Hi Parents! Welcome to Project SOME.
Got questions? We’ve got answers :). Nestle in, explore this entire page, and self-empower!
Despite our teeny size, SOME is a robust, bespoke secondary (high school level) educational project where non-conventional, empowering learning happens.
We run a little differently — we’re a comprehensive, one-stop spot for outsourced coursework… vetted professors, secular, and affordable.
Instructors re-instill a love of learning into your teen’s experience, supply real-world application, cultivate cross-discipline understanding, and incorporate life-readiness.
Learning about what, why, and how we do what we do is an essential part of participating in the Project.
Use any of the links below, send us a note using our contact form in the main menu, or attend an open house. Let’s go!
Jump Links
to explore more below
The Quick of It
Filmed and coordinated by the teens themselves, watch and learn about Project SOME! Intriguing, practical, secular, in-person courses cultivate academic excellence and wholeistic young adult development.
Project SOME is for those teens who require more individualized attention…or for those teens who have been bullied out of school…or for those who excel in certain subjects but truly struggle in others…or for those geniuses who just can’t sprout when shuffled from class-to-class for a mere 40-minutes of advanced subject material…and Project SOME is for those who simply learn better in vibrant discussions than online, textbook, or lecture alone.
Don’t just take our word for it! Hear from SOME students & professors!
FAQs – Immediate answers to common questions
Click on any question below to see the answer.
Registration Details
Pricing varies depending on which phase you select + the amount of courses you select a la carte. There is also a flat fee for each semester, fall and spring. We do not offer summer courses at this time. The average number of courses taken at SOME, in general, is six per teen per semester because we offer a wide variety to meet as many needs as we can. Registration success mostly relies on the parent administrator being self-informed but we offer a free consultation before sign up. A Parent Package is made available to walk you through every aspect of our culture, our pricing, and our mutual commitments to work together for your teen.
Registration Phases: “Early” – “Term” – “Late” – “Limited”
Early Phase: For a very limited time, a lower rate is available to early-birds — plus teens secure their seat in our limited-size rooms. To be eligible for the Early Phase, enrollment in 4 or more courses is required. Fall early registration is in June. Spring early registration is in December.
Term Phase: If you miss the early-bird special, Term Phase lasts for about a month (June/July and Dec/January) and has a slightly-higher rate. Enrollment in four or more courses is also required for this phase. Of course, life happens, so we do have a LATE Phase. Since we have to hurry paperwork of all kinds, this fee is steeper.
Limited Phase: This phase includes a very low flat fee but it has a strict limitation — teens can only enroll in one or two courses, max. This phase is designed for those who want to “try out” a class or two or to supplement their at-home learning, but Project SOME’s main focus is to offer a continuum of interdisciplinary learning. Our professors hold a single pedagogy — one that understands that high school learning is upper-level coursework so it only sticks when there is a linked-chain between real life and academics. So, yes, jump in for a course or two if that’s all you need, while consider the benefit of interconnected subjects.
To answer all of your questions–from registration to the culture at SOME, click below to self-inform. We are the self-directed community!
Each semester we offer different courses.
To learn the exact details of Project SOME participation, download a copy of the ’26 FALL Parent Package. It’s a parent’s right & responsibility to read so you can know before you go. Grab a tea & dig in!
Enrollment is closed for Fall 2026.
Enrollment for Spring is in mid-November.
Fees + How Courses Run
–> TWO FEES – both are spread across several payments to ease the upfront costs.
Courses are a la carte, approx. $450 each for a full 16-weeks of instruction. Each course happens in master classes once per week, taught by caring, expert, university professors. No professor here teaches from a textbook. Multi-media and rich resources fuel a vibrant classroom.
The flat fee is under $800 for the entire 16-week semester, covering everything from co-op materials to space usage, from insurance to consults, plus 24/7 access to your private info hubs. Sibling discounts are available.
Limited Registration is its own bundle, with all fees due at sign-up. There is no sibling discount. Our Parent Package explains all in detail.
–> HOW EACH OF THE COURSES RUN
Each course meets in-person once per week for 1.5 hours, which has proven to impart a far more comprehensive understanding than several short classes every day. While switching gears from Math to English in ten minutes, and then getting about 30 minutes of straight lecture, works for certain students, we have consistently found that master classes with plenty of time in between is ideal. High school coursework in the classroom is part lecture and part lively discussion. This method enhances retention, fuels engagement and participation, and lowers stress. Teens have a full week for review, contemplation, and critical reading with your at-home support as needed (1-2 hours at home is expected per course). Our graduates, now at Cornell, Northwestern, Washington Universeity, NYU, New School, etc. all testify that they are better-prepared than their peers.
There are no more than 10 teens in a course. Ever. While this makes seats limited, it delivers individualized attention and that’s what matters to us.
Eight courses are offered each day, Monday-Thursday, in 9:30, 11:30, 1:30, and 3:30 slots. As you and your teen design their schedule, we try to fit a variety of subjects into each day. In between each class slot, 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. This also serves to create necessary community between them. Yay!
NYC-based
Manhattan
25+ Secular Courses
Academic Excellence
In-Person, Small Grp
Community & Personalized
2 Semesters
Master Classes
Affordable
A la carte – your budget
Instructor Biographies
Krista Retto, MA
Krista is a three-time NYU graduate in the humanities: English & American Literature, World Religions, and Philosophy. She has also successfully co-founded several businesses, has 15 yrs experience as a C-level exec, and has traveled to 53 countries with more on calendar. She’s a lifelong devotee to combining rigorous classical studies, mindfulness practices, and philosophy. In the arts, she has co-founded two indie music companies, and is a world/ethnic & ballroom dancer. Over 30 years, and alongside her executive careers, Krista has actively also taught in classroom across age groups (from private including The Buckley School to Grace Church; at university such as NYU, Mercy College, etc.), as a teen tutor (virtual & in-person), and as the developer of internship programs for teens in corporate environments. Her high-energy approach flows from her own passion for learning; it’s creative exuberance with academic rigor for real life. She is a foodie and obsessed with gumballs.
