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Your Innovative Middle School

Instilling a love of learning and creative problem-solving through project-based themes that mirror the real-world.

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Prisma
Middle School
At a
Glance

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Thinkers Builders Makers

Accreditation

Cognia-accredited online middle school (grades 6-8). We cover all key competencies from the US Common Core, UK National Curriculum, and Australian standards. Learners graduate with a transcript demonstrating high school readiness.

Academics

The academic year is structured as six 6-week themes—like Wild Inventions, Build a Business, and Cities of the Future. The full set of themes covers a full set of school subjects and real-world topics, designed by our curriculum team (most have PhDs or Masters in specialty areas). Learners earn Badges based on demonstrated mastery of key skills.

Geography

Open to learners worldwide. Cohorts and coaches organized by time zone so workshops are within daytime hours.

Tuition

Tuition is $11,190 per academic year with scholarship reductions up to 40%. Parent-Led program is $5,350. More on affordability here.

The Prisma Difference

Our Project-Based Learning Model

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Themes

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Daily Workshops

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Projects

What is a Theme?

Each 6-week theme covers specific academic skills through a real-world lens. Learners choose how to demonstrate mastery; all paths cover the same key standards. Themes culminate in Expo Day celebrations, where kids present their projects to peers and families.

Daily Workshops

Coaches lead daily live workshops connected to the theme and projects. Learners collaborate, debate, and dive into fun simulations, like Shark Tank investing or re-homing an endangered species.

Projects

Learners demonstrate mastery in each theme through completing a project—pitching an invention, building a museum exhibit, writing hard sci-fi. Coaches provide feedback directly in their work; learners revise until it meets criteria to earn Badges.

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On
Curriculum

"It’s about more than loving learning. We want them to love the doing. Prisma kids take what they learn and make something real in the world: whether it's a new product, business, art, piece of writing. They relish the hard part of taking action and starting, getting messy during the process. They feel totally empowered to build and create and leave the world better than they found it."

Emily Skolnick, Head of Learning Innovation

Sparking Joy
with Learner-Loved Themes
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Badges Earned: Engineering Design, Data Analysis, Poetry

In Inventor’s Studio, learners use the design thinking process to create an original invention that solves a problem for a specific user. They conduct user interviews, write POV statements, build prototypes, collect qualitative and quantitative data, and iterate based on testing. In the Literacy component, learners write poetry exploring the relationship between creativity and constraint.

Badges Earned: Engineering Design, Data Analysis, Poetry
Badges Earned: Economics, Digital Creation & Design, Persuasion

An all-time learner favorite, in Build a Business learners explore micro and macro economics, business ethics, and user-centered design to conceptualize and launch their own product or service—complete with business plan, investor pitch, and website.

Badges Earned: Economics, Digital Creation & Design, Persuasion
Badges Earned: Civics Systems & Knowledge, Digital Creation & Design, Research

In Participation Nation, learners identify real-world issues that matter to them—access to education, animal protections, or clean energy—and explore how civic systems can address them. They research policy mechanisms at local, national, and international levels; propose their own policies; and write speeches advocating for change.

Badges Earned: Civics Systems & Knowledge, Digital Creation & Design, Research
Badges Earned: Digital Creation & Design, Engineering Design, Digital Citizenship ​

Inspired by the Games for Change Student Challenge, in the Games for Change theme learners code their own impact games—digital games designed to raise awareness of real-world issues—while developing computational thinking and design skills. Past cohorts have entered Outgrow Hunger, Own the Road, All in for Nature, and Games for All competitions.

Badges Earned: Digital Creation & Design, Engineering Design, Digital Citizenship ​
Badges Earned: Biology, Experimentation & Interpretation, Research

In Inside Insight, learners investigate Blue Zones and write a research-backed plan for a personal longevity goal, then dive into cells, genes, and DNA. They design experiments around their own health-related habits, build digital and physical models of body systems, and analyze what happens when those systems function atypically.

Badges Earned: Biology, Experimentation & Interpretation, Research
Badges Earned: Project Management, Social Awareness, Literacy Capstone

In our annual service-learning theme (a mini-cycle lasting 3 weeks at the end of the year), learners design and execute a real advocacy, direct service, or community design project around health & wellbeing, safety nets & supports, or belonging & connection—creating measurable impact in their own communities.

