FAQs

When you’ve completed your elective challenge for the week, you’ll receive a green checkmark over the icon on your Student Dashboard. If you’ve started on the elective, but not yet submitted your work, you might see a blue ellipsis over the icon. If you’ve submitted your work, but you haven’t yet received personal feedback for your submission, you’ll see a yellow hourglass over your icon. If that’s the case, please be patient – your work will be reviewed shortly.

If you don’t want to wait for us to create a Khan Academy account for you, you’re welcome to create your own! Just follow the instructions provided on the Khan Academy page. You no longer need to set up Brain Chase as a coach – instead, your student will just log his own Khan Academy energy points manually using the ADD DATA field on the Brain Chase Math page.

TypingClub is the same – you’re welcome to create your own typing account by clicking Save Progress in the upper-right corner on TypingClub.com. Students will track their typing progress using the ADD DATA field on their Brain Chase Typing page.

Thank you for your honesty! Just go back to the ADD DATA filed and type a negative (-) symbol and a point value, and you can take points off of the board. But please note: once a challenge has been unlocked, it won’t re-lock itself.

Each student must select THREE electives. This can be done by selecting “Edit Student” on the Parent Dashboard. The electives can be changed during the first week of the program (the “Warm-up Week”).

Brain Chase loves online learning because web-based platforms can personalize content to meet the individual needs of each student. Students can choose the correct level of content to study, then proceed at their own pace through the curriculum. They’re also able to select when and where they study, and in what order they complete the challenges.

The only portions of Brian Chase that AREN’T customized are the animations and the bonus challenges, although we will provide hints if the bonus challenges are too difficult for some students.

Go into your Parent Dashboard and select Edit Student, then make sure you have three electives chosen (even if they aren’t your final choices). Next, scroll down and choose the electives you’d like to add, and make the additional purchases if necessary. The new upgrades will now appear in your available elective list, so make your final three choices and click SAVE.

With over a dozen different electives and several more in the pipeline, there’s always something new to learn at Brain Chase. We listen carefully to your feedback and suggestions, so in order to improve, we may discontinue or replace certain challenges, or even entire electives. Let us know what you think by sending a quick note to info@brainchase.com.

We also strive to refresh and update certain electives from semester to semester. So if you participated in Cooking or Art during the Summer program, prepare for an entire new batch of recipes and masterpieces during the fall.

For Khan Academy, just access any Khan Account – the one we provide for you, one you set up yourself, or you could even start doing work without logging in. Just don’t forget to return to your Math page and manually input your energy points.

Having trouble syncing your time with TypingClub? You can create your own account, or just use the program without logging in. Either way, you’ll need to return to your Brain Chase Typing page to manually input your typing minutes.

Not seeing credit for your Google Books reading time? Here are a few ideas:

• First of all, make sure you’re reading on the Brain Chase Google Books page, and not leaving Brain Chase to go directly to Google Books! We’ll never see your reading minutes that way.
• Remember that you won’t receive credit for time spent browsing different titles – only time spent inside a book. And please make sure you’re actively engaging with the content by turning pages and scrolling. If you remain inactive for more than 7 minutes, the system will believe you’ve checked out, and it will stop counting your time.
• You’re also welcome to read offline and manually input your reading minutes.

If your time isn’t recording with Rosetta Stone, keep in mind that you only earn credit in six-minute increments. Learning a new language is like going to the gym for your brain; you can’t expect to see progress if you only exercise for a few minutes at a time.

Having trouble accessing your Coding account? Occasionally we get errors or delayed syncing with Code Combat, but we’ve found that switching browsers can work wonders here. We highly recommend the Firefox browser for the Coding challenge.

Part of our mission is to promote new online learning technologies. One reason we selected Google Books as a partner is because they accurately track active reading time.

Would you prefer to hold a real book? Not a problem! Just have your parents track your active reading time and update your minutes via the Parent Dashboard.

No! Full access to Rosetta Stone is included with the price of registration! There’s no need to purchase your own Rosetta Stone license in order to access the program during the course of Brain Chase. If you already have a Rosetta Stone login, we still need you to use the account we provide so you can gain credit for your learning.

We also provide you with a Khan Academy account–but you’re not required to use this if you already have your own! If you prefer to use your existing account, log in to the Parent Dashboard and update your student’s profile.

