Young Scholars of Central PA CS

The middle school program (grade 6-8) at YSCP has really taken off and the students are so involved! I am at the school frequently and love to see the students involved in the international programs like dance clubs and international cooking. The robotics club has won many awards and most parents and students love the more than 30 extended day clubs that run until 5:15 daily. With about 250 students now, this school is not only educating students but also making learning fun!

Wonderful school. Very creative and the students love the cultural activities, after school clubs and technology. I would recommend the school to any parent.

The diversity at Young Scholars is one of the primary reasons we enrolled our two children at YSCP. Especially at the elementary level, the instruction is exemplary. One of the best features of the school is the character education classes. It's been a wonderful experience for our children!
—Submitted by a parent

I absolutely love this school. My child is in first grade at YSCP and it is wonderful to see the personal attention that he receives from his teachers. Along with the personal attention, I really enjoy seeing my son learning Spanish and Chinese, something that he would not have at an other elementary school in the area. I am so happy with his education at YSCP that my youngest child will be starting Kindergarten there in the fall. I never once hesitated in making that decision. I am very pleased to know that my children will grow up having had a wonderful education and the opportunity to interact with peers who are of different cultures than them.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has been at YSCP for two years. I have watched her take off academically and personally. She loves to go to school and loves the languages that she is taught. My older children have gone to the SCASD and done very well but my youngest child is already way ahead of her brothers and sisters at this age. The staff is always a phone call or email away and they care about her growth as well. Thank you YSCP for taking such good care of my child.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school. I three kids here from Kindergarten to middle school. They offer a lot of opportunity to operate above grade level such as doing Algebra 1 in sixth grade and actual reading and math skills in Kindergarten. The kids are exposed to a lot of diversity but not in the controversial religious sense. Contrary to what has been said in these reviews, I have had to personally explain what the Muslim religion is in response to the negativity my children receive out in the community when they hear they attend this school, the school has not. The school offers after school programs until 5:30 that are free and is really enriching. There are many activities, and contests throughout the year that really bring together everything learned throughout the year. The staff is very involved with each other, the families and is willing to bend over backwards to help when they can. My only complaint is that the school can be rather unorganized. However I do attribute this to its youth and know this will resolve over time.
—Submitted by a parent

We are very proud of being YSCP family. We have trusted this school since the beginning of the first day of its establishment. I have sent my kids to YSCP charter school without hesitation because I wanted a different, multicultural, and international environment with additional different language education opportunities besides other curriculum courses. Contrary to a few prejudiced people, the school runs great, administration is very friendly, teachers are very dedicated, staff is unbelievably thinking their school's success. You can see the successes of the school as soon as enter the waiting area. There are two-consecutive year achievements, letters from state representatives etc. We, as parents, are here for our kids' future, for our kids' schools future (YSCP). Keep up the good work YSCP!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

The students at Young Scholar of Central Pennsylvania (YSCP) Charter School are learning multiple languages and cultures in the school. Learning language is much easier at early ages, which also stimulate their learning capabilities overall. Learning foreign languages is very important for our children as we are becoming more and more global. Today s business environment has no borders and we need to prepare the next generation accordingly. YSCP Charter School is not only excelling the students in language, but also math, science, and social sciences. According to the last PSSA scores, they ranked one of the top charter schools in Pennsylvania. YSCP students are attending regularly math and science competitions. They are repeatedly winning awards at those competitions. I truly appreciate the hard work of board members, administration, and staff members, and most importantly the teachers! Keep up good work YSCP!
—Submitted by a parent

It seems YSCP is a rather polarizing school--you either love it or you want to fix it. I have noticed that the more involved parents become, the less they like the school. The first three presidents of the parent's group have all taken some or all of their children out of the school. It will be interesting to see if this year's president brings her child back. The parents who attend meetings, bring breakfast to the teachers, volunteer in the classrooms, and run the evening activities are also the most vocal about problems that need to be fixed. The parents who drop their kids off in the morning and pick them up in the evening, but otherwise don't enter the school building seem to be perfectly content. I'm not sure what to make of this, but it worries me that the more involved I become, the more negative things I hear.
—Submitted by a parent

