About Edep Academy

A collaborative school community in Wayne, New Jersey

Edep Academy runs a one year 8th grade program built for homeschooled students. Common Core academics sit alongside Qur’an, Islamic studies, and character education, taught by faculty who know every student by name. Graduates leave with a transcript, a habit of learning, and a network that outlasts the year.

164 Totowa Rd, Wayne, NJ 07470   |   1.862.330.1164   |   admissions@edepacademy.org

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Alumni worldwide
Our story

Started by parents who refused to choose

In 2010, a group of middle school parents sat down with one question: could universal and spiritual values be taught alongside a full academic curriculum, in the same room, during the same year? Rather than wait for someone else to answer it, they built a year long homeschool enrichment program and ran it themselves.

The results travelled through the community faster than the founding families expected. Interest grew, and what began as a private effort was formalized into a structured tutoring program for homeschooled students. That program became Edep Academy.

The first class had ten students. Today more than one hundred enroll each year, arriving from states across the country and from abroad, and over five hundred alumni have finished the year and carried it with them.

2010

Parents met to talk about integrating universal and spiritual values with academics, then committed to a year long homeschooling initiative they led themselves.

After year one

Word spread and demand followed. The founding families turned the initiative into a formal tutoring program for homeschooled students, and Edep Academy was established.

Today

A campus in Wayne, New Jersey serving more than one hundred students with nineteen faculty and staff, and a growing alumni community across the country.

What we stand for

Mission, vision, and values

Edeb, the word behind our name, means good character. It is also the standard we hold the school to, in the classroom and outside it.

Mission

Edep Academy seeks to be a collaborative school community fostering dedicated students. We take a holistic approach providing superior academic, Islamic, and character education. By creating a positive and productive school culture, graduates will be lifelong learners and socially responsible citizens.

Vision

A school culture positive and productive enough that lifelong learning becomes ordinary. We measure the year by what students do after it: how they study on their own, how they carry themselves, and how they show up for the communities they join.

Values

Academic rigor, Islamic knowledge, and character are taught together rather than in separate compartments. Students are expected to ask questions, take responsibility for their own studying, and contribute to the community they live in.

The program

One year. Four pillars.

Edep Academy offers a single year 8th grade program designed for homeschooled students. The academic core follows Common Core standards using established curricula, and it runs alongside Qur’an study, Islamic studies, and character education, on the same timetable and in the same building.

Qur'an

Tajweed, Makharij, and Sifat taught with daily recitation and memorization, corrected in class. Students recite according to Qiraat-i Asim and Riwaya Hafs, and finish with a certificate reflecting their level.

See the curriculum

Islamic studies

The NEICC curriculum covers Tafsir, Seerah, Hadith, Islamic faith, Fiqh, fundamental terms, and Arabic. It is built to open discussion rather than close it, so questions are part of the method.

See the curriculum

Academics

EngageNY English Language Arts, Pearson enVision for Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1, the NJCTL Progressive Science Initiative, and McGraw-Hill Networks for United States history.

See the curriculum

Character education

Seminars twice a week, led by guests from the wider community: writers, doctors, engineers, counselors, teachers, non-profit directors, and community leaders. Thirty to sixty minutes, on campus.

About the seminars
Campus and residential life

One building, built around the school day

Classes, prayer, meals, sport, and rest all sit within a short walk of each other. That is what makes the residential program work, and what keeps the day secure and unhurried for students who commute.

  • Main classrooms and a teachers lounge

  • Gymnasium and a dedicated sports room

  • Cafeteria and students lounge

  • A designated praying area

  • Dormitory with room for 30 students and 10 chaperones

The boys dormitory shares the same building as the school. Senior and junior mentors are present through the evening, which turns study hall and downtime into the part of the year most alumni bring up first.

Student life

The year does not stop when class ends

Weekends are programmed, trips are planned a year ahead, and clubs run through the week. Most of what alumni remember happened in these hours.