If your child already has a Khan Academy account, there is no need to create a new account. We will simply need your child’s Username and Password to link their account to their student dashboard.

However, with all of our other third-party partners, such as Rosetta Stone, we need to create a new account. We will set this up and link it to your student’s dashboard before the treasure hunt begins.

Google Books is a rich online library of public domain literature. We’ve recommended dozens of titles for each age group (and we’re hoping to hear back with user recommendations as well!), but you’re also free to use the search bar to search for other titles. Here you’ll find unabridged timeless classics including Anne of Green Gables, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Secret Garden, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Romeo & Juliet, and thousands of others.

Two things you’ll want to keep in mind:

1. Please note that Google Books is NOT the same library as Google Play. Google Play is different service that allows you to pay to download more contemporary titles. Due to complicated publisher licensing agreements, Google currently restricts Google Play titles from integrating into programs like Brain Chase.
2. You’ll want to avoid “preview” versions of books (unless you’re a fan of unresolved cliffhangers).

Click here for more information about using Google Books with Brain Chase.

Sorry. We allow catching up, but we don’t allow zooming ahead – we don’t want anyone to see any clues before the others.

We’re proud to offer a program that was built with travel and adventure in mind! Whether your student is traveling, attending sleepaway camp, or simply falls behind, Brain Chase will be here when s/he’s ready to move forward. The dashboards will stay live for at least two weeks after the final week of the treasure hunt.

If you would like to receive your Brain Chase adventure tools at your travel address, we’re happy to help! Send us an email with the necessary details or if you have questions about the end date of the treasure hunt to info@brainchase.com.

All of your student’s learning activity will be available 24/7 on your Parent Dashboard. We’ll send weekly reminders to check in and review your student’s progress. Please discuss this information regularly with your child and provide her with encouragement along the journey.

For Groups and Schools, the Brain Chase Guide will have access to a Guide’s Dashboard where he/she will have access to each student’s account.

Yes! There’s no reason not to collaborate with other families and teams. There are no rules about sharing hints, clues, or even solutions – the only rule is that the students must complete their own academic work.

Hard! But they need to be, since all you’ll need to do is click on a map to win some cash. And think of all the online resources you have access to! Click here to see how Grayson and Jack Engler solved the mystery in Summer 2014 and here to see how Ashton Detwiler and his family solved it in Summer 2015.

Note – the “escape” portion of the Escape Rooms won’t be terribly hard, and there will be several resources available to help you solve them and advance. But the map/treasure portion of the game will be considerably more difficult.

We do not currently offer sibling discounts.

If you’re creating teams for a library, school, group, or district, that’s different. Please reach out to us at groupsales@brainchase.com.

We understand that every family has to find ways to make ends meet and want to help out as much as possible. Click here to learn about resources available to you and your family.

For Summer Treasure Hunts, students are completely responsible for their own learning electives. But once the clues are unlocked, it’s open season. We love when parents and children can work on projects together. Besides, we suspect that children will be better than grownups at finding hidden clues.

For the Escape Rooms, it’s open season. Everyone can work together – that’s what makes it fun.

Absolutely!! We have thousands of students from outside the US who join us each year. A couple things to keep in mind:

• Please select the SCOUT package, then purchase any t-shirts, adventure tools, or other gear separately through the Brain Chase Shop. Don’t worry – all of the electives can be purchased a la carte. This options simply lets you help us with international shipping costs (thank you!).
• Some states and countries don’t support participation in competitions like Brain Chase, so please check the contest rules to see if you are officially eligible to win the prize.  IF YOU’RE NOT ELIGIBLE TO WIN, don’t worry – you can still participate in the full academic challenge, and you can still make guesses about the whereabouts of the treasure. If you’re the first to find it, we’ll still find a way to take care of you.
• Are you a US citizen who’s living abroad? As long as you can claim one of the US states as your place of residence for tax purposes, you’re in good shape. But please select the SCOUT package.

Basically, the larger the package, the more you’ll save on bundling different electives (and the more Brain Chase swag you’ll receive). If you register at a level that doesn’t include an elective you’d like, you may still purchase that elective a la carte for a small additional cost.

All packages have an equal shot at winning the treasure.

The amount of weekly work required depends on the electives selected, not on the package purchased. Some electives require more time and parental involvement than others. Our electives page will help you determine which electives are a good fit for your family.