Badges Earned: Project Management, Social Awareness, Literacy Capstone
Badges Earned: Experimentation & Interpretation, Ethical Decision Making, Narrative Nonfiction

In Question Everything, learners explore bioethics through narrative nonfiction, while designing their own psychology experiment around memory, positive reinforcement, perception, or peer pressure in their projects. Their proposals must pass Prisma's IRB before execution! They run experiments, graph results, and take on roles as a research connector, science communicator, or knowledge builder.

Badges Earned: Experimentation & Interpretation, Ethical Decision Making, Narrative Nonfiction
Badges Earned: Civics Systems & Knowledge, Historical Thinking, Critical Dialogue & Analysis

United Nations is a Prisma spin on the classic Model UN concept, where learners take on the role of a country's "Ambassador" to propose solutions to a real world issue and engage in formal debate. In our version, learners also research the history, culture, and government of their country, consider global civics systems, and create their own Animal Farm-inspired propaganda.

Badges Earned: Civics Systems & Knowledge, Historical Thinking, Critical Dialogue & Analysis
Badges Earned: Geography, Historical Thinking, Arts & Culture

King Midas. Loki. Vasilisa. Rama. Anansi. Odysseus. In Legend Has It, learners explore famous and lesser-known legends from around the world, trace how stories evolve across time and culture, storyboard and write their own modernized legend, and engage in Socratic discussion around a classic text.

Badges Earned: Geography, Historical Thinking, Arts & Culture
Badges Earned: Earth Science, Geography, Research

In Cities of the Future, learners dive into geography, earth science, urban planning, and research to imagine the future and understand the roles we play in shaping it. Each learner becomes an expert on a city of their choice and develops a design proposal for a sustainable intervention. They also read dystopian literature, engage in worldbuilding and storytelling, and debate the merits of space colonization.

Badges Earned: Earth Science, Geography, Research

#LearnForRealLife

Prisma Learners' Real-World Projects

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For Build a Business, Sonnen created a company selling soft shackles—nautical knots made from rope that she could produce cheaply while living on her family's sailboat. After calculating materials, pricing, and profit margins, she projected $250 in profit from selling them in the Galapagos.

In Question Everything, John designed an experiment testing whether musical pitch affects visual perception of color, then designed a poster reporting his results. His data showed that 62% of participants saw colors as darker after lower-pitched music.

For Behind the Scenes, Prisma's theme exploring the movie-making industry and storytelling, George combined her passion for puppet-making and painting by creating a stop-motion film about her dog Rollo. She designed sets, crafted detailed puppets, wrote her script, and handled all production design.

In Inside Insight, Eliot built a rotating model explaining how "the nervous system works by transmitting signals from the neurons to the brain, where the brain interprets the signals as touch, taste, smell, noise, or a picture." He used it to demonstrate how Huntington's disease causes genetic tissue loss.

For Participation Nation, Hattie researched wolf reintroduction in Colorado and created a website campaigning to protect endangered wolves. "The land isn't ours and they were there first," she argued. She designed "Protect the Pack" merchandise and wrote public comments to elected officials advocating for wolf protection across all states.

In What If?, Prisma's alternate history theme, Parker researched Napoleon's role in the French Revolution, then imagined how Europe would look if Napoleon had died at the Battle of Lodi in 1798. His hand-drawn map reimagines European borders in 1800, showing how 24 kingdoms might have been redistributed.
Prisma student learning and crafting with colorful ropes aboard a sailboat on the ocean
Prisma middle school student project on the social science of pitch and visual perception
Prisma middle school student creative art collage with handmade puppets and painted backdrop
Prisma student building a wooden catapult project shown in three progress photos
Prisma student and parent wearing matching Protect The Pack wolf conservation t-shirts giving thumbs up
Prisma student presenting an alternate history map of Europe with Napoleon scenario

A fun, uplifting cohort community where kids become real friends

Prisma middle school students smiling on a group video call with a pet bunny

We believe how connected kids feel to their peers and mentors impacts how they feel about learning, so we are intentional about building cohorts where every learner feels seen.

