LEARN THE TRADES.
BUILD THE LIFE.

Before We Begin

This isn't a test. There are no wrong answers. We just want to know what lights your kid up, and we'll show you exactly where that fire leads.

Trade School Trails is 100% online and completely self paced. Everything is done from home. There are no in person classes, no local meetups, and no required travel. Your student logs in from any device, watches short video lessons from real licensed professionals, and completes hands on project work right at home. Available to families anywhere in the United States.

Trade School Trails is a homeschool curriculum platform built around real trade and vocational skills taught by real licensed professionals who are actively running their own businesses. Ages 8 through graduation. 100% online. Available anywhere in the United States.

Any device including PCs, laptops, tablets, and phones. As long as you have an internet connection your student can access the platform from whatever device works best for your family.

Yes completely. We do not teach evolution, creationism, or intelligent design. Our science content is always practical and trade specific connected to whatever trail your student is working on. Clean, family friendly, and respectful of every family's beliefs and values.

Not at all! Trade School Trails is for the whole family. Adults are absolutely welcome and many parents learn right alongside their kids.

Absolutely! Many families use Trade School Trails as their complete curriculum. Others use it alongside existing curriculum as a vocational elective or supplement. Both work beautifully and it fits right in however your family homeschools.

We are 100% online. All interaction happens virtually through our Live Learning Calendar and our Campfire Sessions which are fun online social gatherings where students connect with other Trade School Trails families.

A PATH is the big category your student chooses. Animal Path, Creative Path, Business Path and so on. A TRAIL is the specific subject inside that path. For example inside the Creative Path the trails are Photography, Videography and Graphic Design. Your student chooses their path and then has access to every trail inside it.

Every trail has 3 levels. Level 1 covers foundation and basics. Level 2 moves into real hands on project work. Level 3 goes deeper into advanced projects and the business side of that trade.

Each level has 12 weekly lessons. One lesson per week at your own pace. If you do not get to it one week no worries at all. Everything is completely based on your schedule with no timeline and no deadlines ever.

Animal Path: Dog Grooming, Dog Training, Dog Boarding. Horse Care and Vet Science coming soon. Trade Path: Electrician, Plumbing, HVAC, Painting, Auto Care, Pest Control, Garage Doors. Digital and Tech Path: Coding, Drone and Aerial Photography, Cybersecurity, AV and IT. Creative Path: Photography, Videography, Graphic Design. Business Path: Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Small Business. Home and Life Skills Path: Health and Nutrition, Cooking and Culinary Arts, Personal Finance and Money, Real Estate Basics.

Yes! Your student can work on multiple trails within their chosen path simultaneously. They just need to complete and upload each lesson's work before moving to the next one within each trail.

Yes! Within their chosen path they can switch to any other trail anytime. If they are still within their 3 day free trial and want a completely different path just email us at learn@tradeschooltrails.com and we will switch it for them!

On the Starter and Growth plans your student must complete all the trails within their current path before unlocking a completely different path. On Full Access your student has complete freedom to explore all 6 paths anytime with no restrictions.

The Outdoor Path covering Gardening, Landscaping, Farming and Fishing is our Phase 2 launch coming fall 2026!

The ages listed on our trails are guidelines based on what we feel the maturity level needs to be to understand the content. They are not hard requirements. If your child is ready and can handle the material we absolutely do not hold them back based on age. You know your child best and we trust your judgment completely!

Every lesson follows the same 10 step structure. 1. Objective. 2. Watch First — short video from a certified professional. 3. Safety Box. 4. What You Need This Week — materials list. 5. Your Tasks This Week — 4 hands on tasks. 6. Step by Step Skills — 5 skill building steps. 7. Quick Check — 1 to 3 question quiz. 8. Academic Connections. 9. Portfolio Note. 10. Mark Complete.

4 tasks over 4 days. Some tasks take 30 minutes and some take up to an hour. In the earlier lessons some tasks involve research and entering answers in the portal. As students progress into Level 2 and Level 3 the projects become more hands on and more involved. Each course is a little different so timing varies by trail.

None whatsoever. Your family decides completely when school happens. Morning family, afternoon family, year round schoolers. It all works. No required login times, no deadlines, no pressure.

Each completed level equals 0.5 credit. All three levels of a full trail equals 1.5 credits total. Always check your state homeschool laws to confirm credits qualify in your area.

36 weeks at standard pace which is right around a full school year. A motivated student can move faster and a student who takes their time can spread it across longer. Your family sets the pace entirely.

All lessons are pre recorded video taught by real licensed professionals. Your student can watch each video as many times as they need and work through it completely on their own schedule.

Yes and we have two separate layers. The first layer is applied academics — Math, Science, History and Writing woven directly into every trail lesson. These are not separate classes. They are built into the trail content and connect directly to the trade your student is learning. The second layer is our standalone real life core classes which are separate courses available for grades 6 through 8 and grades 9 through 12. Both are included in every plan at no extra charge.

Grades 6 through 8: first 24 weeks available now with weeks 25 through 36 coming soon. Grades 9 through 12: first 12 weeks available now with weeks 13 through 36 coming soon. The full 36 weeks for both grade ranges will be complete by the end of this school year.

Our platform uses a completion based model rather than traditional letter grades. Students complete assignments, upload their work, and the AI checker confirms requirements are met before they move forward. If you need traditional letter grades for transcript purposes you can assign your own grades as the homeschool administrator.

None of the above. Trade School Trails is completely secular. Our science content is always applied and trade specific. We stay completely out of worldview content.

