SOME is a robust, bespoke project despite our teeny size.
We run a little differently — we’re a comprehensive, one-stop coursework outsourcing project by professors, secular, and affordable.
Learning about what, why, and how we do what we do is an essential part of participating in the Project. Nestle in and self-empower!
Project SOME
. FALL 2024 REGISTRATION ENDING SOON – don’t delay.
Watch video testimonials
Project SOME in 3 Quick Vids!
As a full-service consultancy, Springboard has Project SOME – a place where NYC homeschooling parents work with NYC independent instructors, a place where we all focus on creating smarter, kinder, life-ready teens. Watch these videos to hear what the people involved are saying.
* If you’re also an instructor, visit that section of our main menu!
* If you’re a good-doer, do some good 🙂 Inquire to donate computers, book, or other ways you can help.
FAQs – Immediate answers to common questions
Click on any question below to see the answer.
Registration Details
Pricing depends on which phase you select + the amount of courses you select. You administer. We facilitate your needs a la carte.
Here are the phases: “Early” – “Term” – “Limited”
Early Phase: Gets parents the best rate and their teens a secured seat in our limited seating. There is a flat fee due immediately, plus requires a sign up to 4+ courses which are paid later.
Term Phase: There is a flat fee plus requires a sign up to 4+ courses. Courses are paid for separately (chosen a la carte by you). We require this minimum on the one hand to stay afloat. But on the more important mission, associative learning needed in teen years happens when subjects are tied together…and the instructors at SOME create such a flow and cross-discussion. Learning here, the info sticks and becomes relevant and practical for the teens. If you sign up late, you will pay extra fees. Many parents choose an of seven courses but if you/your teen want to try just a course or two, Project SOME does offer a Limited Registration phase.
Limited Phase: There is a very low flat fee plus a limitation on the number of courses your teen can take, namely one or two. This is restricted because the flat fee is so low, and limited to only those seats in courses which have not yet filled up during the other two phases.
To answer all of your questions–from registration to the culture at SOME, click below to self-inform. We are the self-directed community!
Know before you go. This is a copy of our Fall ’24 Package, and it explains everything! For more info, contact us to set up a call or take a tour.
Access/read the Parent Package for digital signature, plus you can choose your courses and sign up right away!
Fees + How Courses Run
TWO FEES. THREE COMFY DUE DATES
As mentioned, pricing depends on which registration phase you select — you can find all terms in the Parent Package. Meanwhile…
Early, Term & Late Phases: There are two fees, one flat and another for the a la carte courses you select. The flat fee is per semester, under $800 for the entire semester, covering everything from materials to space usage to during-term consults, and 24/7 access to your hub. All course fees are set by the instructor and are ~$400 for a full 16-weeks of top-flight instruction. As a kindness to parents and knowing the financial strain of outsourcing, the instructors accept two payments for the course fees. Sibling discounts are available.
Limited Registration: The small flat fee and one/two course fees are due at sign-up. There is no sibling discount.
HOW EACH OF THE COURSES RUN
Each course meets once per week for 1.5 hours. This method proves to enhance absorption, fuel discussions and engagement, and lowers stress. Something we have learned from working exclusively with teens over the years: teens actually learn best when they’re not having to change heads from math to english in ten minutes! Master-like sessions bring higher learning, retention, and they enjoy it more on top of it. Instructors, in 1.5 hours, exceed what a conventional school covers disjointed across several days of a mere 30-minutes of real instruction time after roll call and settling in. Plus, such a method gives teens a whole week to review with you at home and to do assignments.
As if that’s not enough, the add-in bonus is that, between each course, there’s a glorious 30-minute break. Teens use the break to clear their head, eat, chat, do homework, study together, take a walk, go on their phones 😉 …they do what teens do. It creates community too since they can socialize. Yay!
