Brave kids. Bold parents. Real learning.
Since 2014, School in a Backpack has brought courage-first learning to families, schools and communities in the US and the Philippines, building character through real-world experience.
Stop reacting, start parenting.
Nobody hands you a manual. The Wunderparent Workshop is five sessions to write your own: a clear plan for your family, so you can stop winging it.
Take the 2-min Rhythm Quiz → For educatorsLess prep. More teaching.
You're underpaid, stretched thin, and buried in stuff to sort through. Get lessons that are ready to teach in the time you actually have.
Get a free no-prep lesson → For organizationsPartner with us. Reach the families who need you.
Put your events and workshops in front of the families and children who would benefit most. We map them to learning standards, so you keep doing what you do best.
Tell us about your org →Budding Author
From blank page to published book.
A 15-session writing curriculum for teens. One hour at a time, young writers become published young authors.
For Kids (ages 5 to 8)
Kindergarten to Grade 3
Art-based storytelling for little ones learning how to read and write.
For Tweeners (ages 9 to 12)
Grades 4 to 7
From storytellers to young writers.
Coming up
Show up. Learn loud.
Workshops, family days and live sessions, online, in the United States and in the Philippines.
Next up
NY✦Budding Author Intro ClassesLive in New York · Dec 21, 22 & 28 · For kids, tweens and teens NY✦Wunderparent Intro WorkshopLive in New York · Dec 29 · A taste of Wunderparent before the new year JAN✦refraME for TeensOnline after-school class · Starts January · Emotional intelligence for self-regulationWhat we do
Everything we make, in one backpack.
Every workshop, lesson and event teaches character through experience, starting with courage.
Wunderparent Workshop
Five sessions: vision, rhythm, the independent learner, OwnSchooling curriculum and the learning environment. 5 evenings online or 1 full day in person.
Book the next cohort →Workshops & Classes
Live learning for parents, kids, tweens and teens, online and in person.
Explore →Events
Real-world learning days for the whole family.
Calendar →Curriculum
Ready-to-use curriculum for families, co-ops and schools.
Explore →EdTech
MyKuboCo, our app for finding and keeping real-world learning experiences.
See the app →We built MyKuboCo so every field trip counts.
Families find standards-aligned experiences near them and keep each one in their child's portfolio. Organizations list events for free. We're its first partner, and you can be next.
Courage, monthly.
Events, one family practice and new curriculum. One email a month.
Show up. Learn loud.
Everything happening online, in the United States and in the Philippines.
Budding Author and Wunderparent live in New York in December, then Budding Author and refraME for teens online starting in January.
Signature events
Real-world learning, on display.
Learning days that bring families, kids and communities together.
stART Hope
Launch the artist in youth.
From creation to curation and everything in between, stART Hope takes young artists through the whole life of an artwork: making it, shaping a portfolio, curating a show, marketing it to partners and sponsors, and promoting and selling the work. From art class to art exhibit, that's how we support their careers in the art industry: building a portfolio that becomes real impact on their résumé.
The journey
Create
Online and live art classes with international artists and art educators. Find your medium, your style and your voice.
Build a portfolio
Turn class work into a body of finished pieces, with feedback from working artists along the way.
Curate
Learn how a show comes together: choosing, titling and arranging the work, and telling the story behind it.
Market & partner
Pitch to partners and sponsors, just like the students who started stART Hope did in 2016.
Exhibit, promote & sell
A local art gallery exhibit, promoted to the community, where young artists show their work and offer it for sale.
Grow a career
From portfolio to résumé: a gallery exhibit at a young age, the kind of credit that opens doors in the art industry.
Stay tuned for our online and live art classes x art exhibits.
Our roster of international artists and art exhibitors is coming soon.
Invest in the next generation of artists.
Galleries, venues, brands, collectors and art educators: sponsor an exhibit, host a show, teach a class or champion a young artist's first sale. Your support is seen by families, schools and communities at every exhibit.
How it started
stART Hope began in 2016 as A Benefit Art Exhibit by Homeschoolers in their Pursuit for Hope, Peace and Change for the Sake of the Next Generation.
