IS THE “BECOMING U ACADEMY” FOR YOU!?

More and more families and students are exploring homeschool and various online-based programs as their preferred educational vehicle for High School completion. With it come challenges such as learning environments, support, resources, and social engagement.

The Depot’s BECOMING U ACADEMY program provides support services and resources to homeschool and online education students and families that help alleviate some of those challenges by providing the following:

• A structured schedule and environment conducive to focused work and concentration
• Access to high-speed internet for research and online homeschool programs
• Personal tutors to help answer questions about the lessons being taught in various programs
• Individual mentoring by passionate Depot volunteers and staff
• Peer interaction during breaks and lunch, as well as weekly group activities
• A healthy lunch and snacks throughout the day

The Depot’s BECOMING U ACADEMY program DOES NOT provide the educational program or curriculum. However, if you are in search of one, we can help navigate questions and provide options to consider.

BECOMING U @ THE DEPOT

The Depot’s BECOMING U ACADEMY program starts on Wednesday, September 9th, and meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00a to 2:00p. Throughout the day, our Proposed Schedule provides students with four 45-minute class periods – “Hours” – to work on their individual assignments and one 30-minute block for a Group Lesson. (Topics TBD)

Below is the Proposed Schedule for the 2026-27 school year that provides 3 hours of focused time for individual studies, 1/2-hour for a group lesson, and 1-1/2 hours of social time.

• 9:00a – 9:15a > Arrival and prepare for the day
• 9:15a – 10:00a > 1st Hour 
• 10:00a – 10:15a >  Social Break
• 10:15a – 11:00a >  2nd Hour
• 11:00a -11:15a >  Social Break
• 11:15a – Noon >  3rd Hour
• Noon – 12:45p >  Lunch and Social Break
• 12:45p – 1:30p >  4th Hour
• 1:30p – 2:00 > 5th Hour  – Group Lessons (Topics TBD)

After lunch on Fridays, we may have special group activities or even a field trip to end a fun week on a fun note!!

BECOMING U PROGRAM FEES

The Depot’s BECOMING U ACADEMY program is a very affordable alternative to simply staying at home. Our suggested donation levels for this type of support are as follows:

• $35 per month, or
• $240 per school year

EXPECTATIONS

BECOMING U @ The Depot is truly a collaborative effort between The Home and The Depot, with reasonable expectations for everyone involved.

THE PARENTS
A successful homeschool or alternative education experience starts with the parents who take the lead on the following items:

• Educational program/curriculum selection and implementation
• Grading assignments and monitoring coursework progress
• If applicable, checking in with the online program’s staff with program and coursework questions and requests
• Ensuring successful participation with The Depot’s BECOMING U ACADEMY program with consistent attendance and on-time drop-off and pick-up times
• We DO NOT require or expect parents to attend or be present at The Depot. However, if you are interested in volunteering, we would certainly love to chat about that opportunity with you!

THE STUDENTS
Commitment from the students also plays a vital role in a successful BECOMING U ACADEMY experience! As such, we expect the following from our students:

• Bring enough work – assignments, quizzes, exams, projects, etc. – to stay busy for the full 3-hour work blocks throughout the day
• Respect the weekly attendance and daily schedule requirements
• Respect other students during work blocks to ensure a quiet environment that is conducive to focus and concentration
• Be respectful to the Tutors, Volunteers, and Staff
• Respect the facility and equipment by cleaning up after yourself

THE DEPOT STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, AND TUTORS
The third component to a successful BECOMING U ACADEMY experience is the efforts of our Tutors, Volunteers, and Staff. Although we are NOT responsible for watching over your teen’s shoulder to make sure they are getting their work done, there are a number of things that we will commit to providing your son or daughter.

• We will provide your teen a safe place to be, with an environment conducive to helping them focus and concentrate on their schoolwork
• We will strive to provide at least one in-person tutor so your teen can ask for assistance throughout the day. The tutors are here to assist your teen, not to teach them their lessons. If a tutor is not available on any given day, one of our volunteers or staff will do their best to assist with their questions.
• If desired, we will provide your teen with a healthy lunch as well as snacks and a choice between ice water or a flavored beverage throughout the day.
• We will provide behavioral and effort-based reports when requested.
• We will provide encouraging and righteous mentoring that builds self-esteem while supporting personal growth, responsibility, and accountability.

MISCELLANEOUS
With their parents’ permission, Teens may listen to music with earphones or earbuds at a reasonable volume. If we can hear it, the volume level is not reasonable!

Additionally, The Depot’s staff, volunteers, and tutors will not monitor or be responsible for the content your Teen listens to or views during any portion of The Depot’s BECOMING U ACADEMY program time together.

In short, we will be responsible for providing the six items of support and resources mentioned above. Parents and Teens will be responsible for the Teens’ behaviors and efforts while at The Depot.

CELL PHONE, DEVICE, AND SOCIAL MEDIA USE POLICY

To minimize distractions and ensure a focused environment, BECOMING U ACADEMY has adopted these cell phone, device, and social media guidelines.

• During work sessions (i.e. 9:15a-10:00a) cell phones will remain face down on the table at an out-of-reach distance from the primary work area.

• Cell phones and devices can be used during the 15-minute social breaks and 45-minute lunch period.

• If a cell phone or device is used during work sessions for playing music, a playlist or curated music service, such as Pandora, Spotify, or Amazon Music, must be used. Teens will not be able to search for or pick-and-play individual songs during work sessions.

• Social media chat apps such as Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, etc., are not allowed to be used on laptops and/or tablets during work sessions.

• If support resource apps such as dictionaries, calculators, etc. are needed, they are already installed on or can be downloaded onto laptops and tablets to be used during work sessions.

• In the event of emergencies where a parent needs to reach their child, they can call Nicole or Scott. Otherwise, students can check and reply to calls and texts during social and lunch breaks.

• In VERY special circumstances, students may ask permission to use their cell phone or device for school-related applications during work sessions.

• If a student is seen using their cell phone or device during work sessions without permission, access to their phone will be removed until the end of the school day – including breaks and special end-of-day activities.

• If repeated unauthorized use continues, the student will either not be allowed to bring their cell phone or device to school, or it will be checked in to Nicole or Scott upon arrival and returned to the student at the end of the school day. This includes no access during breaks and special end-of-day activities.

• There is ZERO TOLERANCE for accessing inappropriate content on cell phones, devices, and laptops. If inappropriate content is observed or casually discovered, the student will not be allowed to bring their cell phone, device, and/or laptop to school for a mutually agreed-upon time between the parent(s) and BECOMING U ACADEMY Staff.

QUESTIONS

If you have any questions, please call or text our BECOMING U ACADEMY Coordinator, Nicole Thompson, at (231) 330-6060 or email her at Nicole@EJDepot.org.

SUBMIT APPLICATION

The Depot’s BECOMING U ACADEMY application below MUST be submitted by a Parent or Guardian. In the event more applications are received than we have room to accommodate, students committing to all 3 days per week will be given preferred consideration.

All applications will be reviewed upon submission. Participation confirmations will be announced via email or phone by Friday, August 28th.