Brave Generation Academy (BGA)

Brave Generation Academy (BGA) is a hybrid, alternative secondary school founded in Cascais in 2022. Instead of one large campus, it runs a network of small local Hubs paired with an online learning platform, so learners study through a Learning Management System while attending a nearby Hub for structure and support. The Algarve is one of BGA's biggest regional networks in Portugal, with six Hubs spread across the coast. In the Hub, learners work at their own pace on asynchronous coursework, using forums, quizzes and a progress tracking tool, while a Learning Coach runs weekly one to one sessions to set goals and keep study on track. Hubs typically hold 30 to 45 learners with one Learning Coach for every 15, and students can attend up to five days a week, five hours a day, on a timetable built around them rather than a fixed school day. Learners choose between three secondary pathways: a British curriculum (IGCSEs and A-Levels), an American curriculum delivered with partner Forward International Academy leading to a US high school diploma, or Portuguese+, the national Portuguese curriculum taught in Portuguese. From age 16, BGA's Unique Pathway offers accelerated, career-focused higher education tracks in business, sport, computing or hospitality, and past learners have gone on to universities including UC Berkeley, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Michigan, Erasmus University Rotterdam and the University of Washington. The Algarve network runs six Hubs for ages 12 to 18: two in Lagos, one in Lagoa, one near Vilamoura (Vila Sol), one in Loulé and one in Tavira, so families across the region can reach a Hub without a long drive.