The Independent Learner Program
Learning that ignites potential.
The Independent Learner
High school students are paired with an expert mentor to build meaningful STEM and public service projects that stand out on top college applications worldwide.
The Confident Learner
Develop essential habits of mind, work, and self-direction, empowering students with results-focused frameworks, hands-on activities, and public speaking skills that support school, college, and career success.
The College Process
Comprehensive support is individually tailored for 11th and 12th-grade students and their parents who plan to apply to American and international colleges and universities.
Our Mission
In a future defined by rapid technological change and global competition, it is our mission to excite students with outstanding opportunities to dynamically engage with their communities in ways that are purposeful and meaningful to them.
We prepare students for the flexible, interdisciplinary environments in which success depends on the ability to pivot, collaborate across fields, build, measure, and test solutions that often emerge from the unexpected.
Over 500 students have used their Independent Learner Program project as the centerpiece of college applications, gaining admission to Ivy League and other elite universities in the United States and internationally.
Our methods have proven highly effective, which is why students and families return for mentorship and advisement for years beyond their first experience. — Dr. Valerie Feit
What Makes Us Different?
Built by an Expert
Dr. Valerie Feit is a recognized authority in gifted education, reflective learning, and the integration of AI into PBL. Her book, Student Research for Community Change, is used in teacher training across the USA.
Research-Based Curriculum & Developmentally Tailored
Each session is taught by an experienced teacher who is certified in the Independent Learner and Confident Learner methods.Focus on Strengths & Interests
We start with your child’s unique talents and interests and apply those strengths to academic and real-world challenges.Parents are Partners. We respect parents' roles and provide individualized, actionable guidance and feedback.
We are AI pioneers who have led in the development of AI educational practices to enhance and support student learning.
Dr. Valerie Feit with Parents as Partners.
Big Ideas, Real Impact.
Cultivating Individual Potential for Meaningful Achievement
Dr. Valerie Feit, Founder and Director
“Our students are prepared for the future.”
Our programs:
The Independent Learner
Grades: 10th and 11th
Format: Weekly, Online
Outcome: Portfolio + Video + Certificate - College Process Prep
Taught by: ILP-trained mentors
The process: Complimentary parent meeting, meeting with the student, and submitting a proposal and fee structure based on your needs and our recommendations.
The Journey
Identify strengths and talents
Review academic record and extracurricular activities to guide educational decisions, make course selections, and support summer program applications and design independent learning.
Develop a strategic, thematic, real-world Capstone project that highlights and builds on accomplishments. Emphasis is placed on research frameworks and writing.
Engage with broad community connections, improve public speaking, and presentation techniques, online and in person.
Identify college and career pathways
Prepare a portfolio that holistically showcases strengths and accomplishments
Tuition: year:
$8,900 2 semesters, September 15 - June 1
$4,900 1 semester, September 15 - December 15 or, February 15 - June 1
Complimentary scheduled parent meetings are included in our 1 and 2-semester programs.
$250. per hour educational advisement
THE CONFIDENT LEARNER
Benefits: Public speaking, build confidence, learn easy-to-use lifelong learning strategies for success at school and college.
Grades: 5 through College
Format: Online, 9 sessions × 50 minutes
Outcome: Portfolio + Video + Certificate
Taught by: ILP-trained mentors who coach, focusing on learning engagement and achievement
This hands-on, research-based course provides insights into thinking, emphasizes building on strengths and interests, focuses on future preparedness, and includes activities and self-assessments that will be valuable at school, at work, and throughout life.
The Journey
Thinking About Thinking – “Who am I as a learner or candidate?”
Practice Makes Progress – Mastery through strategy
Connecting Ideas – Building my future by linking knowledge and applications
Growing Big, Bold Ideas – How to harness creativity in action with elaboration, originality, increased productivity, and joy.
Listening & Working Together – How to build collaborative intelligence and form teams
Let’s be friends – Ethical reasoning for the common good. How to make positive decisions and communicate in ways that are fair, respectful, and strengthen communities.
How Have I Grown? – Self-assessment & reflection. Bringing out the best in oneself.
Looking Back to Learn Forward – Course debrief & review. Introduction to Presentation Zen.