It was started by a group of middle school and high school students from Homeschoolers PH in their Communication and Collaboration class. The class's co-teachers were also partners at School in a Backpack in 2016–2017, and they guided the students as the project took shape.
The students did the rest. Together they came up with the project's name, designed its logo, and reached out to partners and sponsors themselves, making the 2017 art exhibit a success. That same student-led spirit runs stART Hope today: young artists don't just make the work, they help curate it, market it and sell it.
Logo: designed by the original stART Hope student team, Homeschoolers PH (2016). Photos: stART Hope students and their Communication and Collaboration co-teachers, 2016–2017.
School by the Shore
Where Nature becomes the Teacher.
Trade the classroom for the coastline. Pitch your tent by the sea, wake up to the sound of the waves, and spend a whole weekend learning in the open air, together.
The best part? A whole weekend free of technology. Not because gadgets aren't allowed, but because every member of the family is so connected with nature that no one feels like reaching for one.
What we learn
All the core subjects, presented through full environment immersion.
And above the usual activities: surfing, first aid, pitching tents and more.
Coming soon
School by the Slope
Not just by beaches, but by mountains too.
Bring School by the Shore to your group.
Homeschool groups, schools, co-ops, resorts and outdoor educators: host a weekend, co-host an activity, or bring your class.
How it started
January 2017. San Narciso, Zambales. A group of families arrived at Crystal Beach Resort, unrolled their tents and, for most of them, got ready for their very first night sleeping outdoors.
By morning, the beach had become a laboratory. Science by the Shore turned sand, sea and tide into experiments, while an Artstacle course wound through the woods, waiting to be conquered.
And the parents? For once, they got a turn too: creative calligraphy across the horizon and strumming their first ukulele chords while the kids were busy.
That night, after the marshmallows were roasted, the kids picked up ukuleles of their own around the bonfire.
The next day, no one opened a book about waves. Professional surfers showed the kids how to read the water, paddle out and ride. That weekend became the first School by the Shore.
With thanks to the partners and sponsors of the first School by the Shore, as listed on the original poster. Venue: Crystal Beach Resort. Partners: Homeschool @ Alabang, Homeschool @ Valle Verde, Tropical Swells and Quiksilver Surf School Zambales. Sponsors: Ogalala, Crayola, The Purple Cow, Ukulele Manila, National Geographic and The Four Strings.
Find more on MyKuboCo
What started in 2015 as Pebbles, our first way to collect learning experiences, is now MyKuboCo: one place to find standards-aligned events near you and keep each one in your child's portfolio.
Visit MyKuboCo →More adventures ahead
More events are on the way.
Learning is better when we experience it together. Get first word on upcoming family experiences, live events, and opportunities to learn beyond the classroom.
You'll leave with
- A vision board for your parenting
- A weekly rhythm that ends the daily negotiation
- A plan to hand learning back to your child
- A certificate of completion
Sessions
Vision & Intentions · Rhythm & Routines · The Independent Learner · OwnSchooling Curriculum · Learning Environment
Wunderparent.
For the parent who is doing everything and still feels behind. Five sessions to move your family from reacting to designing.
Not ready to commit? Take the 2-minute Rhythm Quiz and get one tip for your family today.
Vision & Intentions
Name what you're raising them for, before the calendar decides.
Rhythm & Routines
A rhythm the whole house can feel.
The Independent Learner
Hand the work back, at the right size.
OwnSchooling Curriculum
Learning built around your child.
Learning Environment
Make learning the path of least resistance.
Workshops & Classes
Four ways to grow courage.
From parenting and storytelling to emotional intelligence and improvisation, our workshops make courage something you practice, not just talk about.
Wunderparent
For parents
Nobody hands you a parenting manual, so write your own. In five sessions you'll name what you're raising your kids for, build a rhythm the whole house can feel, and hand learning back to your child at the right size. Stop reacting. Start parenting on purpose.