NYC-based
2-floors, All Teens
40+ Secular Courses
Academic Excellence
In-Person, Small Group
Community & Attention
2 Semesters
…and some summers
Affordable
A la carte – budget friendly
Instructor Biographies
Krista Retto, MA
Krista is a 3-time NYU graduate holding an AA, BA and MA in Humanities, English & American Literature, World Religions, Philosophy. She has also successfully co-founded several businesses, has 15 yrs experience as a C-level exec, and has traveled to over 50 countries. She is a lifelong devotee to combining classical studies, mindfulness practices, philosophy, & the arts (as a music producer and as a professional world & ballroom dancer). Over 30 years, Krista has had occasion to teach in-classroom (private including The Buckley School, Grace Church and at NYU, Mercy College, etc.), as a tutor (virtual & in-person), and recently in homeschool programs. Her high-energy approach flows from her own passion for learning; it’s creative and exuberant while demanding (of the good kind). She is mamma to Jack, a bluenose who thinks he’s a lapdog.
Janhavi Bagwe, MS
Janhavi is fascinated by computer science technology, seeing it has proved to be the almost-incomprehensible center of all things driving modern human evolution. This outlook drives her passionate delivery when teaching, and she ties her computer, math and science backgrounds together. She inculcates a sense of hungry curiosity among young students to utilize all their skills for the things they want in life. She has her Masters degree in Computer Science from NYU, and has worked as a professional software developer, actively contributing to this field. She has also worked as private tutor, teaching students the foundation of computer programming hands-on while spurring them to see the bigger picture of it’s limitless capabilities. She additionally spends her evenings weight-training hard at the gym, staying atop new coding developments, and loves the beach for a swim or just to watch beautiful sunsets.
Drew Hopkins, Ph.D.
Drew brings a strong record of scholarship and extensive life experience. In addition to a decade of innovative pedagogy at the City College of New York and Columbia University, Drew served in central positions in print and broadcast media and documentary film. Drew received his Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology at Columbia University in 2008. His Ph.D. dissertation, based upon two years of field work in a remote, mountainous region of Western Fujian province in southeastern China, is an historical ethnography that examines the challenges facing rural households in impoverished paper-making settlements. He has lived in multiple US States, Paris, Taiwan, etc. and speaks multiple languages including fluent French and Mandarin. He is a devoted papa to Josephine, a stout and ever-smiling pitbull/bulldog mix.
Glenn Healey, MA
Glenn has a Masters in psychology from The New School, with emphasis on clinical, cognitive, and experimental psychology, as well as some study of Buddhist/Eastern approaches to the human experience and pathology. His Bachelors is from Duquesne University, specializing in existential phenomenological psychology, with minors in music, video production, and business. He’s been a psychotherapist for 30 years, including over 15 years in NYC public schools with teens and their families. He has also worked many years in mental health clinics and intensive outpatient addiction treatment. In various school settings, he has taught English, Spanish, Portuguese, and psychology. As a professional musician, he has performed in 15 countries on four continents, and taught in four countries on three continents. As a teaching artist, Glenn has taught percussion for 10 years at Bard High School Early College, and many other NYC schools, and pre-pandemic worked at BHSEC as full-time sub for all subjects.
Anahita Keer, PhD Candidate
Anahita is a chemistry Ph.D. student at New York University, training to become a polymer chemist and materials scientist. She is also an adjunct instructor at NYU and has been teaching for over 7 years. She has won several national and international awards for her research. She is our go-to for most things science, including her inventive coursework where she’ll teach Chemistry by way of making kimchi! Enthusiastic in approach, her own love of chemistry prompts her to find ways that are practical, down-to-earth and revelatory for her students. Outside of academia, she enjoys lifting weights, yoga and cooking!
Savannah Magruder
Savannah is an award-winning writer/director born in Maine and based in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a BFA in Film from Pratt Institute where she also studied Art History. Savannah has over five years of experience working professionally in the film industry in New York City, and her short films have screened and won awards at various film festivals across the US and Canada. Her music video work has been featured on The Fader, VICE, Stereogum and Brooklyn Vegan. She has served on the screening committees for Frameline Film Festival, Brooklyn Film Festival and Bushwick Film Festival. When not in the classroom, she’s in a theatre or on set.
Lasya Damaraju, Masters Candidate
Lasya is an NYU graduate with a BA in both Biochemistry and Philosophy., and several years experience in teaching test prep and writing/research to high school students. She has participated in an award-winning team in research on polymer and materials chemistry, and will be an adjunct instructor at NYU this summer. Lasya is curious about various questions in fields like philosophy, science, and the joint field of philosophy & science. As future medical student, she aims to combine her two passions to become a physician-ethicist. Outside of her studies and professorship, she enjoys exploring new restaurants with her friends, doing pilates, and cooking!
