A straight answer for parents.
What Ascent is, what it costs your child in time, and how we keep them safe.
What your child gains
Your child can use a phone fluently, but probably can't structure a document, verify whether something online is true, use AI without being misled by it, or secure their own accounts. Ascent teaches those things across four weekends, then guides them toward a real tech career with skills and a professional mentor.
How we keep it safe
- Honest, not hype. We measure real skills on a clear rubric. We don't promise jobs we can't guarantee.
- Responsible AI. Students sign and follow a clear AI-use policy; we teach them to verify and disclose, never to cheat.
- Safeguarding by design. For students under 18, mentorship and industry contact happen in supervised, structured settings with your consent, never unsupervised 1:1 with a stranger online. Data collection requires your consent up front.
- Doors stay open. Compass points toward a path; it never locks your child into one.
What it costs in time
Foundations: 8 sessions across 4 weekends, two live sessions each weekend plus practice. Compass: about two hours. Tracks and mentorship come later, only if your child chooses to continue.