- A vision board for your parenting
- A weekly rhythm that ends the daily negotiation
- A plan to raise an independent learner
Intro class live in New York · Dec 29
“Wunderparents was amazing! … We have a few parents that would really like to continue to do more sessions. Yesterday was a big win!”
Signature class · Since 2024
Budding Author
For kids, tweeners & teens
Every child has a story. Budding Author helps them tell it. Little ones explore art-based storytelling as they learn to read and write, tweeners grow from storytellers into young writers, and teens go all the way from a blank page to a published book.
- Confidence to share their ideas
- Real reading and writing skills, built through art
- For teens: a published book with their name on it
Intro classes live in New York · Dec 21, 22 & 28
Online classes for teens start in January and run virtually for one semester
Save my child's spot
Signature class · Since 2020
refraME
For teens & the adults in their lives
Big feelings don't come with instructions, not for teens and not for the adults who love, teach and care for them. refraME builds social-emotional competence through emotional intelligence, with self-awareness and self-regulation at the center. Participants learn to notice what they feel, understand why, and choose how they respond, at home, at school, at work and with each other.
For parents, educators, counselors, social workers, babysitters, legal guardians, older siblings and teens.
- Self-awareness: knowing what they feel and why
- Self-regulation: choosing how they respond
- Emotional intelligence they'll use for life
For teens: online after-school class · Starts January
For parents: online once a week · Starts February · Best after Wunderparent
For educators, counselors and social workers: book your group's classes with us →
Enroll in refraMEAPPLAUSE!
Improv for teens · Live & online
You don't have to dream of the stage to find your voice.
Through playful improvisation, teens practice thinking on their feet, speaking with confidence, really listening, and building on other people's ideas. No scripts, no perfect answers—just a welcoming space to take creative risks, connect and grow.
- Confidence & self-expression: speak up, try something new and recover from mistakes
- Social connection: read the room, listen actively, respond with empathy and build friendships
- Teamwork & adaptability: collaborate, solve problems creatively and navigate the unexpected
- Skills beyond the stage: a foundation for interviews, presentations, leadership, business, sales, teaching, and other people-centered careers
In March 2017, School in a Backpack brought the magic of theater to young learners in the Philippines, partnering with Malta-based Curtain Raiser Entertainment for a one-day experience at Julie Borromeo’s Performing Arts Foundation in San Juan. What began as an invitation to discover the stage returns as APPLAUSE!—an improv workshop helping teens find their voice, onstage and in everyday life.
Returning in person and online · Dates and enrollment details to be announced
Ask about APPLAUSE!stART Hope art classes
For young artists
Launch the artist in youth. Online and live art classes with international artists and art educators, where young artists create, build a portfolio, and learn to curate, market and sell their work, all leading to a real gallery exhibit on their résumé.
- A portfolio of finished artworks
- A gallery exhibit on their résumé
- Real marketing and sales experience
Roster of international artists coming soon
See stART HopeMore ways to grow
New workshops & classes are coming.
For curious kids, growing teens, and the adults guiding them: we’re dreaming up more hands-on ways to build courage and real-life skills. Join the interest list for new topics, schedules, and enrollment announcements.
What's your family's rhythm right now?
2 minutes. No email required to start — just to see your results.
Enter your email to see your result
We'll follow up by email with a little more over the next week.
Know another family who'd love this? Send them our way.
Our curriculum.
Built around the child, not the box.
OwnSchooling
For families
Learning built around your child. Every OwnSchooling journey starts with a one-on-one session with our consultant, who helps you shape rhythms, planners and project guides around the child in front of you.
And you won't do it alone: you become part of a community of OwnSchoolers, families designing their own learning together.
In 2023, we celebrated International OwnSchool Day alongside worldschooling families in Mexico—a reminder that learning can bring families together across borders, cultures and experiences.
Watch on YouTube ↗Since 2020refraME
For parents & educators of teens · Whole year
A whole-year curriculum for teens, built for parents and educators to teach. Founded in CASEL, psychology and Socratic philosophy, refraME is character education that helps teens grow self-awareness and self-regulation through emotional intelligence.
