Welcome to GreatStart Academy!

High School Students Need More than a Solid Grounding in Academics...

Today's Students Need Business Savvy, Financial Literacy, Valuable Business Skills and the Confidence to Successfully Take On New Challenges After Graduation

Introducing the GreatStart Business Journey

The GreatStart Business Journey transforms students from business and financial novices to being ready for higher paying jobs, launching a business and having clarity on major college and career decisions.

Why is studying business important?

Did you graduate from high school without a plan for your life? Do you want this for your son or daughter?
College costs more today than ever before and many degrees are worth far less than they used to be
Many college students leave without a degree and in tens of thousands in debt. Ouch!
In an age of fake videos, why is public speaking the super power of the AI era?
Should high school students graduate with the skills to be a barista? Or should they learn valuable business skills before they graduate?
Changing college majors from engineering to business (or vice-versa) is expensive in time, money and frustration. Wouldn't it be better to discover talents and passions before college?
Business know-how now helps an auto mechanic become an auto repair shop owner later in life.
Knowing how to earn, spend and invest money wisely at a young age means avoiding financial mistakes later in life.

What is included in the program?

Self-paced, video-based lessons
Insightful reading assignments
Hands-on projects to learn valuable business skills
Weekly coaching calls to get answers and virtual mentoring
Discussion forums for all courses
GreatStart business and finance courses supplement all homeschool curriculums

Students get questions answered by email and at weekly group coaching calls during the school year. Coaching calls are recorded for later replay and review. There are course discussion forums for students to ask questions and help each other.

Students learn at their own pace and receive support to avoid frustration and get over any hurdles. The GreatStart Academy experience includes weekly coaching calls to help students gain clarity, get unstuck and keep moving forward throughout the courses.

What courses are included in this program?

The GreatStart Business Journey program consists of six semester-length courses which take the student from business and financial novice to planning and launching an online business using newly developed business skills. Elective courses will be available for the 2026-27 school year.

Public Speaking
Introduction to Business
Personal Finance
Business Writing
Business Opportunities & Skills
Plan & Launch a Business

"Sounds great. How much does it cost?"

The GreatStart Business Journey is designed to help students regardless of their grade level, motivation and interest. Students in 9th or 10th grade can take one course per semester and complete the program in 3 years. Older students can double up and take two courses at the same time to finish the program in a year and a half. Students can continue the courses through the summer months to get ahead or get caught up. Students can "earn while they learn" by using their new business skills in summer jobs or in their own businesses. Each student is unique so the program is designed to be flexible.

The enrollment fee will increase over time as more courses are added. Students who enroll during the 2025-26 academic year will receive special charter student tuition fee. This special charter student tuition will remain the same as long as the student remains enrolled. There are no contracts and students can withdraw at any time. The monthly enrollment fee covers these courses, weekly group coaching calls, and email support.

Business Journey Tuition is $39/mo. There is no contract and students can cancel at any time.

"Can we afford this for our students?"

It's easy to calculate the tuition for a year (under $500) in the GreatStart Business Journey. Taking the six courses over three years would be under $1500. Should the student launch a business during high school, this cost could be paid back by the earnings of the student. Try that with biology or English literature!

What's more difficult to calculate is the cost of not knowing if your student has a desire or a repulsion to study business in college. Making a wrong college or college major decision can cost ten or twenty times the cost of the GreatStart Business Journey.

Some students at graduation want to become a highly paid 'blue collar' professional rather than spend four or more years in college getting an academic degree. Learning about the world of business during high school can raise a student's aspirations to become a business owner later in life.

Can a teenager really know what his or her life after high school will look like?

Will the student go to college or a trade school? Become a self-employed graphic designer or pursue a well paying job in a successful and growing company? No one can predict that with any accuracy. Especially in our AI age with predictions of so many jobs disappearing in the next five years. Who really knows?

However, it's easy to predict a better outcome when a high school graduate is prepared for life with business savvy, financial literacy and valuable business skills.