Felicia Scaragello, MFA
Felicia has a BA from NYU’s Gallatin and an MFA from The Actor’s Studio at The New School. She’s a proud union member (SAG-AFTRA & AEA) and a published writer. Having graced stages in NYC and embarked on nationwide tours for over a decade, Felicia’s affinity for narrative and character evolution led her to embrace roles beyond the spotlight. Her foray into casting, producing, and development (even including her venture into reality TV and game show casting and production) showcases her multifaceted skill set and dedication to storytelling in all its forms. Felicia’s passion for education shines brightly, especially when working with teenagers. Monologue coaching holds a special place in her heart, allowing her to nurture young talents and guide them toward realizing their full creative potential. Her enthusiasm for sharing knowledge is only rivaled by her love for dark chocolate and spirited game nights. Residing in Brooklyn, NY, Felicia’s world is enriched by her role as a dedicated mother to two teens and a charismatic leopard gecko.
Dante Whittaker, Ph.D. candidate
With experience as an adjunct professor and as a teen tutor, Dante is a doctoral candidate of American History at NYU specialized in 19th Century U.S. History, histories of slavery, African American history, and agrarian reforms in the U.S. South. He has a passion for debate and a unique and engaging way of teaching its necessary skills which help students grow their ability to listen, reason, and respond in situations that require keen back-and-forth engagement. Originally from Alabama, he currently lives in Brooklyn with his fiancée, and they share a guilty pleasure of watching reality dating shows. Downtime means watching sports, reading and writing, researching anything-history, and listening to black musical art forms like hip hop and r&b. A few of hobbies are fishing, playing word games, traveling, discussing politics, and being an avid learner.
Brian Marra, Masters Candidate
Brian’s expertise is in American History and is currently completing his Master’s in New York University’s History Department. He was an award-winner for his undergraduate thesis, and during his college years, served as a tutor in both the history department and the university’s writing center. He has additional areas of specialization that include research into 20th century socio-political movements: his current project explores the development of rural queerness and rural queer activism in Iowa accounting for the influences of religion, the prison system, and educational institutions. Beyond his studies, Brian has been actively involved in politics in both governmental capacities and grassroots activism. He enjoys film, sports, hanging out in New York City’s parks, and exploring any (and every) museum.
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PAST INSTRUCTORS
While we wish everyone who comes aboard to offer coursework could return every semester, we show our gratitude here for their participation! Great talent has come through our doors.
Lyndon Haynes, MA
My love for teaching started off when I began tutoring in college. I enjoy helping students see mathematics in a new light. Presently as a Mathematics Professor in New York, I try to impart to students of all ages the very same joy and fun I find in solving problems. Math can, and does, enrich our lives, and when we master it, it infinitely increases our independence.
Hunter DeGregorio
Hunter is a NYC based E- RYT and Pilates instructor. She has over 300 hours of studying the human anatomy, history, and philosophy of yoga. Her lineage is Hatha/ vinyasa and Katonah yoga. Hunter has a background in movement being trained in classical ballet for 10+ years at a local company in her hometown of NJ which lead to some summers at ABT intensives in Nyc. Hunter has a very light-hearted, calm approach to an ancient practice and focuses on creating an inclusive community for everyone. She is also passionate about strengthening one’s relationship to self and embodiment, having fun and sparking joy, and overall enhancing one’s wellbeing! When Hunter is not teaching or practicing herself, she enjoys being outside with her dog Dakota and hanging with friends and fam 🙂
Lara Kossover
Dr. Lara Kossover is a chiropractor with a specialty in gentle chiropractic for pregnancy and pediatrics. Dr. Kossover has a background in Film and Television and an interest in the deeper meaning of things. She lives in Brooklyn, and is the mother of two home-birthed and homeschooled boys, Ray (14) and Max (10).
Justin Greenman, Ph.D.
Justin comes to SOME in the finishing stages of his Master’s degree in History from New York University. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2021 with a Bachelor’s in History and Political Science. His research focuses on 19th century U.S. politics and how parties, activists, and everyday voters came to terms with their politically chaotic and evolving nation, and what these lessons can say about our own political time. Outside of the classroom, Justin is a tour guide for Big Onion Walking Tours and the Merchant’s House Museum, both right here in New York City. Besides decoding the past, Justin is a long-suffering New York Jets and Mets fan who is happy to talk about sports, politics, and classic television any time!
