Thistlevale Academy
Where questions are encouraged, free thinking is nurtured and critical thinking is developed in an engaging fantasy setting
Gamified Fantasy-Based Learning for All Ages. Always Free.
***Please create a member login to access all features of the site. Members areas, groups and programs can only be accessed by members.***
Thistlevale Academy is more than a learning community. It's a place where education is tailored to your child and each learning experience is as unique as they are. We support individual interests and curiosities and we offer curriculums as diverse as you can imagine, with new lessons and curriculums being curated all the time.
Socialization is encouraged in a few different ways. Kids can work on group projects, participate in guilds to learn artisan skills, community service and trade basics, and there will be game nights where kids can join their peers in virtual tabletop campaign gameplay where they can practice the skills they learn.
Thistlevale includes its own magic system, clans which each represent a different learning path or interest, and guilds where they can learn hands on skills and develop their interests. There are mysteries, puzzles, lessons, projects, festivals and even a guild market.
We aim to teach kids real world skills in a setting that keeps them engaged. They will learn critical thinking skills, how to ask questions, explore their curiosities, find credible information, read people and social settings, manage their physical and mental health, life skills and survival skills.
Clans
In Thistlevale you get to join a community of people with similar interests. Not only is it a great place of encouragement and support, but it also is where you get to earn points and level up your character!
You can join at "Start Here" on the menu bar. Once you join a clan, you are then invited in the Thistlevale Academy for fun and discovery.
Wyrden
Wyrden is the clan of Language, Secrets and Lore. Students sorted into this clan have creative minds and a deep love for the written word. This is a clan of readers, writers, and world builders. The subjects most commonly covered here are Language Arts, English, Philosophy, Creative Writing and Art.
Sylvestre
Sylvestre is the clan of Science, Life, Healing and Survival. Students who choose this path have a deep respect for nature and balance. They are the caretakers, stewards and healers. Subjects covered here are Science, Physical Health, Home Economics, Survival, Basic First Aid, Stewardship, Ecology, Biology and Social Sciences.
Umbria
Umbria is the clan of History, Memory, Tradition and Culture. Students who choose this path have a passion for culture, honor traditions, celebrate life in all stages, and remember the past. Subjects covered here are History, Social Science, World Cultures, Mythology, Mental Health, The Arts, Psychology, Philosophy and Spiritual Practices.
Psy
Psy is the clan of Perception, Logic and the Mind. Students who choose this path have a way with numbers, patterns and facts. They can see life logically and have a love for all kinds of puzzles. They aim to solve life's mysteries and dive into the unknown. Subjects covered here are Science, Math, Communications, Philosophy and Psychology.
Obscurus
Obscurus is the clan of multiple or undecided paths. Students who choose this path are honored and given space and guidance to find themselves. Students may stay with Obscurus for a short while as they test different paths, or they may choose to stay longer, choosing to honor all of life's paths rather than walking a single one. Students that choose to stay may become mentors and foster younger students still finding their way.
Guardian
The Guardian Clan is a fellowship of parents and caretakers who stand beside our young adventurers in spirit and purpose. Though they travel separate paths, Guardians remain an essential part of the realm—taking part in quests, puzzles, and collaborative challenges that connect them to their child’s journey of discovery.
Through these experiences, Guardians stay informed and engaged in the student adventure while developing their own characters and progressing through the ranks of the world. In time, they may join guilds or lead endeavors of their own, reflecting the same spirit of growth they nurture in their children.
The Guardian Clan exists to ensure that learning is a shared adventure—one that unites families through creativity, curiosity, and the courage to keep exploring.
Next Steps
Go to the "Start Here" page and follow the story that leads you on your path by clicking on the gate or the fountain:
1. Take the Clan Quiz at the bottom of the following page to be invited to join a clan of like-minded people.
2. Open the e-mail with your results and your invitation to join Thistlevale Academy.
3. Once you create a login to the Thistlevale Academy Community platform, you get to earn points and badges to level up your character by completing Classes, Quests and participating in Group Discussions in the Academy.
