and helping students refine their thinking and goals over time.
Students demonstrate mastery of clearly defined competencies through through portfolios, oral defenses, and deep, sustained work.
Students pursue opportunities typically reserved for undergraduates: original research, academic competitions, publications, conference presentations, internships, and college-level coursework.
Barefoot Technology Academy is forward-looking. The future of education will be virtual, project-based, and code-centered, and this school provides an opportunity to experience this future without having to wait.
It's like graduate school for teenagers! I wish my children had had access to this kind of environment when they were in high school.
I attribute, in many ways, my passion for computation to Rory. Over the years, he's cultivated an environment of openness that has nurtured not only my own capacity to learn but also the potential of many friends I've made at his programs.
This school seems like an incredible place for students who value curiosity, who strive to go above and beyond, and want to have a meaningful impact - whether as researchers, entrepreneurs or in any path they choose.
Your teen might thrive here if they:
If that sounds like your teen, the next step is simple: have a conversation with us or attend a virtual open house.
Attend an Open House Talk with the FounderAdmissions are currently open for our founding cohort. Start the application or schedule a conversation to see whether Barefoot Technology Academy is the right fit for your family.