John Powers
A graduate of NYU’s Tisch Film and TV School, John is a lifelong New Yorker with a background in a variety of fields. Since 2010, he has worked as a private tutor, both as an integral member of a startup boutique tutoring company and as his own business. John attributes this experience with his ability to explain concepts to students that they often find confusing, from oddities with percentages to the correct use of the word “whom.” A specialist in math, ELA/grammar, and standardized tests–including several at the post-college level–John has seen it all in his career. In his personal life, John enjoys playing piano and griping about the Knicks. Traveling, learning, and trying new things are important to him. He brings a warm, patient, but entertaining personality into the classroom, and he has an easy way of connecting with each individual student. John looks forward to bringing these life and work experiences into his courses at SOME.
Elba Melendez, Grand Master
A well-respected sensei in the martial arts world, Elba is also nicknamed “Cookie” – a Grand Master martial artist from the Lower East Side. She teaches self-defense by way of various forms (including Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing, Muy Thai and more) to everyone from children to professionals across the country. She is also an in-demand judge for professional fights, and founded and runs an annual global conference particularly for women in martial arts. Being a New Yorker, she’s keenly aware of what self-defense skills are of practical benefit, and knows how to make the practice both mindful and fun! Music is often incorporated into her energetic classes, and she is all about the health and empowerment of the mind as much as the body.
Cheryl Berard, PhD
Cheryl is a pianist, organist, and music educator. She majored in piano and harpsichord
at The Peabody Conservatory of Music, received her Master of Music from Florida State University, and earned her Doctor of Musical Arts from Boston University, where she held a position as Staff Piano Accompanist. She has studied diverse topics in music theory,
musicology, and collaborative performance. Post-doctoral, Cheryl became interested in piano pedagogy and the beneficial effects of developing musical ability in children and adults. She has participated in arts outreach programs at public and private schools throughout New York City. Cheryl has performed as soloist at the Smithsonian Institution, the University of Pennsylvania, Boston University Concert Hall, First Congregational Church in Cambridge, among other venues. She enjoys giving lecture recitals and is an enthusiastic ensemble musician.
Maharath Sinha, MFA
Maharath is a software developer, audio engineer and music professor. He did his undergraduate degree in computer science, masters in music technology, and also has an advanced certificate in Tonmeister studies from NYU. He primarily produces electronic and jazz music and has mixed and mastered tracks from many genres like pop, rock, classical and jazz. His research focus was digital signal processing and he coded his own wavetable synthesizer during his masters. He is also a trained drummer, playing at many festivals in India. Apart from his technical interests, Maharath plays World of Warcraft at a competitive level.
Robert Gladding
Robert is a student-inspired NYC teacher of 20 years, teaching AP Literature and Filmmaking at a top public school for many years, Drama and ELA in the Bronx, mentoring young filmmakers for the Summer Arts Institute/Tribeca, and also leading creative dramatics residencies upstate. His B.A. is from Middlebury College, Vermont, and his M.A. from City College as an NYC Teaching Fellow. He sees himself as a life long student and human nature ‘detective’, loves writing fiction and for the screen, and has a compulsive practice of journaling that’s seeded many of his ideas. Before teaching, he was an actor and director, and his own kids act professionally, leading to family adventures around the world. He runs on-camera classes, and has coached thousands of audition tapes for shows and movies you’ve definitely seen.
Giovanna Acosta
Giovanna is a writer and coach based in NYC. She holds a BA in Psychology from SUNY Binghamton and an MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Brooklyn College. She has over 10 plus years of experience in the people and organizational development space, working in organizations ranging from Healthcare, to Finance, to Tech. Her work there consisted of creating and implementing programs to help the employee and the organization function more effectively.
After a successful career in corporate Learning, Giovanna has recently left that world to pursue other ventures. She is in the process of launching a platform for Women of Color which aims to provide BIWOC with the guidance needed to assert their value and advocate for themselves. She is also currently writing her debut novel, an introspective/experimental work of fiction that she’s very excited to share with the world!