Six years ago, Elon Musk walked into a parent-teacher conference to meet with his child's teacher, Josh Dahn. Elon asked Josh a life-changing question: would he start an experimental school at SpaceX to transform learning as we know it?
Josh agreed and under Elon’s directive created Ad Astra School.
At Ad Astra, there were no grade levels or age segregation. Kids learned to solve problems with their classmates instead of memorizing information and taking tests. The most popular class was Synthesis.
In this class, kids played games that challenged them to solve real-world conundrums that pushed their thinking to new levels. The kids were obsessed and the parents wanted more. When Chrisman Frank, then the first engineer at ClassDojo, visited Ad Astra in 2017, he saw kids buzzing with excitement about Synthesis–something he rarely saw in school. He knew he had to find a way to bring the experience to every child.
In November 2020, Josh and Chrisman launched Synthesis as a subscription service and the education company of the future.
Every week, your child will meet with a cohort of 15-18 students over video. Their facilitator will break them off into groups to start the game. Your child will work with their team to figure out the rules of the game and how to win.
The games are fast, complex, and constantly changing. Your child will get good at communicating, helping their teammates, and debating strategies–fast.
No adult will tell your child the rules. They’ll need to experiment to make sense of the games by trying different tactics, testing their ideas, and devising crazy new ways to win.
At Synthesis, the kids who win make more mistakes faster than everyone else. It’s the only way to learn! Your child will need to leave perfectionism at the door.
Your child will take what they learn in the games and relate those lessons to their lives. This makes their insights meaningful, so it’s easier to remember and apply them later.
As your child gets better at the games, they can move into cohorts with higher difficulty levels. They’ll never lack a challenge at Synthesis.
BEFORE SYNTHESIS: Kids aren’t challenged.They are talked at. They get bored and zone out. It’s hard for them to remember and apply what was learned.
AFTER SYNTHESIS: Kids are engaged.They can communicate more effectively, test assumptions, learn from failure, and collaborate to solve problems.
Join kids across the world over video in their cohort.
Work together toward a common goal with their peers.
Play simulations that are fast, complex, and ever-changing.
Test their ideas to discover the rules of each simulation.
Learn complex mental models they can use every day.
Interact with thousands of kids from diverse backgrounds.
Unlock additional learning resources and special events.
No. Synthesis is a weekly enrichment program for students who want to learn how to be innovative thinkers and problem solvers. It is extracurricular and students attend weekly one-hour sessions.
Our students are introduced to an array of intellectual concepts (e.g. network effect, contingent value) that arise throughout our simulations. Additionally, they practice critical thinking and improve their ability to collaborate with a diverse collection of peers.
Tuition is $180 USD/month.
Yes! We offer a sibling discount - each child beyond the first child receives a 20% discount.
A subscription begins on the first day of class, and continues monthly at $180 until, or unless, you cancel.
Synthesis isn't for everyone. That's why we offer a full refund up to the beginning of the third session. No hassle, no questions asked.
Just let us know if you need/want to cancel. Simple as that. No advance notice, no strings attached.
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