Amongst my friends and family, I have a reputation for being fiscally conscious. Some may even go so far as to label me cheap. However, I believe that these friends misunderstand my principals. It is not that I am a penny pincher, I am just unwilling to part with my hard earned money unless I understand and see the value in what I am purchasing.

When I first heard about Brain Chase, my cost consciousness made me initially skeptical of the associated price tag. But that was before I investigated independently the true value of the services offered through the program. To save you time and help you understand the Brain Chase value proposition, I have included my research notes below.

If you choose to sign up for Brain Chase, you can expect to receive the following:

1. Math Tutoring – Brain Chase encourages students to use Khan Academy and requires that participants earn a specified amount of “energy points” each week. The beauty of this is that the Khan Academy is renowned for their helpful tutorials on everything from basic math to calculus. If I were to have a math tutor visit my home once a week for the same 6-week period, I would pay at least $20 per hour for a total of $120 over a six weeks plus an additional $10 or so for materials. Total cost would be approximately $130.
2. Writing Tutor – As part of the Brain Chase Writing program, participants have to complete a written journal assignment each week. The assignment will be reviewed by a accredited school teacher. Again, if I were to do this individually for my children, I would pay approximately $30 an hour. Assuming an hour each week over six weeks, this would be roughly $180 total.
3. Reading Tutor – I am happy to make the argument that reading is free and therefore there is no additional value from Brain Chase. However, from a parent’s perspective, it is difficult to track a child’s summer reading. One of the benefits Brain Chase provides is the ability for parents to monitor and track reading progress. In the program, your child will have the option of using Google Books, which tracks reading for you. That will, at least, provide peace of mind. However, since peace of mind is hard to quantify, we are going to add in only an additional $10 for this benefit.
4. Bonus Challenges – Besides the core curriculum, there is also the weekly bonus challenges. Three of these challenges are online and the other three will be sent to participant’s homes for offline completion. The online challenges include a virtual scavenger hunt through the Smithsonian and work with Google Sky and Art. The offline challenges include a decoder ring, a compass, and a mystery project. These will provide your child with hours of additional entertainment. I assigned value for these activities based upon pricing for similar activities, like a museum. Assuming about $8 per activity, I think the total value for these activities is approximately $50 over six weeks.

And this doesn’t even take into account the many other electives Brain Chase offers and their inherent value!

Based upon my calculations, the total value offered by Brain Chase for six weeks of summer activities is worth approximately $370. That means it is a steal at $79 and up and even better when you register early or in large groups.

Compared to the price, the educational value of the learning experience is actually inexpensive.  Brain Chase is an obvious value for the price, and this coming from me who does not part easily with money. If you would like to learn more about Brain Chase, please visit our website today.