Ardent Academy For Gifted Youth

Dr. Li is a gifted teacher and is highly effective at imparting knowledge to willing students, unparalleled. I suggest people interested in this school talk with other parents, visit the center or attend one of Dr. Li’s symposiums. My sons have learned so much in their classes at Ardent (Avid), and this is reflected in several national science and math competitions.

We enrolled our precocious fifth grade daughter in two quarter’s of Python Programming, intended for 6^th to 8^th graders, for which we needed to to get her a laptop. The class was offered for three hours on Sunday afternoon, about the only time in our lives when our daughter isn’t likely to have an overlapping activity… a great fit for us driving from San Juan Capistrano. As former programmers, we have been VERY happy with the level of instruction. Our daughter came home motivated to modify her programs and make them more interesting. When she was informed she could not take the third quarter of Python because we would be gone too much, she burst into tears because she didn’t want to fall behind the kids in her class and she was particularly excited to do game design, the third quarter focus. It is very hard to find a rigorous-​but-​age-​appropriate, motivational programming class in Orange County. Some programs offer Minecraft modification, but the kids don’t really learn the language. This was the real deal. We’ll be back, likely for Java, as soon as she can enroll. Also, she has told us she is going to do that third quarter of Python, even if she can’t do it in the spring with this class.

They are not what they claim to be in Math. My kids told me that Dr. Li teach Math in gibberish language, so it is no benefit for them. If a child very gifted in Math and can understand gibberish, this is place for him. There is no help if you do not know any problems, no follow up on any students.

About us: We are a family with 2 gifted children, one in home school and the other in public school. Finding suitably challenging math curriculum was incredibly difficult until we found Ardent through the recommendation of a home schooling organization we are affiliated with.
At Ardent the kids are taught real math thinking, as opposed to rote memorization.
For some this is difficult, for others they adapt and thrive and others fall in love immediately. Put us in the final category, both of our kids are thriving and loving Ardent.
Its a lot of work, Math is serious business, but at Ardent they make it incredibly fun. There is nothing like seeing a room full of 7 year olds (⁵⁰⁄₅₀ gender split!) cheering and laughing during a math class or to see your daughter come home with a trophy from a math competition, smiling and proud or to see your son and 3 other kids huddled around their Rubiks cubes comparing strategies before class. This is the stuff parents of gifted kids dream of and a far cry from what you see in other educational companies.
For some it might be a culture shift. There is a focus on excellence, learning and fun and these teachers are not coddling. If Little Johnny needs constant supervision and hovering to achieve even the most minor victory then Ardent is probably not the place for you. The teachers expect you to keep up, move forward and be self-​motivated.
In return for that commitment they are incredibly available (pre-​class office-​hours!), unquestioningly supportive, and honest about status and progress. They create a fun, enjoyable and focused culture of learning that every kid seems to engage in and love.
I hope Ardent encourages other happy parents to talk about their experiences here. For those of us looking to get off or bypass the increasing failure of the public school system organizations like Ardent are absolutely critical.
Collectively, our children are capable of so so much more then the system allows them to experience. Organizations like Ardent are one of a very few spaces that let kids experience that potential and it is wonderful.

We had a really horrible experience with this organization! My suggestion is that you research this program and the instructors of the classes you’re considering before enrolling your child. I have no doubt that there are some instructors there that are very good however, we had an instructor that was very inexperienced and arrogant. This instructor made inexcusable assumptions and comments to us. But, the worst of it was these inappropriate comments were made in front of our child, as well. The handling of this situation and the communication in general, from those in charge, was extremely poor.