Instead of having several classes and a dozen teachers, your learner joins a tight-knit cohort of peers led by a coach they can stay with for multiple years. Our admissions team puts a lot of effort into building cohorts that fit each learner’s personality, academic needs, and time zone.

Each day, cohorts come together for Standup and a 60-minute academic workshop. They debate, give feedback, get silly, and grow up together. We know this consistency of a place to call home at Prisma makes all the difference.

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polaroid-style photo of two smiling Prisma middle school students holding artwork together
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polaroid-style photo of two smiling Prisma middle school students holding artwork together
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What is a cohort?

Your Classroom
Your Collaborators
Your People
Goal Setting
Joke Making
Have Your Back
You Can Do This
Crew

Meet the Middle School Coaches

Kids need mentors who celebrate, challenge, and invest in them

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The Prisma Difference

Remember that life-changing teacher whose impact you still feel today? Those are the educators on our team—and we feel so lucky to work alongside them.

We hire less than 1% of all applicants, handpicking experienced educators with superpowers in building relationships with kids. Each coach mentors your learner 1:1, leads live group workshops, and gives detailed academic feedback that’s both challenging and supportive.

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Interested in coaching your own child?

Learn more about our Parent-Led Option here

A Typical
Week

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Every child and family is different and has unique routines, schedules, and priorities. Our schedule allows ample opportunities for learners to interact with their coaches and peers, while maintaining flexibility.

Some workshops (like Standup) happen every day and others once per week. Exact times vary by time zone and cohort placement. Chat with us 1-on-1 to explore how Prisma could work with your family’s schedule.

Daily cohort bonding, goal-setting, and a meaningful day-starting activity—like learning to organize your workspace, taking a group picture for the Yearbook, or writing thank you notes to an expert guest speaker from last week.

Depending on the day of the week, kids either have Project Workshop (support, feedback, and group activities related to the project); Literacy Lab (reading and writing activities at their level); or Co-Lab (challenge-based workshops that build teamwork and discussion skills).

Our middle school math workshops take place 3 times per week with a dedicated, specialized math coach. Our program encompasses three different math pathways for learners, honoring learner need and choice!

Weekly 60-minute workshops provide interactive skill-building connected to the Literacy tasks in a given theme with your learner’s coach and cohort. Every cycle includes a shared text that connects to the theme and supports specific literacy competencies.

Fridays are flexible days to connect with other kids through Clubs and Enrichments; attend expert guest speakers; participate in special events like our annual Talent Show and Escape Room; or spend time exploring academic, social or personal passions.

"My cohort is different from any other class I've been in... in a good way. We have so many inside jokes."

Hayden, Grade 7

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Prisma middle school learners smiling and wrapped in streamers at a fun school event
three Prisma middle school students smiling in front of Broadway Playbill posters including Hamilton
Prisma middle school students and coaches in a group selfie by a lake
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Prisma Parrots family meetup with parent and child wearing matching team t-shirts
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Tight-Knit Peer Cohorts
Clubs & Extras
Live Daily Workshops
Family Meetups
Weeklong Getaways
Global Friendships


That’s Prisma.

Extracurriculars
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TedEd Student Talks
(Enrichment Example)

Led by Coaches Robin and Nicole, this Enrichment builds real-world communication skills through the TED-Ed Student Talks process. You’ll explore big ideas, shape them into a clear and engaging talk, and practice storytelling and public speaking in a supportive, low-pressure space. By the end, you’ll have a polished TED-style talk—and the confidence to share it.

Prisma students sitting in a circle on grass by a lake during a meetup

Learner Endeavors

Weeklong surf camp? Yes, please!

Marine Science School? That too.

Lake Weeks, Ropes Courses, Formal Dances.

We may be an online school, but we do real life, too, and we call these camp-like experiences Endeavors.

At Prisma, we want our learners to have the option to have meaningful time together for joy and connection several times throughout the year, along with core in-person milestone memories. Endeavors are currently offered in the continental USA three times per year.

Learn more about Endeavors.