Haha. We’re glad you’re curious. But we’ll never tell you. All we can say is that it’s buried someplace wonderful.

Don’t worry, someone always solves it. If not, we will begin posting additional clues until the correct answer is submitted.

Not even close!

Each semester contains an entirely new and unique treasure hunt. While the story line, animations and buried treasure may be repeated, all clues embedded in the animations, the riddle and treasure location are entirely new every semester.

So, for example, even if you’ve searched for the Sunstone of Cortes with us before, you will have a brand new experience if you join us on a future hunt for the Sunstone of Cortes!

Go to the Map page and click on the map to place your pin, then click Submit. After each guess, you’ll need to wait 24 hours before guessing again.

Check the Leaderboard! You’ll see everyone’s guess, along with a time stamp of their submission. We’re also monitoring things closely on our end. In addition to screening the radius from the prize, the time stamp, and the completion of all academic work (Summer Treasure Hunts only), we’ll make sure all potential winners have abided by the User Covenants and all of the Official Rules.

On the first Monday of each month (subscriptions) or the first day of the Treasure Hunt (summer), you and your student can visit www.brainchase.com and click the “Log In” button in the upper right hand corner. To log in, enter your student or team captain login and password that you created on the Parent Dashboard. Even if you have multiple accounts, multiple students can log in at the same time from different devices.

School and Group Brain Chase participants can log into their Student Dashboards at any time during the semester’s first week through the same Log In procedure. Student logins will be managed by the Brain Chase Guide.

See this Getting Started guide for more information.

OF COURSE! Do you think we’d let you have the treasure if you took a shortcut to adventure? All academic modules in the Student Dashboard must be completed and unlocked. So stick with the challenge!

No! That is simply the first time the new content will be available on the Student Dashboard. You can start Brain Chase at any time and there is no penalty for starting later and no reward for starting right at the exact time the Student Dashboards open. So don’t worry if you get to it later in the day or even later in the week. Keep in mind that the first week of each program or month is also a “Warm-up Week,” allowing participants to get started without feeling pressure of winning.

Escape Room / Subscription members – please note that a new program will begin on the first Monday of each new month and end a few days before the end of the month- and the old room will move to the Program Archives. Please make sure you complete each program well before the dashboard resets.

Then find it! This is a treasure hunt, after all.

We also provide a virtual version of each Adventure Tool, since not all participants elect to receive them (see the Hints on the relevant Bonus Challenge pages), or you can order replacements from the Brain Chase Shop.

You can’t unlock the videos, challenges, and clues of Week One until you’ve completed the Warm-up Week and received feedback on any submissions (certain electives only). The good news is that the Warm-up Week challenges go very quickly.

If you don’t want to wait for us to create a Khan Academy account for you, you’re welcome to create your own! Just follow the instructions provided on the Khan Academy page. You no longer need to set up Brain Chase as a coach – instead, your student will just log his own Khan Academy energy points manually using the ADD DATA field on the Brain Chase Math page.

TypingClub is the same – you’re welcome to create your own typing account by clicking Save Progress in the upper-right corner on TypingClub.com. Students will track their typing progress using the ADD DATA field on their Brain Chase Typing page.

Parents and students log in from the same page, so parents must first log out in order for their students to sign on.

Parent Log in:

We automatically send an email with instructions regarding how to set up your Parent Dashboard after you register. Sometimes these emails go to Spam or Promotions. If you cannot find this email, just go to the login page and use the email address you registered with to request a new password. One will be sent automatically. You can also email a request to info@brainchase.com and we will help you out.

Student Log in:

All student login information is found on the main page of the Parent Dashboard under the words “Student Passbook.” Your Khan Academy login information is also located within the Math Challenge section of the student dashboard.

We do not provide logins for Typing Club, myOn, Code Combat, Rosetta Stone, Google Books, or other electives because the sign-in is automatic. You are only able to access these sites by linking to them from your student dashboard.

Have you signed the User Covenants? Log in to your Parent Dashboard, scroll down to the Student Passbook, and select Edit Profile under Student Info. Now scroll to the very bottom of the Student Information page to the blue box labeled SIGN PARENT AND STUDENT COVENANTS. Click to review the covenants, then check the boxes, and click SAVE CHANGES.