Sharing My Story – Presenting growth to family and friends.
Tuition: $1800 - 9 sessions
Scheduled parent meetings are complimentary.
THE COLLEGE PROCESS
Grades: Juniors & Seniors
Format: Online weekly meetings
Outcome: Portfolio + Video + 5 Primary College Essays
Taught by Dr. Feit and ILP-trained mentors, who coach students, focusing on developing a unique and effective application that showcases each student’s strengths, accomplishments, and reflective thinking that demonstrates readiness to engage and build an exciting road ahead.
Outcome: Applications that strategically highlight strengths, interests, accomplishments, and demonstrate the thinking that competitive colleges and universities seek in their best students.
Tuition includes complimentary, scheduled parent meetings.
The Journey
We offer a comprehensive set of college application services:
Strategy
College list
College and university program advisement and selection
Essay support through the submission of applications
We continue to advise you through your acceptances, final decision, and success!
We are always happy to answer questions.
Next Steps:
After speaking with you about your child and your goals, we provide feedback, recommend an individual plan based on our conversation, and present it to you.
We are happy to work collaboratively with Chinese educational counselors.
The journey begins with a 20-minute, Complimentary Parent Meet-and-Greet with Dr. Valerie Feit and Jing WEN, who will translate for us.
There is no obligation. Please contact us to schedule a meeting to speak about your child and your needs.
Services:
Comprehensive Capstone and College Process
Strategy and Essay Support
Essay Review
Strategy and advisement
Tuition: Service-dependent.
Parent meetings are complimentary for students enrolled in our yearlong and 10-week programs.
$250. per hour Educational advisement only.
The first meeting lasts 20 minutes and is complimentary.
Student Research for Community Change (Teachers College, Columbia University), Valerie Feit & Bill Tobin
Valerie Feit, Ed.D.
Founder and Director of Education and Curriculum
Dr. Feit is the co-author of Student Research for Community Change (Teachers College Press, Columbia University, 2020), a foundational text on inquiry-based civic learning. She is a nationally recognized expert in enrichment education, student talent development, and strategic program design. Her students have been accepted to the most competitive colleges in the U.S. and internationally.
Dr. Feit served as Director of K-12 Enrichment Education and Co-Director of Counseling in the Rye Neck Union Free School District ranked in the top 2% of school districts in the USA. She holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Management, and Policy from Seton Hall University and a Master’s in School Counseling from the College of New Rochelle.
Meet the Team
Authority Magazine
The New York and New Jersey Social Studies Teacher Association
Westchester Magazine Feature
JOHN DALTON
Founder and Director of Strategic Development and AI Integration
John Dalton is a founding advisor and lead mentor with the Independent Learner Program. He is a graduate of Brown University, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Literature and a Master's degree in Applied Mathematics. He received his MBA from Columbia University. Mr. Dalton has deep experience at the intersection of business, policy, and education. He has worked with students across disciplines, supporting them in developing socially impactful research and translating ideas into action. He is instrumental in facilitating expert partnerships and community-based collaborations that enhance the civic and career relevance of ILP projects. His work emphasizes real-world outcomes, preparing students to enter college with a demonstrated record of critical thinking, leadership, and public engagement.
JING WEN (Lark)
Chinese Cultural Liaison, Program Administrator
Jing Wen is an educator and cross-cultural program leader with more than two decades of experience in international education, nonprofit initiatives, and academic exchange between China and the United States. Fluent in Mandarin and English, she has designed and led academic, cultural, and service-learning programs that promote global competence and cross-cultural collaboration.
Jing has taught English and Chinese language and culture at Nanjing University of Finance and Economics for over 20 years and has held visiting scholar appointments in Canada and Macau. She has also designed executive training programs with SUNY Global Center and Nassau Community College, serving clients including BlackRock, Pfizer, and Sotheby’s.
She holds a Master’s in American Literature from Heilongjiang University, a Certificate in Chinese and American Studies from the Johns Hopkins–Nanjing Center, and a Bachelor’s in Education from Qiqihar University.
