The Sycamore School

What The Sycamore School does

The Sycamore School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit independent school founded in 2015 and opened in Fall 2017 in Arlington, Virginia, serving students in grades 5 through 12. The school operates from an urban campus at 1550 Wilson Blvd (Rosslyn) and is led by Founder and Head of School Karyn Ewart, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience. Its pedagogy is a mastery-based, self-paced, experiential learning model organized around three equally weighted pillars: Academic Development, Social & Emotional Growth, and Civic Engagement. The curriculum integrates transdisciplinary semester-long experiences that weave English, science, history, and math under unifying themes, with explicit instruction in executive functioning, a no-homework policy, no SOL test preparation, and weekly Field Study Fridays. Programs include a College and Career track for juniors covering career exploration and personal finance, plus a Rube Goldberg Machine Summer Camp.

The school is accredited by Cognia and affiliated with the Mastery Transcript Consortium, AISGW, Micro Schools Network, and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. Revenue is generated primarily through annual tuition (founding families locked at $20,000 for the duration of enrollment), with a secondary stream of charitable donations, fundraising events (fundraising breakfast, dance-a-thon, trivia night, Giving Tuesday), and a RoundUp micro-donation program. The school provides financial aid to nearly 30% of families to maintain socio-economic diversity. Go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct family enrollment via rolling admissions, virtual and in-person information sessions, an open-house calendar, and a multi-channel organic presence spanning blog, email, and seven social platforms. The customer segments are families of bright, curious, often twice-exceptional or neurodivergent students who are not thriving in traditional school environments, supplemented by Montessori-background transitions and students needing variable pacing.

Name

The Sycamore School

Legal name

The Sycamore School

Website

https://thesycamoreschoolva.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Sycamore School is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) independent school in Arlington, Virginia, serving grades 5-12 through a mastery-based, experiential curriculum that integrates academic, social-emotional, and civic development. It enrolls families directly, primarily in Northern Virginia, with tuition as its core revenue stream.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)

Keywords

• Independent private school
• Mastery-based learning
• Experiential education
• Social emotional learning
• Secondary education

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition: The Sycamore School is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) independent school that generates revenue primarily through tuition payments. The founding family base tuition was set at $20,000 for the duration of time a child attends TSS. The school provides financial support to nearly 30% of families through scholarships and financial aid to maintain socio-economic diversity.
2. Donations and Fundraising: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the school receives charitable donations from donors. The school conducts fundraising events including a fundraising breakfast, speaker series, dance-a-thon, trivia night, Belize trip fundraiser, and participates in Giving Tuesday. Corporate matching gifts are also accepted.
3. RoundUp Program: Partnership with RoundUp.org allowing donors to automatically round up credit card purchases to donate to the school monthly

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Sycamore School is a nonprofit independent school serving grades 5–12 in Arlington, Virginia, offering a mastery-based, self-paced, experiential and project-based curriculum. The school integrates three equally weighted pillars — Academic Development, Social & Emotional Growth, and Civic Engagement — with explicit executive functioning instruction, weekly Field Study Fridays, no homework, and no standardized-test (SOL) preparation. Tuition is billed annually, with financial aid available to approximately 30% of families.

Product overview

The Sycamore School is an independent private school in Arlington, Virginia, serving grades 5-12 with a mastery-based, experiential learning model. The school integrates three equally weighted core branches: Academic Development (self-paced, student-centered curriculum with depth over breadth), Social & Emotional Growth (explicit SEL instruction, executive functioning skills, counseling support), and Civic Engagement (community service and real-world application). Programs include transdisciplinary experiential learning experiences, a College and Career preparation track for juniors and seniors covering career exploration and personal finance, and a Rube Goldberg Machine Summer Camp. The school emphasizes small class sizes, movement and mindfulness practices, weekly field study Fridays, and semester-end showcase demonstrations where students present their learning to family and community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Independent School Education (Grades 5–12) Annual tuition-based private school education for grades 5–12 in Arlington, Virginia, delivered through a mastery-based, self-paced, experiential curriculum with three equally weighted pillars: Academic Development, Social & Emotional Growth, and Civic Engagement. Targeting families in Northern Virginia seeking an alternative to traditional school environments for bright, curious, twice-exceptional, or learning-different students.
• Rube Goldberg Machine Summer Camp Problem-based learning summer camp in which campers research, design, and build Rube Goldberg machines incorporating physics, energy, and energy transfer concepts through collaborative problem solving. Open to the broader community beyond enrolled Sycamore families.