Is it still the Warm-up Week? You need to wait until the Week One videos or rooms are released.

Have you already registered a guess within the last 24 hours? You’ll need to wait until the clock counter reaches zero before you can guess again!

Are you submitting coordinates in the correct format? Instead of copying coordinates from Google Earth or another program and pasting them into your coordinate boxes, try simply clicking on the Treasure Map and letting it auto-generate your coordinates for you. Then click “Submit.”

Please see our Technical Requirements page to learn more!

Brain Chase is an online challenge, so you’ll need a high-speed internet connection. It will work on the latest versions of Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari web browsers. You will be able to complete many of the academic challenges on tablets (i.e., math and reading), but since others will be more difficult (i.e., writing), we strongly recommend having a desktop or laptop available. Please note – if you don’t have access to an appropriate device or an adequate internet connection, then you won’t be able to participate. Plus, it would be hard for you to be reading this right now. Please contact us at info@brainchase.com with any technical questions.

For Khan Academy, just access any Khan Account – the one we provide for you, one you set up yourself, or you could even start doing work without logging in. Just don’t forget to return to your Math page and manually input your energy points.

Having trouble syncing your time with TypingClub? You can create your own account, or just use the program without logging in. Either way, you’ll need to return to your Brain Chase Typing page to manually input your typing minutes.

Not seeing credit for your Google Books reading time? Here are a few ideas:

• First of all, make sure you’re reading on the Brain Chase Google Books page, and not leaving Brain Chase to go directly to Google Books! We’ll never see your reading minutes that way.
• Remember that you won’t receive credit for time spent browsing different titles – only time spent inside a book. And please make sure you’re actively engaging with the content by turning pages and scrolling. If you remain inactive for more than 7 minutes, the system will believe you’ve checked out, and it will stop counting your time.
• You’re also welcome to read offline and manually input your reading minutes.

If your time isn’t recording with Rosetta Stone, keep in mind that you only earn credit in six-minute increments. Learning a new language is like going to the gym for your brain; you can’t expect to see progress if you only exercise for a few minutes at a time.

Having trouble accessing your Coding account? Occasionally we get errors or delayed syncing with Code Combat, but we’ve found that switching browsers can work wonders here. We highly recommend the Firefox browser for the Coding challenge.

Go to the Map page and click on the map to place your pin, then click Submit. After each guess, you’ll need to wait 24 hours before guessing again.

Check out this Rosetta Stone Quick Start Guide. Or feel free to contact us at info@brainchase.com.

All of your student’s learning activity will be available 24/7 on your Parent Dashboard. We’ll send weekly reminders to check in and review your student’s progress. Please discuss this information regularly with your child and provide her with encouragement along the journey.

For Groups and Schools, the Brain Chase Guide will have access to a Guide’s Dashboard where he/she will have access to each student’s account.

• We strongly recommend using the latest versions of the Firefox, Chrome, and Safari web browsers. We do not recommend using Microsoft Edge or Explorer for the Escape Rooms.
• Make the Escape Rooms bigger! Enlarge your screen to zoom in (Tablets and touch-screens: pinch the screen / PC: CNTRL + ‘+’/ Mac: CMMD + OPTION + ‘=’).
• Returning after a previous Escape Room program? You might need to refresh your browser cache! Click here for instructions.
• Using a tablet? It’s difficult to know what to click! For a change of view, use a desktop or laptop with a mouse. Every time the cursor hovers over a clickable item, the mouse icon will appear as a finger.
• Whatever device you’re using, we recommend projecting the Escape Rooms on a big screen and involving others. Escaping is much more fun with friends!

We love our returning Adventurers! Here’s what you can expect going forward:

Things that will stay the same:

• The Summer Treasure Hunt is still on! It will be animation-based, with a real treasure somewhere on the planet. Everyone must complete learning electives, and the same eligibility requirements will apply. Winners will still win a trip to dig up a treasure and a scholarship (see specific contest rules for details).
• It’s still about Mae Merriweather, Tate Grayson, and the Academy of Antiquities. The escape rooms follow the same storyline – in fact, they might even reveal more details about Tate’s mysterious disappearance.
• It’s the same Dashboard and Parent Dashboard you’ve grown to know and love!
• You’ll have access to the same learning electives.
• You’ll have access to Adventure Tools.
• You’ll still need the map page. Escape Rooms are about more than advancing from week to week – you’ll also be tasked with solving a difficult puzzle, and placing your pin on the map. You’ll still get one guess every 24 hours.
• There are still cash prizes.

