Charter schools are independently operated public schools that are open to all Pennsylvania residents, regardless of their neighborhood, socioeconomic status, academic achievement, or ethnicity. There are no admission tests or tuition fees. We bill each enrolled student’s school district for funding as established by state law.

Young Scholars accepts applications during its annual open enrollment period, and on a rolling basis as well. Vacant seats for the following school year are filled during open enrollment. Rolling applications are processed as seats become available throughout the year. The application process is quick and easy. Begin by creating an account. Then complete the step-by-step application. Submit the required student information online or by mail. You will be notified as to whether your application has been accepted.

Yes. We give priority to applications from families that already have a sibling in attendance at YSGA, to children who live within the neighborhood or district boundary, to the children of parents who work at the school, and to the children of Board Members.  

The lottery will be conducted at 5.30 p.m. on March 16, 2023, from all new applications received by the deadline. Results will be announced and families notified on March, 20. Once a seat is offered from the lottery drawing, parents/guardians must complete a short registration form to accept the offer. Applicants who do not receive a seat offer from the lottery will be placed on a waitlist. If seats become available, waitlist families are notified in the order their application was received.

Young Scholars also accepts applications outside of our open enrollment period. We admit new students on a first-come, first-served basis after the waiting list generated by the lottery has been exhausted.

Yes. We are required to abide by the teacher certification laws of the PA Department of Education that apply to charter schools. Our teachers are considered state public school employees.

Yes. Transportation is provided to students whose school district boundary line lies within 10 miles of our district’s boundary line. For information on whether an address is within the 10 miles, please contact our main office.

Yes, our scholars are expected to be in their school uniform every day, with the exception of PE.

Young Scholars’ unique multicultural learning environment is developing citizens of the world. We strive to build and reinforce our students’ sense of personal identity and larger cultural awareness. We also work hard to stimulate their curiosity and sense of inquiry so they become life-long learners. To accomplish these goals, Young Scholars teaches two globally significant foreign languages beginning in kindergarten: Spanish and Turkish. We engage learners of all abilities in STEAM and digital media programming. Finally, we give our students personalized attention through technology-assisted curriculum and research-based instructional practices.

There are two main reasons for teaching languages to young children. The first is that they are intrinsically better at language learning, which means they become proficient more quickly.

The second is that in an increasingly globalized world, intercultural competence is essential. It is important to awaken children’s interest in other people and cultures at a time when they are open and receptive.

Young Scholars hosts an after-school Extended Day Program throughout the school year. Extended Day is available to our entire student population and is offered at no cost. It offers a multitude of clubs as well as additional academic support via tutoring. In addition, we offer Saturday Academy to students in 3rd through 8th grade for 10 sessions. Saturday sessions focus on small-group learning in reading and math. The goal of Saturday Academy is to reinforce, reteach and extend learning, but we also include recess, computer time, field trips, and attendance incentives. All students in grades 3-8 are welcome to participate. Families must provide transportation to and from school.

All transfers are dependent on program capacity. For example, if a family that has 4 or 5 children moves away, we will try to fill those seats during the same year. Only students new to the district can transfer mid-year, and only students who demonstrate hardship can enroll during a semester. Students must only start at the beginning of a 6-week cycle. YSGA also looks at past attendance and behavior records because we want the student to be successful. 

SchoolMint is an online enrollment and communication platform working with public, charters, and private schools to make the enrollment process for parents easier and faster.

SchoolMint offers different options, so parents can apply and register with a computer or mobile device. They can upload student documents, check application status, and even select the method in which they prefer to receive the school’s communications - by email or text.

YSGA utilizes this enrollment software to ensure security and timely response to your student’s acceptance.