About Me and the Jefferson Scholar Program

Lisa Mauer

My Why:

I was once told by a teacher that I would never make it past the ninth grade. I struggled all through school with this negative imprint in my memory and believed I wasn't smart enough to graduate from high school. I did but entered college woefully under prepared, ignorant of how studying and learning worked, and I really didn't understand the point, except it was to get a job.

I remember sitting in the college library lost and frustrated. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to study.


Struggle, strife, and pushing through resulted in an associate's degree, a bachelor's degree, and then a Master's Degree in Education. Along the way I learned a few skills to help me "school" better. Those skills, along with many other skills I came to recognize and use during my time teaching high school, are brought together in this Jefferson Scholar Program course.

In my 17 years of teaching high school students, I've learned how education can help youth in the short and long term, and with personal freedom.

True Freedom is not just being able to do anything you want, but the ability to choose to do those things that better yourself and the world around you. This concept is part of the scholar mindset taught through the program.

The What:

The Jefferson Scholar Program is a method of learning I've been successfully mentored in my classroom for over 6 years. I developed it after watching some scholars struggle with classes that were too fast, and some who struggled with classes that went too slow. The JSP was conceptualized as a way to help scholars learn to study for their own enrichment rather than for just a grade and at a pace that makes sense for them.

The JSP is now headed for homeschool families all over the world. If you are a current or future homeschool parent of high-school-aged youth, and you find yourself overwhelmed or lost, the JSP might just be able to help you.

The How:

The Jefferson Scholar Program is built around three sessions, each session is 12 weeks long. During those 12 weeks, youth practice scholar mindset and skills while preparing for the journey and destination projects. Skills focused on begin with learning to:

  • take notes

  • research

  • compile information

  • organizing that information

  • time management

  • presenting information

. . . and so much more.

This is all taught through the How to Scholar section of the program, along with the language arts and social studies sections.

There is a difference between being a student and being a scholar:

Student =

told what to know, how to know it, how to show it. They wait for someone else to tell them what's next.

Scholar =

learns and practices the skills to find, organize, and demonstrate information, along with understanding the purpose behind why these skills and mindset are important.

Included with your purchase of the course you will receive three books:

Facilitator Manual - Book One

Facilitator Portfolio Guide - Book Two

Portfolio Guide for the youth