Dr. Eric Goodman
Site Director
An education that celebrates possibility at every touchpoint in a uniquely immersive school experience.
Art Directed by HAB Explorers
WHAT IS YELLOWHAB?
YELLOWHAB is an immersive educational environment that sparks imagination and orbits the child with an ecosystem approach. YELLOWHAB is the first of a network of micro-schools that provides our learners with the opportunity to connect their learning to real-world challenges and across curriculum. Our personalized framework knits together transformative learning opportunities at school, at home, and in the community.
Where is YELLOWHAB Located?
YELLOWHAB is located in Norfolk, Virginia on the campus of Norfolk State University and serves children in grades 5-9 in an all-day educational program.
Art Directed by HAB Explorers
WHAT IS THE YELLOWHAB APPROACH?
Learning at YELLOWHAB is an adventure. Each day is purposeful as children confront problems to solve, discoveries to make, and endeavors to accomplish. Our model is designed to meet kids where they are and encourage them to uncover their strengths and thrive.
Design Principles
LEARNER AT THE CENTER
We put children at the center of everything we do, with all touchpoints orbiting their unique strengths. Our program creates learning journeys that focus on the mastery of foundational knowledge, eliminating learning gaps and harmful labels towards ensuring all children are prepared to thrive in school and life. Our educators use new tools and develop assessments that support customized pathways, so we can celebrate children’s differences and encourage the development of their unique aptitudes, interests, and motivations.
WORK THE PROBLEM
A quote attributed to NASA Flight Director, Gene Kranz, ‘work the problem’ embodies YELLOW’s approach to facing challenges and solving problems with a combination of creativity and rigor. Learners at YELLOW are taught to explore and frame problems with understanding and optimism, and work toward solutions with a balance between divergent thinking and disciplined execution. It’s an approach practiced each day by adults and children at YELLOW, and applied to every challenge encountered in school and life.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
We see every environment in the YELLOW ecosystem as an opportunity to learn. A learning space that is both mentally and physically immersive creates space for young people and staff to engage collectively and individually. Experiential learning nurtures creativity as learner’s experience hands-on activities that encourage critical thinking, problem finding, and teamwork.
CURIOSITY + COLLABORATION
Embracing each learner’s journey from curiosity to discovery, deepens engagement and builds meaningful connections to learning. It is an opportunity to learn more about subjects that are important to us and our communities, through a local and global lens. Fostering a collaborative mindset, encourages diversity of thought, accountability and creativity.
LENS OF POSSIBILITY
The YELLOW Lens of Possibility is an ideology, a set of tools and practices, and a mindset. As an ideology, it believes that the qualities that make our learners different are what make them outstanding. As a set of tools and practices, it works to help educators and other adults uncover those differences and build upon them for an educational experience that is personal and meaningful. Through a growth mindset, the YELLOW Lens is a prism of possibility through which our learners view themselves, the world, and their futures.
YELLOWHAB STAFF & FACULTY
Eric Watson
Coordinator of Student Engagement and Achievement
Rhison Anderson
Professional School Counselor
Kristin Rush
Instructor for Learning Strategies
Eboni Pearce
High School Numeracy Teacher & Internship Coordinator
Teri Minami
High School Science Instructor
Dashiell Quasebarth
Literacy Instructor
Teddy Holmes, M.F.A.
Guided Investigations Instructor
Brandie Wright
Missions Instructor
Anna Joy Hart
Humanities Instructor
Dr. TeAirra Brown
Numeracy Instructor
Amalia Gelpi
Spanish Instructor
Who can apply to YELLOWHAB™?
YELLOWHAB meets each student at their present levels and invites them to immerse in hands-on learning through our thematic curriculum. We support our students’ personal and academic growth. We welcome all interested families to learn more about YELLOWHAB and our lottery and enrollment process. Presently, YELLOWHAB works with its resources and supports to offer limited specialized services.
Learn more about the Learning Blocks at YELLOWHAB
Please access THIS LIST to familiarize yourself with the scope of our services and limitations PRIOR to entering the lottery.
Students in 5TH GRADE who live in Norfolk, Virginia and whose families who meet ALL lottery eligibility guidelines are invited to enter the lottery.
YELLOWHAB’s Lottery Eligibility Guidelines
1.
Child is a resident of Norfolk, VA (proof of residency required if selected)
2.
Child is a RISING 5th grader (proof of school record required if selected)
3.
Family qualifies and receives SNAP, TANF and/or meet Federal Income Guidelines (proof of status required if selected)
ART DIRECTED BY TYLER M.
Enrollment into the YELLOWHAB lottery is determined by meeting the lottery eligibility requirements listed above:
- Lottery Enrollment for YELLOWHAB opens on Wednesday, July 23rd at 9:00AM EST.
- All lottery submissions are due by Tuesday, August 5th at 11:59PM EST. Any lottery submission received after August 5th will automatically be put on a waitlist and not entered into the lottery.
- The lottery will be run on August 6th at 12:00PM conducted through an equitable third-party provider called Lotterease.
- Lottery submissions drawn through the lottery process will be immediately notified after the lottery is run. An email notification will prompt parent to ACCEPT or DECLINE placement. Families have 3 days to ACCEPT or DECLINE potential enrollment into YELLOWHAB.