Quantifiable outcome

• Financial aid provided to nearly 30% of families
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mastery Transcript ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with Mastery Transcript Consortium, an organization developing alternative credentialing systems beyond traditional transcripts. TSS uses mastery-based learning approach aligned with MTC's philosophy of demonstrating competency rather than seat time.
• Arlington Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive affiliation with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, indicating community integration and business engagement in the Northern Virginia area.
• Micro Schools NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with the Micro Schools Network, which conducted a tour and interview with TSS's Director of Admissions, Advancement, and Communications. The network connects small innovative schools.
• CogniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccreditation and affiliation with Cognia, a global nonprofit improving education quality through accreditation and certification.
• AISGW (Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of AISGW, the association serving independent schools in the Greater Washington metropolitan area.
• Volunteer ArlingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with Volunteer Arlington, supporting the school's civic engagement and community service initiatives.
• WISER (Women in Service to Education Region)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with WISER (Women in Service to Education Region), supporting women's leadership in education.
• Reading Language Learning Center / More Than Words PodcastcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFounder Karyn Ewart appeared as a guest on the 'More Than Words: Treating the Whole Child' podcast hosted by Reading Language Learning Center, discussing raising independent resilient learners.
• Eco CatersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiscussed potential partnership for catering fresh lunches using ingredients from local organic farms. Eco Caters provides food for Capitals, Wizards and other local professional sports teams.
• Leadership InitiativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with Leadership Initiatives, supporting leadership development programs.
• Full Circle MontessoriminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisited for inspiration during school development phase. Shares educational approach similarities with Montessori philosophy.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Flint Hill School: Large, well-established independent JK-12 school in Oakton/Oak Hill, VA — the dominant premium private school competitor in Northern Virginia. Comparable as a tuition-funded independent school serving similar affluent NoVA families, though much larger and broader in scope than TSS.
• Georgetown Day School: Prominent independent PK-12 school in Washington, DC with a progressive, experiential-learning orientation. Comparable to TSS in its non-traditional pedagogical stance and DC-metro family base, though much larger and more established.
• BASIS Independent Schools: Network of private K-12 schools using a rigorous, accelerated mastery-oriented STEM liberal-arts curriculum. Comparable as tuition-funded independent schools targeting high-achieving families with a mastery/academic-excellence pitch, though serving a more uniformly gifted student body than TSS.
• The Nueva School: Independent PK-12 school in Hillsborough, CA recognized for gifted-and-2e learner support and project-based learning. Comparable to TSS in its strengths-based, individualized approach for high-ability and neurodivergent students, though in a different geographic market.
• The Langley School: Independent K-8 school in McLean, VA serving Northern Virginia families with an individualized-learning ethos. Overlaps with TSS in market geography, family demographic, and emphasis on differentiated instruction, though younger grade range and more conventional curriculum.
• Sidwell Friends School: Elite independent PK-12 Quaker school in Washington, DC. Comparable as a top-tier DC-metro independent school competing for the same affluent, college-bound families as TSS, though with a much larger endowment, broader athletics/extracurricular footprint, and traditional college-prep curriculum.

Direct peers

• Acton Academy: Network of learner-driven, mastery-based micro-schools using a Socratic/experiential model and shared curriculum. Highly comparable to TSS in philosophy (self-paced mastery, no homework, project-based learning) and target families, and operates as a franchise-like network that TSS could model for expansion.
• The Lab School of Washington: Independent K-12 school in Washington, DC specializing in students with learning differences (dyslexia, ADHD, etc.). Highly comparable to TSS in its 2e/neurodivergent learner focus, mastery-oriented pedagogy, and small class model — direct competitor for Northern Virginia families seeking specialized education.
• The Westmark School: Independent K-12 school in Encino, CA specifically serving students with learning differences (dyslexia, ADHD, executive-function challenges). Closely comparable to TSS in its small-class, individualized, learning-difference-focused model, though in the LA market.

Others

• Primrose Schools: Large national franchised private school network (PK-6) with a balanced-learning curriculum. Comparable as a franchise-style operator that demonstrates how a values-driven private education model can scale across geographies — a structural reference point for TSS's potential expansion rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCeZWwL_cpUmHQEogLy35HwQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/thesycamoreschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-sycamore-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/thesycamoreschoolva
• TikToktiktok.com/@sycamoreschoolva

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Sycamore School