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 works hard to develop a sense of hungry curiosity among young students to utilize all the skills in these fields 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.
Brismar Pinto-Pacheco, Ph.D.
Brismar (or Dr. B) is a dynamic and highly motivated Ph.D. with over 12 years of extensive expertise in chemical biology, product development, and healthcare research. More than expertise, she is passionate about it–she makes the difficult simple-enough and bubbles over like a lava experiment when in the classroom. In the professional world, she focuses on innovation, advancement, and education in science and medicine. She has 5+ years of teaching experience (General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry and Energy & the Environment) at NYU, expertise training junior staff and graduate student in laboratory technique and equipment, as well as teaching and mentoring elementary- & middle school students in fundamental concepts of chemistry (MRSEC Outreach with NYU and ACS Directive Member with UPRRP). Besides science, her other passions are the outdoors (she is hiker, rock climber & scuba diver) and is crazy about dogs and cats.
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.
Sean Sutherland, Awarded Poet
Sean Sutherland is the recipient of The James Dickey Prize for poetry for 2025/2026, awarded by Five Points Literary Journal. He has had poems published in the literary magazines: Atlanta Review, The Florida Review, The Sandhills Literary magazine, Hypertext, among others, along with the 30th anniversary anthology; The Writers Studio at 30, and The Maine Review, for which he won honorable mention for their poetry prize in 2015. He has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize three times. Two of his poems were selected for an anthology titled, Poetry for the Actor- A Guide to Deeper Truth. Sean is a MacDowell Colony Fellow and would like to find more time for waking up in a tent.
Shayana Foroutan, MA
Shayana is an instructor born and raised in California with a degree in English on a Creative Writing track from New York University. She specializes in teaching writing, critical thinking, and literary analysis to teens and young adults and is currently pursuing a Master’s in the Teaching of English. Her teaching draws from both classical literature and contemporary media, and she believes that writing is a necessary tool for helping students articulate their ideas, recognize their strengths, and engage in self-discovery. Outside of her academic work, Shayana has spent several years tutoring teens and supporting students through the college admissions process. Her experience includes developing college-preparatory writing curricula, mentoring student authors, and designing discussion-based seminars centered on close reading and dialogue. Her personal creative focus is poetry; her work has been published in BRIO Journal, The Dewdrop Magazine, and The Fellowship of the Unmoored, and she has appeared twice in NYU’s undergraduate creative writing reading series. After completing her MA in Teaching, her next pursuit is a Master of Fine Arts in Poetry.
Olivia Velanova
Olivia Velanova, a native of both Pittsburgh and Atlanta, holds a B.A. in English & American Literatures with a specialization in Creative Writing from New York University. A medievalist and poet, her work has been published in Spires Intercollegiate Arts & Literary Magazine and West 10th Literary Magazine. They are a devout follower of professional cycling, and she loves classical music and making exceptional coffee.
Sid Patel
Economics. Bio coming soon.
ARE YOU AN INDEPENDENT INSTRUCTOR?
Join our collective! Navigate to the instructor area and submit a statement and your CV. We unite under a banner of independent professionals committed to non-conventional, affordable, secular education in the wonderful world of teen learning.
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).
Brian Marra, MA
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Lasya Damaraju, MS, Columbia Medical Student
Lasya is an NYU graduate with a BA in both Biochemistry and Philosophy, a Masters degree in Chemistry, 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 first-year medical student now at Columbia University, 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!
Julia Conde, MA
Julia is a proud Appalachian. Graduate of NYU Archives and Public History, she previously graduated summa cum laude from West Virginia University with a BA in both History and Women’s and Gender Studies and minor in Psychology, earning the Sally Pool Wilkins award for excellence in historical scholarship upon graduation. Her areas of interest and specialization include Early-Modern European History, American Immigration History, Public History, Queer and Feminist theories and histories, and working-class/labor histories. She has worked as an Italian language tutor, Women’s and Gender Studies teaching assistant, historical researcher for the National Park Service, and social media manager/design coordinator for the WVU LGBTQ+ Center. Additionally, she has presented original research at the National Women’s Studies Association’s annual conference and was awarded first place at her institution’s Undergraduate Research Symposium for her work concerning the implications of West Virginia’s legislative practices on maternal healthcare for marginalized groups in the state. Outside of the classroom, she spends her time practicing classical piano, attending ballet class and choir rehearsals, working with community mutual aid groups, and rummaging around flea markets and thrifts.
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.
Anahita Keer, Ph.D.
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.
Jasmine Nourisamie, MA
Jasmine Nourisamie recently graduated summa cum laude from New York University in May 2025 with a double degree in History and Politics and a minor in Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies. She is now pursuing her master’s degree in History at NYU. Although her thesis focuses on the American Revolution, Jasmine has a deep love for nearly every era of world history. Her interests span a wide range of topics, including but not limited to: the Roman Republic, the Crusades, Native American resistance movements, modern-day Iran, and the Ottoman Empire. Outside of her academic work, Jasmine has extensive experience in teaching roles and has been working in history classrooms, particularly at the middle school level, since the age of fourteen. Her favorite part of teaching is those special moments when she inspires students to feel as excited about history as she does. Originally from Southern California, Jasmine enjoys discussing politics, spending time at her favorite Middle Eastern coffee shop in the city (Qahwah House!), and exploring New York’s many museums and historical landmarks. She hopes to attend law school or pursue a PhD in History.
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!