Weekend activities

Something is organized almost every weekend, from tournaments and competitions to community events and family gatherings.

See activities

Two annual trips

Students travel twice a year, typically to Washington D.C. and Orlando, on trips planned as part of the program rather than as add-ons.

See activities

Winter and summer camps

Two camps each year give students time outdoors and away from the timetable, and give newer students a fast way into the group.

See activities

Clubs and athletics

Soccer, basketball, volleyball, ping pong, chess, ebru, and calligraphy, with more added as students ask for them.

See all clubs
Alumni

More than 500 people have finished this year

Edep Academy helps an individual grow in maturity, knowledge, and spirituality.

Abdurrahman Almat, Class of 2021

Edep Academy allowed me to have a brighter future both academically and spiritually.

Selim Bayam, Class of 2017

I still reminisce the days I spent at this school.

Furkan Kara, Class of 2021
Our people

Nineteen adults who know every student by name

Teachers, Qur’an instructors, mentors, a dorm coordinator, and a program director share the same building and the same students. Class sizes average seventeen, so nobody spends the year unnoticed. Full names, roles, and direct email addresses are published, and parents are encouraged to use them.

Work at Edep Academy

Teaching, mentoring, and residential roles open through the year.

See open positions

Mentor scholarship

For college students who want to mentor in the dormitory while they study.

Open the form

Talk to admissions

Appointments are scheduled year round, in person or by phone.

admissions@edepacademy.org
Keep exploring

Everything under About Us

Mission, vision, and values

How the school started and what it holds itself to.

Read more

Academics

Every course, curriculum partner, and set of learning goals.

Read more

Extracurriculars

Activities, clubs, trips, camps, and character education seminars.

Read more

Campus

Classrooms, gymnasium, cafeteria, prayer area, and student spaces.

Read more

Boys dormitory

How residential life and mentorship work, plus the daily schedule.

Read more

Staff directory

Names, roles, and direct email addresses for faculty and staff.

Read more
Questions parents ask

Before you apply

If your question is not here, write to admissions@edepacademy.org or call 1.862.330.1164. Admissions appointments are scheduled year round.

 

Who is Edep Academy for?

Edep Academy offers a one year 8th grade program built specifically for homeschooled students. Academics follow Common Core standards and are enriched with Qur’an, Islamic studies, and character education. Students enroll from states across the country and from abroad.

Yes. The boys dormitory is inside the same building as the school and accommodates 30 students with 10 chaperones. Senior and junior mentors are present through study hall and evening hours. Tuition also covers weekly stay overs in the dormitory, including dinner and breakfast, for students who do not board full time.

English Language Arts follows EngageNY, developed by NYSED under the Common Core Learning Standards. Mathematics uses Pearson enVision for Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1. Science follows the Progressive Science Initiative through NJCTL. United States history uses McGraw-Hill Networks. Islamic studies follows the NEICC curriculum, and the Qur’an program is developed with homeschool Qur’an teachers across America.

Class size averages 17 students. The school publishes a 4:1 student to faculty ratio across a team of 19 faculty and staff serving roughly 110 students.

Tuition includes all textbooks, Chromebooks, after school clubs other than those run by outside vendors, and weekly stay overs in the dormitory with dinner and breakfast. Room and board covers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Payment plans, sibling discounts, and the full fee schedule are listed on the Tuition and Values page, and financial aid is handled separately.

A love of learning and intellectual curiosity, a solid academic background, self driven and responsible study habits that can sustain a demanding program, exemplary character, and a willingness to contribute to the school community. Placement is based on test scores and academic background only.

Email admissions@edepacademy.org to schedule a personalized appointment and get a fuller picture of the program. When you are ready, the online application takes a few minutes and the admissions team will follow up directly.

Admissions 2026-2027

Come see the year in person

An hour on campus explains more than any page can. Book an appointment with the admissions team, walk the building, meet the mentors, and sit in on a class.