4. Join games, competitions, and gatherings using your earned points for an advantage!
5. Join the Isenport Guild when you are ready to level up and do advanced Quests that can provide real world skills.
Enjoy fun and free education for you and your child forever on Thistlevale
What are
Thistlevale and Isenport?
Fun and Free Education for Everyone
Thistlevale
Thistlevale is a homeschool community and co-op set in a virtual fantasy world—combining elements of live-action and tabletop role-playing games. It offers social opportunities, group projects, events, and discussions that bring learning to life.
Parents are encouraged to participate as much as they wish. There are optional roles within the program that give parents greater involvement and control over the content their children access.
Isenport
Isenport is where parents and teens can benefit from the program more deeply. It features guilds that teach specialized subjects like trade work and the arts, along with practical skills in economics and marketing. In these guilds, families can develop the abilities needed to work independently or start their own businesses.
The Guild Market allows guild leaders and masters to showcase their work and receive compensation for their efforts. All guilds are currently seeking new leaders, and applications are available on each guild’s page in Isenport.
Revenue from sales supports the ongoing development of Thistlevale, funds volunteers and community members, and helps families afford the materials needed for their homeschool experience.
On the "Start Here" page, clicking the gate will take you to Thistlevale and clicking the fountain will take you to Isenport. We have a wonderful community of parents, leaders and students and we hope to see you there!
Meet the Founder
Hello,
My name is Jess and I’m an unschooling mom of three. I first took my kids out of public school eight years ago when we learned that one of the teachers at their school was arrested on kidnapping charges. You never think it’s going to happen so close to home. They would all eventually be diagnosed with various neurodivergences which led me to unschooling.
My son thrives on chaos. He has a brilliant mind for numbers but hates order. My daughter thrives on method but is equally creative. Everything must have its place, but she sees the world in ways most people don’t. My youngest takes after both of her older siblings.
Finding a method of teaching that worked for everyone was exhausting, not only mentally but financially. It wasn’t until my third year that I really sat back and thought to myself what school was. I love learning and I never stopped. I realized that the text books that were being taught to children in public schools had been proven incorrect thirty years ago and had never been updated or changed. I learned that schools no longer taught cursive and that so many graduates can’t even fill out applications. Many schools are abandoning the arts, critical thinking and communications. The area we lived in was under constant threat of hurricanes and tornadoes, so it seemed common sense to me to teach my kids survival skills, first aid, and emergency actions, but so many adults didn’t even know what to do in emergency situations.
I thought to myself, what part of public education is even a benefit to society anymore? I started my first year of unschooling that year. I watched my kids instead of leading them. I sat back and watched their talents, their thought patterns, their curiosities and their interests. I realized that most kids have one thing in common no matter how their brains are wired. Fantasy.
My dad once told me, he learned more about navigating life while playing dungeons and dragons in the woods with his friends than he ever did in school. I realized that my kids were no different.I created Thistlevale as a way to teach kids in an intuitive way using the one thing kids all around the world can’t get enough of. With fantasy based learning, they will learn skills that will actually help them survive life, navigate financial and social situations, be self reliant, self sufficient and provide them with skills that can be used anywhere. My program uses fantasy as a digestible delivery system for real world education, and the best part is; it will always be free.
Learning with your children should be a way to bond and grow, not harbor stress and resentment. Keeping the program free helps with that goal. Here, students will learn to ask questions, find accurate information, read people, detect motives, navigate mental health, physical health, advocate for themselves, and use critical and creative thinking skills. Parents are encouraged to be active in the program and have total control over their child's education. At Thistlevale, uniqueness of the mind is a gift, and there is no such thing as rock bottom. Here, anything is possible, not just in learning, but in everyday life.
Every dream has a practical and achievable route to reality.
Welcome to Thistlevale
You Can Find the Marketplace in Isenport
The earnings from the shops in Isenport is how we fund the site and help our families afford the materials needed for their homeschool experience.
Thank you for your support.