Things that are different:

• It’s subscription-based! That lets us get the prices way down, and lets you participate all year long.
• The challenges are shorter! Instead of 6-week challenges, each Escape Room will contain a Warm-up Week and three puzzle weeks. Keep in mind, your Dashboard will also refresh at the end of each month to make way for the new program – so stay on your toes!
• Instead of videos, you’ll access interactive, clickable “rooms.” Each program follows a storyline, and you’ll need to solve each room in order to advance.
• The learning is optional! This one surprised us a bit – but many of you wanted to skip the learning and go right for the fun stuff! You win. If you don’t opt-in to the electives, you’ll still need to answer a few program-related questions to advance. But no more logging Khan Academy points if you’re not interested.
• No ‘Bonus Challenges.’ At least, not in the formal sense. The ‘Bonus Challenges’ are now woven directly into the rooms themselves! Try it – we think you’ll like it.
• New Leaderboard! Ever wondered where everyone else was guessing? Now you can see them right on your map! But careful – they can see your guesses as well. This is opening up a completely new dynamic to the game, and so far, the feedback has been wonderful.
• Some of the electives will go away… at least until the summertime. Programs like Code Combat, Typing Club, and Rosetta Stone (where we pay additional licenses) won’t fit in the new subscription model. But don’t worry – they’ll be back in June!
• Monthly packages. Instead of receiving mail every other week, you’ll now receive a package once per month (optional).
• Mix-and-match electives. If you opt to receive the learning electives, you can now change options as often as you wish! Want to do Engineering, Math, and Reading one week, but Service, Cooking, and Art the next? Go for it.
• More prizes. It’s true, no one will be flying anywhere to dig anything up (until the Summer Treasure Hunt), but we’ll now be sending out $100 checks every 30 days to the winner of each month’s program. No limits, no eligibility requirements.
• Monthly schedule: You’ll receive monthly Escape Rooms January – May and August – December. But June and July are set aside for the Treasure Hunt. All monthly subscribers are automatically enrolled in the Summer Treasure Hunt at no extra charge. Each membership tier (Scout and Explorer) will have automatic access to that tier of electives. Upselling is allowed, and Scout members can upsell to Explorer for summer eligibility – but they must do so before the Summer Program begins.
• You can pause, cancel, or change your subscription at any time.

Are we missing anything? Email us at info@brainchase.com with any questions!

It depends! If you’re using Brain Chase for the fun of the Escape Rooms, you’ll be fine sharing one subscription in your household. But if you’d like to motivate several children to make personalized progress in different academic areas (i.e., Math, Reading, Music Practice, etc.), we suggest creating multiple Adventurer licenses.

Yes! You can pause, cancel, upgrade, downgrade, or restart your subscription at any time. Please contact us at info@brainchase.com to manage your subscription. Note, we do not provide refunds for canceled subscriptions.

Clearing your browser’s cache might help! click CTRL + SHFT + DEL on most browsers; click here for more details.

There sure is! Click here.

Brain Chase isn’t a free online app or video game. But it’s not a $600/week summer camp, either. As one customer put it, “Brain Chase is a multi-faceted learning experience that beautifully straddles the virtual and physical worlds.” Each program may vary slightly, and your experience will vary based on the package and electives you choose, but in general, Brain Chase participants can receive:

• Live, credentialed teachers providing weekly, personalized feedback
• “Camp counselors” standing by to respond to questions, emails, and chats
• 6-8 weeks of access to Code Combat, Rosetta Stone, Typing Club, and other programs (no additional registrations or logins necessary)
• Weekly “Bonus Challenges” in different subjects ranging from astronomy to music composition
• 6-8 weeks of animated or movie-themed content packed with hidden clues, riddles, and puzzles that boost 21st Century Skills like problem-solving, creative thinking, and grit
• The chance to compete against other families around the world in a massive, global treasure hunt with a real, buried prize (prizes may vary with different programs)
• Multiple “Adventure Tools” (i.e., brass compasses, metal decoder rings, exotic coins, etc.) mailed out at different points during the program in wax-sealed envelopes
• A Brain Chase Badge with Elective Patches to match the programs they select
• Completion certificates for the finishers
• Parent Dashboards to track student progress in real-time

It’s true that access to Khan Academy is free, Google Books is free, and some of the elective challenges link to free Youtube videos. But Brain Chase is so much more. See what these parents have to say about the program, and then try it for yourself. We guarantee you and your kids will love it.