PATRICK ARDINGER
Lead Teacher and Professional Development Coordinator
Patrick Ardinger, M.A., is a
Stanford University graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in English. He specializes in global ethics, storytelling, and the expository writing style that stands out in college essays. For the past seven years, Mr. Ardinger has served as the Middle School Lead Teacher at the San Francisco Schoolhouse. As a progressive trailblazer, he developed a multi-disciplinary, project-based curriculum that connected classroom learning to real-world applications.
Zifeng TANG
STEM Advisor and ILP Teacher Certification Trainer
Zifeng TANG is fluent in his native Chinese and English. He is a graduate of New York University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology. He is currently pursuing his second Master’s degree at Columbia University to prepare for a career at the nexus of climate change, public health, biomedical science, and business.
Zifeng advises ILP students on expanding their scientific thinking and aligning high school science exploration with university-level expectations.
Nicole Pereira
STEM Mentor and ILP Teacher Certification Trainer
Nicole Pereira, an Independent Learner Program (ILP) alumnus, holds a Master’s in Molecular and Integrative Physiology from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor’s in Neurobiology from the University of Wisconsin. Nicole is passionate about advancing science through research, education, and mentoring. As a research consultant, she guides ILP students in designing and implementing community and laboratory-based science projects. Additionally, Nicole critiques science research reports and assists students with science competition display boards.
Mentored by Dr. Feit, Nicole’s research journey began in high school, where her award-winning experiments ignited her passion for science. In college, she honed her skills as a research assistant, mastering the scientific method, literature writing, and poster design. Her role as a Peer Learning Volunteer further inspired her to promote accessible science education, leading her to teach at a low-resource elementary school while completing her Master’s at the University of Michigan.
Dedicated to empowering students, Nicole helps them explore their interests, build confidence, and make meaningful contributions to science.
An Independent Learner student was awarded the Princeton University Prize in Race Relations for her project collecting English-language books for orphanages in Japan. She was accepted to Dartmouth College and the University of Pennsylvania. She chose UPenn, where she is currently a political science major.
Dr. Valerie Feit and John Dalton visit high schools in Nanjing, 2025.
FAQ
Teaching Students How to Think, Conduct Research, and Contribute Meaningful Work to the World
Who are these programs for?
Independent Learner and Confident Learner are designed for individual students, homeschool groups, and classrooms. The programs are adaptable to multiple environments while maintaining a consistent focus on thinking, research, and meaningful work.
1. What is the Independent Learner Program (ILP)?
The Independent Learner Program (ILP) is an advanced research and project-based program in which students design and complete original work aligned with their interests. Students engage in sustained inquiry, apply interdisciplinary thinking, and produce research or projects with real-world relevance. Many ILP projects are shared with organizations as empirical support for community initiatives and policy development.
2. What is the Confident Learner Program?
The Confident Learner Program teaches students how to think with clarity, purpose, and confidence. It is grounded in Howard Gardner's Five Minds for the Future and uses research-based instructional strategies to develop disciplined, synthesizing, and creative thinking through structured discussion, inquiry, and application.
3. How do the Confident Learner Program and ILP support the college process?
Each program stands alone and delivers meaningful results at any entry point. Together, they form a clear pathway that develops thinking, research, and communication skills aligned with the college process.
Confident Learner (Grades 5–12) builds the foundation through observation, questioning, discussion, and reflection. ILP (Grades 9–11) develops independent research, project design, and real-world application. In Grade 11, students complete advanced work that often supports college essays, interviews, and portfolios, leading into the college process in Grade 12.
Student Progression Pathway
Confident Learner (Grades 5–12)
→ thinking, discussion, reflection, intellectual habits
→ Independent Learner Program (Grades 9–11)
→ research, analysis, project design, real-world application
→ ILP Capstone (Grade 11)
→ advanced research and presentation
→ College Process (Grade 12)
→ clear, confident, evidence-based applications
Students may enter at any stage based on readiness and goals.
4. Who leads the program?
The program is led by Dr. Valerie Feit, an educational leader with over two decades of experience designing K–12 enrichment systems and mentoring students to gain admission to highly selective universities. Her work integrates research-based frameworks with proven instructional practices.
5. Is this program right for my child?
This program is designed for students who are curious, seek intellectual challenge, and are ready to take ownership of their learning. Students who enjoy exploring ideas and contributing to their communities thrive here.