Ask about refraME →Since 2024Budding Author
For parents & educators of teens · Whole school year
A whole-school-year curriculum for parents and educators to use with their teenage students. Standards-aligned English Language Arts, with applications in Social Studies, Science and some electives, taking teens from a blank page to a published book.
Ask about Budding Author →One lesson. Free. No card required.
Get a real, ready-to-teach lesson, straight to your inbox.
OwnSchooling Starter Kit
Starts with a one-on-one session with our consultant, then a term of rhythms, planners and project guides built around your child, plus a place in our community of OwnSchoolers.
Budding Author
A whole-school-year curriculum for parents and educators to use with their teenage students: standards-aligned English Language Arts, with applications in Social Studies, Science and some electives, from a blank page to a published book.
refraME
A whole-year character education curriculum for parents and educators to teach, founded in CASEL, psychology and Socratic philosophy, building self-awareness and self-regulation through emotional intelligence.
Co-op & School License
Full curriculum plus facilitator training.
Fresh learning in progress
New curriculum is taking shape.
Purposeful, ready-to-use resources for parents, educators, co-ops, and schools are in development. Be first to hear about new releases, previews, and ways to bring them into your learning space.
A real lesson. Free. Yours to use Monday.
One full, ready-to-teach lesson, built around the child, not the box.
Partner with School in a Backpack.
Bring courage-first, experiential learning to your families, students or staff.
Host a Wunderparent Workshop
For your parent community, online or on site.
License OwnSchooling
For co-ops, micro-schools and classrooms, with training.
Co-host an event
Family days and learning events, promoted on MyKuboCo.
Who we've worked with
Trusted by schools & organizations.
Schools, districts, academies, and communities across the United States and the Philippines that have worked with Joahna Tupas, School in a Backpack, or both.
- Whiteriver Unified School District #20
- Parent-Led Academy
- Soul Care Journey
- Think Through Academy
- Lexington Life Academy
- Healing Roots Online School
- The Church AZ
- Legacy Learning Community
- De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde
- Victory Christian International School
- Homeschool PH
- Department of Education
- Abot Tala
- Builder of Dreams Christian Community
Start here
Tell us about your org
Takes 2 minutes. We'll send a one-pager and follow up with next steps that fit what you're looking for.
Run a museum, farm or workshop space?
List your experiences on MyKuboCo, our platform for real-world learning. Free for founding partners.
About School in a Backpack
Why we exist
To help children live freely, purposefully and fully, as they discover and pursue their purpose.
We train the whole child, mind, body and will, through two pillars: experiential learning and character education. Together they build knowledge and abilities, and strengthen the reflection, self-awareness and self-regulation that make learning last.
Programs, curricula, resources, tools, training, educational apps, events and learning environments that equip parents and teachers to guide student-led learning journeys.
Along the way, they grow the confidence, competence, character, self-awareness, ownership, responsibility and self-direction that increasingly independent learning requires.
With the guidance of parents and educators, the confident, compassionate and courageous learners of today become the confident, compassionate and courageous leaders of tomorrow.
Joahna Tupas
Educator, curriculum practitioner and education consultant, Joahna brings more than 20 years of experience across K–12, higher education and professional learning, in the United States and internationally. She founded School in a Backpack in 2014 to make learning experiential, values-centered and deeply human: the kind that grows independent, confident learners.
Guided by her philosophy, Inspire. Innovate. Educate., she partners with schools, families and organizations to design learning that bridges academic rigor with well-being, agency and purpose. Ready to reimagine how your learners grow? She's ready to build it with you.
The team
Small team. Big backpack.
Courage, monthly.
Events, one family practice and new curriculum. One email a month.
Let's talk.
Book a call or write to partners@schoolinabackpack.com.
partners@schoolinabackpack.com
General questions. We reply within two business days.
Partnerships
Schools, co-ops and organizations: tell us about your organization first, and we'll send a partner overview.
That took courage. You're in.
Know another family who'd love this? Send them our way.