TREASURE HUNTS:

Brain Chase’s patented “play release” technology uses a combination of curated online education tools, custom animations, and mysterious packages to deliver a personalized learning experience for your student.

Each week of the challenge will follow the same pattern. First, a short online video will be released on the student dashboard each Monday. The animated webisode will document the next chapter in Mae Merriweather’s quest to locate a golden treasure and uncover clues to the location of missing adventurer, Tate Grayson.

After a student watches the video, she will return to the student dashboard to begin her weekly academic challenges. By clicking on the different icons, she will read specific instructions for the week, find links that lead directly into the academic work, and see current status snapshots each assignment.

Once the work has been successfully completed, the Brain Chase dashboard will automatically unlock an additional video in which Mae and team continue the adventure. The process will repeat each Monday until the challenge is complete.

You and your student will want to watch each video closely – and repeatedly – because the videos are filled with hidden clues that pinpoint the location of a real treasure. Work together to crack the clues and solve the puzzle. Each 24 hours, your student will be allowed to make one guess by clicking on the treasure map. The first student who guesses the correct location within a two-mile radius will win the prize.

ESCAPE ROOMS:

These function much the same as the Treasure Hunts, except instead of videos, you’ll unlock interactive “rooms” full of clickable items. The rooms not only contain clues to advancing through the program, but also conceal clues to the location of a missing artifact. Click on the Map Page to locate the prize; be the first, and win $100.

TREASURE HUNTS: Anyone is welcome to enter, but only those between the ages of six and sixteen as of the official start date will be eligible to win the Grand Prize.

ESCAPE ROOMS: Escape Rooms are perfect for kids, families, friends, and anyone who needs an engaging Game Night. Anyone can enter, and anyone can win the $100 prizes.

Hard! But they need to be, since all you’ll need to do is click on a map to win some cash. And think of all the online resources you have access to! Click here to see how Grayson and Jack Engler solved the mystery in Summer 2014 and here to see how Ashton Detwiler and his family solved it in Summer 2015.

Note – the “escape” portion of the Escape Rooms won’t be terribly hard, and there will be several resources available to help you solve them and advance. But the map/treasure portion of the game will be considerably more difficult.

ESCAPE ROOM SUBSCRIPTIONS:

Each month’s Escape Room is organized into three “weeks” worth of content. If you choose the “Unlock” elective option, you’ll be doing the Escape Rooms only, so you should plan on 1-2 hours of puzzle solving each month. If you add academic electives, you’re taking on additional academic work each month (approximately 1.5 hours per “week,” or 4 hours per month).

TREASURE HUNTS:

Brain Chase Treasure Hunts last for 6-7 weeks during the summer. By registering for Brain Chase, your student is committing to do about four hours of focused online academic work each week. Because the curriculum is web-based, she can complete the work whenever, wherever, and in whatever order she prefers.

As a parent, you will be responsible for registering your student and helping her get unstuck if she experiences minor technical issues. You are welcome to assist her with the treasure hunt and the bonus challenges, but please make sure the academic work is entirely her own.

For Summer Treasure Hunts, students are completely responsible for their own learning electives. But once the clues are unlocked, it’s open season. We love when parents and children can work on projects together. Besides, we suspect that children will be better than grownups at finding hidden clues.

For the Escape Rooms, it’s open season. Everyone can work together – that’s what makes it fun.

Don’t worry, someone always solves it. If not, we will begin posting additional clues until the correct answer is submitted.

Go to the Map page and click on the map to place your pin, then click Submit. After each guess, you’ll need to wait 24 hours before guessing again.

Check the Leaderboard! You’ll see everyone’s guess, along with a time stamp of their submission. We’re also monitoring things closely on our end. In addition to screening the radius from the prize, the time stamp, and the completion of all academic work (Summer Treasure Hunts only), we’ll make sure all potential winners have abided by the User Covenants and all of the Official Rules.