One of my chldren is still at YSCP and I would say that it is a nice little school but definately more hype than truth. It is also very much connected to a larger group of schools which they don't tell you up front. They don't own their own building but rent it from a non-profit that is a Turkish run organization, and many of the Turkish personel have been transfered from other Turkish run schools. Some of the(Turkish) teachers are getting their degrees and learning on the job when there are very qualified Americans in town who were never interviewed. As nice as these gentlman are, they are not at YSCP to simply educate our kids but to build the reputation of another Gulen school in the USA and further their own educations - hey, I'd be smiling too!
—Submitted by a parent

YSCP's a great school; proactive & very, very friendly (like most parents there). YSCP teaches foreign languages & technology on top of regular material. It's ahead of the curve. The staff & administration care about the education and well-being of our kids. Via continued involvement in YSCP activities, parent & board meetings, I can say that any tension is the result of a few parents that try to dominate every meeting. Sadly, YSCP spends an inordinate amount of time responding to their 'concerns.' Many are confused and disappointed by frequent uncivil behavior by a small number of parents towards the school (and other parents). Yes, YSCP unionized. Most public schools are unionized but I wouldn't necessarily equate that with trouble or being unhappy. YSCP has grown tremendously in five years to become the largest charter school in the area & continues to self-assess & make improvements. We will be staying at YSCP.
—Submitted by a parent

As a parent with a grad degree in education, I've only good things to say about YSCP, the curriculum, the teachers, the administration. It's visionary and fills a much needed niche. They secured a hard to get FLAP grant to facilitate and expand foreign language instruction. The school has character development programming, to help children learn how to make behavioral choices. Since joining YSCP, my kids go on and on about the joys of their day. There are many field trips and after school activities. And, with an increasingly globalized world, this school sets the mark for student development and future economic success. Re: teacher turnover in 2009, I know that many left for non-job related reasons (i.e., marriage, move to another state, etc...). Re: Administration, I do not find them aloof at all. Quite the contrary. Unlike the last school, we all feel welcome at YSCP.
—Submitted by a parent

I am the parent of two children at this school and am thrilled with the education my kids are receiving. My kids are thrilled to be learning world languages (Spanish and Chinese...Turkish during the after-school club) and using technology in the classroom as well as on their own. This school encourages students to have a global perspective and to be good citizens within the community. Parent-teacher /parent-administration communication is encouraged. Overall, I am very pleased with the school and know that I have made the right decision for my kids.
—Submitted by a parent

Our children have attended Young Scholar's since it opened in 2005. We were pleased with the elementary grades, especially the Spanish instruction. The Middle School grades, however, have been a disaster. Teacher turnover is extremely high (in the fall of 2009, only one full-time middle school teacher is returning!!) and the administration is inconsistent and aloof. Our 2 middle school age children will not be returning to YSCP.
—Submitted by a parent

We have three children in Young Scholars. We have been very pleased with this school. The kids learn chinese and spanish as a normal part of their school day. They have after school clubs that add value to their program. We have multi-cultural family events like Turkish evening, Chinese evening etc. The teachers go out of their way to help our children - they had special PSSA training sessions every Saturday. The kids went to play music to play in Spikes games. I truly appreciate the effort all the teachers put in to prepare our children for the future. Our children went to Corl Street Elementary
—Submitted by a parent

Learning languages is great
—Submitted by a staff

This is a K-5 Charter School with an emphasis on learning 'world languages.' Every class in every grade has a half-hour of Spanish and a half-hour of Chinese every day. The school also features an optional 'extended day,' which gives children the opportunity to participate in two additional, though less formal, areas of study between 3:45 and 5:30. The school hours are 8:35 to 3:25, class sizes are small, and every class has a full-time aide in addition to a regular classroom teacher. The school features volunteers from Penn State, as well as lots of parental involvement. The school is still in a temporary building, but is in the process of building a permanent school. Plans for the future include expanding to 8th grade. Children use laptops for math and special projects. Students receive an individualized education without the lack of discipline that sometimes accompanies 'student-centered' education. Great school.
—Submitted by A H, a parent