We are actively developing and expanding our core content and will keep all our families updated as new content drops.

Our core classes are built around real life situations and practical application rather than traditional test prep content. If your state requires standardized testing we recommend using Trade School Trails alongside a traditional academic curriculum for those requirements. Many families do this successfully.

Every completed project must be uploaded to the portfolio before the next lesson unlocks. This is not busy work. This is career preparation. When your student is ready to enter the workforce or launch their own business their portfolio of images, videos, and descriptions is what sets them apart. A boss will not just take their word for it. They need to show their work.

There is no separate parent portal. Both parent and student share one dashboard where you can track progress, see completed work, and view portfolio uploads together. Since your student cannot move forward without uploading all their work you always have a clear picture of exactly where they are.

Yes! Completion certificates for every trail level on all plans.

Yes on Growth and Full Access plans. Professionally formatted and accepted by trade programs, apprenticeships, and employers. Always check your state homeschool laws to confirm credits qualify in your area.

Our platform uses a completion based model so we do not generate a GPA automatically. For colleges that require a specific GPA you would assign your own grades as the homeschool administrator and document those alongside our official trail completion records.

No! The full materials list is an overview of what may be used across the entire trail. Each weekly lesson has its own What You Need This Week section telling you exactly what is needed for that specific week only. Everything is optional and based on what works best for your family. Purchase as you go one week at a time. A great starting supply for any trail is simply a pen and a notebook!

Everything is optional and based on your family's needs and your student's goals. If your student is heading into this as a future career the supplies are things they will need anyway. If they are still exploring just pick up what each week calls for and see how it goes.

Starter: $40 per month or $400 per year. 1 student, 1 learning path, all trail levels, core academics both layers, portfolio builder and completion certificates. Growth: $90 per month or $900 per year. Up to 3 students, 3 learning paths, all trail levels, core academics both layers, portfolio documentation and official transcripts. Full Access: $125 per month or $1,250 per year. Up to 4 family members, all 6 learning paths, all trail levels, core academics both layers, official transcripts, priority support. Additional children beyond 4 at $25 per month each.

Yes! A 3 day free trial is included on all monthly plans. No free trial on annual plans.

You can cancel your monthly subscription at any time with no fees and no penalties. Once you cancel your access continues until the end of your current billing period. When your current month ends your subscription stops and you will not be charged again. There are no refunds for any days remaining in your current billing period.

Yes! You can put a hold on your account for just $5 a month. Everything stays exactly where it is until you are ready to come back. Just head to your account and go to Manage Subscription to pause.

Yes anytime! Head to your account settings and click Manage Subscription to upgrade right there. No need to cancel and rejoin. Your rate is always protected when you upgrade.

Yes! Start where you are comfortable and upgrade when you are ready. Just head to your account and go to Manage Subscription to make the change.

Many families with ADHD, ASD, dyslexia, and other learning differences find Trade School Trails to be a great fit. Everything is self paced with no deadlines, lessons are short and video based rather than text heavy, and all work is hands on and project driven connected to something the student genuinely cares about. We are not a special education platform but our format naturally supports many different learning styles.

We do not have built in text to audio or speech to text features but our lessons are primarily video based which is a natural fit for dyslexic learners. Most devices have built in accessibility features that work alongside our platform. On iPad enable Speak Screen and on Windows use the built in Narrator.

Absolutely! Trade School Trails is not limited to students under 18. The whole family is welcome and many parents learn right alongside their kids.

Yes absolutely! One focused year on the right trails can be incredibly valuable. A student who completes a full trail walks away with 1.5 credits documented on an official transcript and a real portfolio of hands on project work that genuinely impresses employers and trade programs.

We do not currently offer a military discount but it is something we want to explore as we grow. We have so much respect for military families and making this more accessible for you is something we take seriously.

Yes! We are currently approved in Texas through TEFA, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida through Step Up For Students, Wyoming, Utah, Alabama, Louisiana, Missouri, and New Hampshire. Check with your specific program administrator for details on how to apply your funds.

Yes! Connecting with charter schools, microschools, and private schools is a Phase 2 priority for us after launch.

All of our instructors are volunteers. People who truly care about paving the way for the next generation. Every instructor is licensed in their field and has been running their own business for three or more years. They were selected for their credentials, real world experience, and genuine passion for teaching their trade to young learners.

Yes! Our Live Learning Calendar is available to every family on every plan at no extra charge. Every month certified trade professionals host live Q&As, information classes, and open project sessions where your student can ask questions in real time and get direct feedback from the instructor teaching their trail. We also have Campfire Sessions which are fun online social gatherings where students connect with other Trade School Trails families!

Your student can rewatch the video lesson as many times as needed. Part of what we teach is how to research and problem solve because that is exactly what real tradespeople do every day on every job. We also provide PDF resources inside lessons and our Live Learning Calendar gives your student monthly live access to ask questions directly to a certified professional. If you are extremely stuck you can always email us at learn@tradeschooltrails.com and we will help personally!

Head to tradeschooltrails.com/sign-up and create your account there. Important: do not click sign in first as that is a separate step. Go through the full sign up process and everything will activate properly!

Once your account is set up head to the top right corner where you will see your name or the word Me. Click on that and scroll down to the Family Members section. Click Add Child, enter their name, and select their path right there!

Yes! There are no enrollment windows, no start dates, and no school year schedule to follow. Families join every single day of the year and start whenever they are ready.

Take our trail quiz at tradeschooltrails.com/quiz! It is just 7 questions and does a great job of matching your student to the path that fits who they already are.