6. What will my child actually do in this program?
Sessions are interactive and include hands-on activities that support self-reflection and intellectual growth. Each session includes a mini-lesson, guided activities, structured discussion, reflection, and clear next steps. Students learn to observe, question, analyze, and communicate with precision.
7. What results should I expect?
Students develop stronger reasoning, clearer communication, and greater independence. They participate more actively, think more deeply, and organize ideas more effectively. Writing and public presentation skills are emphasized as students develop and share their work.
8. How do we get started?
Begin by reaching out to Dr. Valerie Feit to schedule a complimentary Meet-and-Greet. Following that conversation, Dr. Feit and/or a mentor meet with the student to assess fit and readiness. You then receive an individualized proposal outlining the recommended program and tuition structure, followed by the scheduling of weekly online sessions.
9. How is each session structured?
Each session follows a clear sequence: a focused mini-lesson, guided activities, structured discussion, reflection, and defined next steps. This structure builds thinking step by step and ensures continuity between sessions.
10. How does the program teach critical thinking and independent learning?
Students learn to observe, question, analyze, and synthesize through repeated, structured practice. Across disciplines, they follow a research process that includes developing questions, conducting a literature review, designing investigations, working with experts, gathering and interpreting data, and presenting findings. Many ILP projects are shared with organizations as empirical support for policy and decision-making.
11. What teaching methods are used?
The program uses structured inquiry, guided discussion, and active learning strategies grounded in research-based practices. Students engage directly with ideas and apply them in meaningful ways.
12. How are communication skills developed?
Students regularly articulate ideas, respond to others, and refine their thinking. Writing and speaking are integrated throughout the process to strengthen clarity and precision.
13. What role does reflection play?
Reflection is built into every session. Students identify what they observed, what surprised them, and what they want to explore next, reinforcing intentional learning.
14. How do students transition into independent work?
Students build core thinking skills in Confident Learner, then apply them in ILP through independent research and project development supported by structured guidance.
15. What types of projects do students complete?
Students pursue work in science, engineering, business, public policy, and social impact. Projects reflect original thinking and real-world relevance.
16. How are students guided in ILP?
Students receive individualized coaching, structured feedback, and support at key stages. This ensures rigor while strengthening independence and initiative.
17. How does ILP strengthen writing and presentation?
Students produce structured written work and present their findings through formal presentations and discussion. This builds clarity, organization, and confidence.
18. What is Tools for Change?
Tools for Change is an ILP track focused on community-based research. Students investigate real issues and present findings that inform decision-making and policy.
🔷 PARENT DECISION FACTORS
19. How will I see growth in my child?
Growth appears in clearer thinking, stronger communication, and greater initiative. Students approach challenges with more structure and confidence.
20. How does this support academic success?
Students develop analysis, organization, and communication skills that transfer directly to academic work.
21. How is progress measured?
Throughout Confident Learner and ILP, students engage in structured self-assessment activities that support a growth mindset. They reflect on their thinking, evaluate their work, and identify next steps, resulting in continuous and visible development.
22. How are students supported individually?
Students receive targeted feedback aligned with their goals and work. ILP includes individualized coaching for deeper development.
23. How does the program build confidence?
Confidence develops through participation, reflection, and real accomplishment. Students gain strength in expressing and applying their ideas.
24. What makes this a strong investment?
The program is grounded in research-based strategies with proven effectiveness in developing thinking, learning, and performance. Students build decision-making, communication, and independent learning skills that support long-term success.
25. How long are the programs?
Confident Learner runs in 8–10 week sessions. ILP continues over time for sustained project development.
26. Are classes group-based or individualized?
Independent Learner and Confident Learner can be offered to individuals or small groups. Group instruction includes a fee adjustment while maintaining structured discussion and individualized feedback.
27. How many students are in each class?
Groups are small to ensure active participation and meaningful feedback.
28. Is the program online or in person?
Programs are delivered online with a structured, interactive format.
29. What is required to participate?
Students need a reliable internet connection and active engagement in sessions and independent work.
30. What is the first step to enroll?
Reach out to schedule a Meet-and-Greet and begin the placement process.