Yoruba
- Bawo ni?How are you?
- O seThank you
- Mo nife eI love you
Greetings, family, food, proverbs — and your child's first full conversation. Ages 5–17.
Enrollment open — Cohort 01
Give your child the gift of language, culture and identity.
A live online academy where children ages 5–17 — growing up in the diaspora and at home in Africa — learn Yoruba and Igbo through story, song, food, and community. Real teachers. Real classmates. Roots that hold, on both shores.
- 45 min
- Every Saturday
- 4 phases
- 6 weeks each
- 100 max
- Per cohort
“A child who does not know their story is a leaf without a tree.”
Yoruba proverb
The Academy
Four seasons of living heritage, not just language lessons.
Too many children grow up hearing the language but never truly living it — in Houston and London, and just as much in Lagos and Abuja, where school and screens crowd out the mother tongue. Asa Roots Academy is built for children growing up between worlds: close enough to feel the absence, wherever they live.
- 1
Foundations
greetings, family, and first words that matter
- 2
Stories & Songs
folktales, call-and-response, and lullabies
- 3
Food, Family & Festivals
cooking words, celebrations, and the meaning behind the meal
- 4
Roots & Routes
ancestry, migration stories, and where we come from
Why families choose us
Live, not recorded
Real teachers, real classmates, real conversation, every Saturday.
Small by design
Cohorts capped at 100, grouped by age: 5–8 · 9–12 · 13–17.
Culture, not just words
Proverbs, food, festivals, and a Grandparents' Circle where elders join to share stories.
Built for both shores
Children in the diaspora and at home in Africa learn side by side, in the same cohort.
Language tracks
What if your child could speak to Grandma in her own language?
Igbo
- Kedu?How are you?
- DaaluThank you
- Ahuru m gi n'anyaI love you
Greetings, family, food, proverbs — and your child's first full conversation. Ages 5–17.
Future languages — chosen by families, by vote: Hausa · Twi · Swahili · Amharic · Wolof · Zulu
The Learning Journey
Four phases, six weeks each — roots that hold.
Phase 1Weeks 1–6Foundations
Greetings, family words, numbers, and the phrases that open doors.
Your child will: Hold a first conversation and introduce their family with pride.
Phase 2Weeks 7–12Stories & Songs
Folktales, call-and-response, lullabies, and the proverbs hidden inside them.
Your child will: Retell a story and sing a song, in language.
Phase 3Weeks 13–18Food, Family & Festivals
Cooking words, market words, celebrations, and the meaning behind the meal.
Your child will: Name the foods of home and help cook one.
Phase 4Weeks 19–24Roots & Routes
Ancestry, family history, migration stories — where we come from, and how we got here.
Your child will: Present their own roots project to the cohort.
Every week: one live lesson · one family activity · one cultural challenge.
Grouped by age
5–8 · 9–12 · 13–17
Ages 5–8
Little Roots
Songs, pictures, movement and play — repetition wrapped in joy.
Ages 9–12
Growing Roots
Vocabulary, conversation, stories and small presentations.
Ages 13–17
Deep Roots
Identity, history, proverbs and their own roots projects.
The Promise
If your child doesn't love Phase One, we'll refund every penny.
No questions, no forms, no hard feelings.
The Roots Kit
A piece of the academy, delivered — $99
Adire cloth, coral beads, a proverb card deck, and a recipe journal.
Shipping & delivery options: details coming soon.
Help choose the next language
First to 100 votes launches next.
Each vote is a $10 pledge toward your child's first term — fully refundable if your language doesn't launch, and you can change your vote anytime. Voting is open to everyone; you don't need to be enrolled to vote.
Don't see your language? Add it. New languages join the board once the $10 pledge payment is confirmed.
- Hausa0 / 100
- Twi0 / 100
- Swahili0 / 100
- Amharic0 / 100
- Wolof0 / 100
- Zulu0 / 100
Who runs this
A program of Asa Creative House.
Asa Roots Academy is the learning arm of Asa Creative House, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural house based in Atlanta, Georgia, bringing Africa to stages, runways, markets — and classrooms — across America, Canada, and the UK.
Questions? academy@asacreativehouse.org
- S
Sunny Koya
Founder, Asa Creative House (business & technology)
- B
Bunmi
Learning platform lead
- I
Id
Creative director
Register for Phase One · Cohort 01
One cohort, both shores.
- Class time
- Saturdays — WAT / US Eastern: To be announced
- Phase One tuition
- USD / NGN: To be announced
- Cohort 01 begins
- To be announced
FAQ
Questions families ask.
Is this only for Nigerian families?+
Cohort 01 teaches Yoruba and Igbo, so most families will be Nigerian — but any family who wants their child to learn is welcome. And the next language is chosen by family vote: Hausa, Twi, Swahili, Amharic, Wolof, and Zulu are already on the board.
We live in Africa. Is this for us too?+
Yes — Asa Roots Academy was renamed for exactly this reason. Children at home in Africa are losing the language to school, screens, and city life just as children abroad are. Our cohorts are mixed on purpose: your child will learn beside children in the diaspora.
What if my child knows nothing yet?+
Perfect — Phase One assumes zero. Most children start there. If your child already speaks some, tell us in the registration notes and we'll place them well.
What ages is this for?+
Children 5–17, grouped by age band (5–8, 9–12, 13–17) so nobody is the only little one — or the only teenager — in the room.
Do we need to speak the language at home?+
No. Parents don't need to be fluent. The weekly family activity is designed for learning with your child, and many parents quietly learn alongside.
What time are classes for us?+
Live every Saturday — exact time (WAT / ET) to be announced. One cohort serves both shores; if demand grows, we'll open a second time slot and say so here.
How much does it cost?+
Phase One tuition is to be announced, with the Roots Kit optional at $99. And the promise stands: if your child doesn't love Phase One, we refund every penny.
What happens after Phase One?+
Phases Two, Three, and Four follow automatically for families who continue — Stories & Songs, then Food, Family & Festivals, then Roots & Routes. Your child's place carries forward; you confirm each phase, you're never locked in.