- If parent selects ACCEPT, parent will receive an email prompting the completion of Student Records Release form. Parents must complete Student Records Release form within 2 business days of receiving the lottery notification email.
- Following receipt of signed Student Records Release form, families will receive an email requesting additional eligibility documentation for submission. As part of this documentation gathering process, families will need to provide, among other items or information, the following: 2 proofs of residency; student birth certificate; and family financial eligibility documents as listed above.
- All documents will be reviewed to verify eligibility for potential enrollment in YELLOWHAB’s discretion and in accordance with its policies and procedures, including, without limitation, its Nondiscrimination Policy as to Students, and, at YELLOWHAB’s discretion, we reserve the right to decide not to offer further consideration to any potential student who does not satisfy these eligibility requirements for potential enrollment.
- Parents can review their waitlist placement, potential enrollment status, and any other additional information on their Lotterease portal.
- Student vacancies that arise throughout the process, and beyond (including during the first semester of the school year), will be offered to students in accordance with their placement on the waitlist, subject to compliance with the subsequent selection process outlined above and YELLOWHAB’s sole discretion in enrollment decisions.
- All admissions decisions will be made by YELLOWHAB in its sole discretion after its determination of eligibility for potential enrollment and its decision to offer enrollment to a particular student, which decisions will be made in accordance with its policies and procedures, including, without limitation, its Nondiscrimination Policy as to Students. Neither successful lottery submissions nor draws from the waitlist or completion of necessary documentation are guarantees of enrollment. A student will only be enrolled after, in YELLOWHAB’s sole discretion, YELLOWHAB provides his or her parent or legal guardian with a Student Enrollment Agreement and such Student Enrollment Agreement is executed by (a) such parent or legal guardian and (b) in YELLOWHAB’s sole discretion, YELLOWHAB.
NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY AS TO STUDENTS
A. The school operated by YELLOW Work Inc., a Delaware nonprofit corporation (the “School”), admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other School-administered programs.
B. Statement of Policy. In accordance with the Internal Revenue Code, the Regulations thereunder, and IRS Revenue Procedure 75-50, the School shall include a statement of its racially nondiscriminatory policy as to students in all its brochures and catalogues dealing with student admissions, programs, and scholarships in a manner substantially similar to Paragraph A above. Further, the School shall include a reference to its racially nondiscriminatory policy in other written advertising that it uses as a means of informing prospective students of its programs in compliance Section 4.02 of IRS Revenue Procedure 75-50.
C. Publicity. In accordance with the Internal Revenue Code, the Regulations thereunder, and IRS Revenue Procedures 75-50 and 2019-22, the School shall display, in accordance with the formatting requirements of Section 4.03.1(c) of IRS Revenue Procedure 75-50, as modified by IRS Revenue Procedure 2019-22, a notice of its racially nondiscriminatory policy on its primary publicly accessible Internet homepage at all times during its taxable year (excluding temporary outages due to website maintenance or technical problems) in a manner reasonably be expected.
FAQ
The academic year runs from August 25, 2025 through June 5, 2026.
YELLOWHAB serves students in grades 5-9. Currently, we are only enrolling rising 5th graders.
YELLOWHAB’s operating schedule is Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM. The formal school day begins at 8:30 AM and ends at 3:30 PM.
YELLOWHAB partners with local organizations to provide before and after care for enrolled families.
YELLOWHAB is an independent micro-school that is privately funded. It was created to serve children who would thrive in an environment with a more personal, future-forward approach to teaching that celebrates differences and unlocks possibility. Currently, tuition for all YELLOWHAB students is waived.
Though YELLOWHAB is an independent school and can operate without a specific enrollment zone, the first YELLOWHAB campus will serve families within the boundaries of the Norfolk Public Schools District.
Though acceptance into YELLOWHAB is not contingent upon a student interview, we will be meeting with each prospective family to identify the supports and resources necessary to ensure each student can thrive in our immersive ecosystem.
YELLOWHAB will provide an educational experience tailored to the unique strengths and interests of your child, with a focus on creating immersive learning that is hands-on and project-based.
Yes. Nourishing youth, in body and mind, is a priority of YELLOW. Therefore, a nutritious breakfast and lunch, as well as snacks, are provided to all students.
YELLOWHAB is a 1:1 campus, which means we use technology as a tool for learning, and every child has access to the technology and tools they need both in and out of school.
YELLOWHAB focuses on measuring progress in learning, not in computing a grade. This is because grading students is not equivalent to educating youth. We all know students who are labeled “behind” or “remedial,” when in truth they have not been engaged in the content or taught in a method that works for them. We also all know students who progress without really learning just because they meet minimum requirements. At YELLOWHAB, our goal is to engage students in deeper learning and unlock their possibility every day.
Our students will be encountering many exciting and challenging learning experiences during the school day, and we believe that much of their learning will happen in this collaborative environment. More than following the norms of grades and homework, our hope is that children become so passionate about topics that they choose to continue their own learning at home just because they are excited to gain new knowledge. Many YELLOWHAB projects will tap into a child’s interests and so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them bring their work home by choice!
YELLOWHAB will work with local organizations to offer a variety of recreational and extra curricular activities. We will offer wellbeing programs and a variety of physical activities throughout the school day.
We thrive on community partnerships. If you are interested in hosting our YELLOWHAB students for a field trip or bringing an experience to HAB, please email yellowhab@teamyellow.org.
