Absolute Value Academy

08/24/2026

I've said it before and I stand by it -- we have the best administrative assistants ever! Each year we're fortunate enough to find intelligent, trustworthy, and extremely personable young adults to serve as the front-facing ambassadors of our center. This year we are excited to welcome Mt. Lebanon High School junior Meera D'Souza to the fold -- shown here completing her training today with one of our long-time assistants, Kate Davidson😀. Welcome to AVA, Meera!

08/24/2026

Weekly AP chemistry group starts this Sunday! Class size is very limited. Register here;

SUNDAYS 10-11AM Class size limited to three (3) students. 12 weeks. $850

08/12/2026

We've just had ONE SPOT open up for the SAT Prep class starting this Sunday August 16! This class is perfectly timed for students taking the SAT on October 3. Register here:

SUNDAYS 12:30-2PM Get the score you deserve on the SAT! This 8-week prep course provides expert instruction as you learn core question strategies, test-taking skills, and SAT-specific content. Class size limited to 4 students to ensure individual instruction as well as collaborative learning. *Ideal...

08/02/2026

Still time to register!

SUNDAYS 12:30-2PM Get the score you deserve on the SAT! This 8-week prep course provides expert instruction as you learn core question strategies, test-taking skills, and SAT-specific content. Class size limited to 5 students to ensure individual instruction as well as collaborative learning. *Ideal...

08/01/2026

And that’s a WRAP on Summer Camps at AVA 2026! This final week was easily one of the most exciting, as campers developed their creative writing skills in The Art of Short Fiction and their investigative skills in CSI Camp! As always, we at AVA close this summer out with admiration and amazement at the talent, inquisitiveness, intelligence, and collaborative nature our campers displayed through these last 8 weeks. Kudos to every one of them 😀 👏🏻

07/22/2026

We LOVE hearing from the families we work with! The confidence, knowledge, and overall results students achieve after coming to AVA are the reasons we do what we do! Thanks for the kind words, Stacey!

07/22/2026

We're heading toward the final week of summer camps at AVA, and we're definitely going out with a bang! In next week's morning camp (9AM-12PM), we'll be working with young writers as they find and develop their creative voice in The Art of Short Fiction.📝 In the afternoon (1-4PM), campers will work with Criminal Justice professors from Point Park to solve a murder mystery using real-world investigative techniques, forensic science, and good old critical thinking skills! 🕵️‍♀️ There's still space for a couple more campers, so register your 11-15-year old here!

SHORT FICTION CAMP:
https://absval.net/product/summer-camp-the-art-of-short-fiction-9am-12pm-july-27-31/
CSI CAMP:
https://absval.net/product/summer-camp-crime-scene-investigations-csi-1-4pm-july-27-31-2/

07/13/2026

SOMEHOW we have already passed the halfway point of summer camps -- there are only four remaining! 🤯 We've had so much fun working with our students in Music Production: Create Your Own Track; Codebreakers & Spy Camp; Songwriting Studio; Dungeons & Dragons; and CSI Camp (see below for pics of said fun😁). Still to come: The Art of Short Fiction; Songwriting Studio 2; Dungeons & Dragons; and the final Crime Scene Investigations Camp of 2026. Call or visit us online for info on how to snag a spot for your 11-15-year-old child in the remaining camps! 😃👩‍🎤🧑‍🔬🕵️‍♀️🐉🎹🎸

07/05/2026

SEATS STILL AVAILABLE FOR RISING 9TH AND 10TH-GRADERS!
At Absolute Value Academy, we know that strong readers and writers are not simply “good with words” — they are fluent in the language of academics. AVA's Verbal Advantage Workshop is designed to build that fluency early, giving students a measurable edge in honors English, AP Track coursework, and PSAT/SAT success.

MONDAYS and WEDNESDAYS 12:30-1:30 This advanced workshop builds the sophisticated vocabulary required for high-level analysis, rhetorical understanding, and future PSAT/SAT success. Students move beyond definition to nuance -- learning connotation, tone, author intent, and strategic word choice. Out...

07/03/2026

Wow! 🤩 What an amazing week with our young songwriters! After focusing on lyrics and song structure the first couple of days, Lisa Marinacci and Tom Earley got the kids in the recording studio to start laying down vocals to their original music tracks. Tom then taught them about sound mixing so they could each tweak their compositions until they found their “sound.” Today we held a listening party for parents, and I was blown away by the songs these kids created! I can’t post everything we showcased today but I am adding some clips here for you to enjoy. Keep in mind — these kids range in age from 8 (!!!) to 15, and every one of them produced totally original songs in their own style, with their own voice. So proud of them! 🎶