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Baking Club with Coach Lauren (Enrichment Example)

Do you like to bake? Well, this Enrichment is for you! Come join us in the kitchen every Tuesday where we will follow a recipe together and end with a tasty product for the family to enjoy!

The best part about this Enrichment is… having an edible product when we leave the Zoom call!

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TechRise
(Enrichment Example)

Led by Coach Alison, this competition provides a hands-on opportunity for participants to gain critical skills in engineering, computing, electronics, and more that will be required for the technical workforce. The challenge is to team up with your schoolmates and develop a science or technology experiment idea on a NASA TechRise flight vehicle.

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Learner Led Clubs

With everything from Nature Club to Prisma News to Minecraft, Roblox, Chess, Crafts, Music, Debate and more—learners make their own Clubs and practice the art of bringing their Club to life and running it for ½ of the year.

Prisma TV VoiceBox illustration of a student singing into a microphone

VoiceBox!
(Enrichment Example)

VoiceBox is a fun Club to amplify YOUR voice! Join us weekly to craft a 30-second video to share with the Prisma community. Learn how to build confidence in sharing your voice and build positivity and encourage others who want to do the same!

Prisma Launch Crew mascot illustration with cartoon astronaut, dog, and rocket on purple background

The Launch Crew
(Enrichment Example)

The Launch Crew serve as buddies and role models for new learners, helping them navigate Prisma with confidence, connection, and clarity.

By empowering returning learners as mentors, we create a welcoming environment while fostering leadership skills within our TLC members. TLC is supported weekly by Coach Gwyn and Coach Kimberly.

NeuroNest neurodiversity club poster with cartoon brain and tagline we all think differently

NeuroNest
(Enrichment Example)

Be a part of a positive neurodiversity movement! Connect with peers in a supportive environment, get creative and make a difference!

Each week, we come together to learn about different ways of thinking and communicating and use our imaginations to spread the word about inclusion. We also discover new ways of understanding our own thinking and how we relate to others. And, of course, we love to play games and do art-based activities!

Prisma Supernova Songs music club logo with cartoon astronaut playing electric guitar in space

Supernova Songs
(Enrichment Example)

Led by Coach Gwyn, join us on a musical journey through the cosmos! You’ll research planets, stars, black holes and more—then turn your discoveries into original songs.

Together, we’ll create a full compilation album, including custom cover art.

By the end, we’ll have an epic soundtrack inspired by space!

Prisma middle school graphic showing representatives taking action with megaphone, listening, teamwork, and goal icons

Prisma Parliament
(Enrichment Example)

Learner-led and driven by real impact, Prisma Parliament is where Co-Lab leadership skills come to life.

Represent your peers, debate big ideas, and help shape Prisma’s culture and curriculum. Run real projects, like the merch shop and learner-led newsletter. Plan school-wide events and celebrations and collaborate with the Prisma Parent Community on global virtual family events.

Meet directly with Prisma’s CEO, advocate for change, and watch your ideas turn into action. This isn’t pretend leadership—it’s fun, empowering, and makes a real difference.

Prisma fiction book club illustration with open book launching spaceships and planets into space

Fiction Book Club
(Enrichment Example)

Join us as we read and discuss two moving works of fiction—both short novels—whose authors sought to entertain you and make you think about your life and the world around you. Format is a combination of slide presentations, reading aloud together, and lots of group discussion. This Enrichment is led by Coach Tim.

Prisma Math Olympiad enrichment flyer with Alison featuring MOEMS logo on starry background

Math Olympiad
(Enrichment Example)

Be a part of a fun, supportive math team! Together each week, we solve brain-bending challenges and get ready for the chance to compete with kids across the country in the MOEMS Math Olympiad. Learn cool problem-solving skills and earn awards!

Bebras Computing Challenge 2025 logo with beaver mascot holding an American flag

The Bebras Challenge
(Enrichment Example)

The Bebras Challenge is a fun and rewarding challenge that introduces you to computational thinking. It lets you solve problems using your logic and computational thinking skills. Yes, you have them!

This is an international free competition, and our Prisma team is led by Coach Camil.

Stories
Learners
Families

Tinkerers, Problem Solvers, Self-Assured, Silly. At Prisma, kids can be their true selves.

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