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Brain Buffet Industry Certification
General Summary
- Professionally designed courses for industry certification exams (Adobe, Microsoft, and more)
- Project-based learning with real-world applications
- High success rate (over 90% of students pass certification exams)
- Self-paced online format with video instruction
Academic Rigor: Career-Ready Skills & Industry Credentials
Parents praise Brain Buffet for teaching professional-level skills through hands-on projects:
"Brain Buffet! I use it for every Adobe program I teach... It's project based, so students are producing real work."
Reddit Teacher Review
"Families choose Brain Buffet for its academic rigor and explicit instruction. Many parents report that children develop strong reading and math skills due to the thorough, incremental phonics and arithmetic instruction."
TheHomeSchoolMom Review
"The Adobe course prepares you for the Adobe Certification Exam... Passing this exam is a great way to ensure you know all there is to know about the program."
Homeschool Hideout
Engagement: Fun, Interactive Learning Experience
Students typically enjoy the video-based instruction and creative projects:
"The content is fun and self-paced, allowing students to spend more time on content that is more challenging."
Certiport Blog
"If you're looking for project-based learning materials to help prepare your students who are interested in Adobe Creative Cloud products, Brain Buffet provides engaging course content students can use for their learning experience, and they will be prepared for the ACA exam certification."
Certiport Blog
Flexibility & Independence: Self-Paced Mastery
The format allows students to work at their own pace:
"BrainBuffet is modeled after the real-world on-the-job learning… The real workplace is much more free-form and the burden is on the learner… students proceed at their own pace so no student feels rushed, and no student feels bored."
BrainBuffet Support Documentation
"One of the things we're most proud of is the seamless integration into your classroom. Like having an on-demand industry professional come in and lecture whenever you want."
BrainBuffet Support Documentation
Common Challenges: Content Volume & Technical Requirements
Parents note a few potential difficulties:
"The Brain Buffet program and Photoshop are hard to jump into due to the sheer number of BB videos (122) and given the depth of Photoshop itself."
CTE Teachers Facebook Group
"BrainPOP is not a free resource, and the subscription cost can add up quickly if you are on a tight budget."
An Honest Review
Who Thrives With Brain Buffet?
Well-Suited For:
- Self-motivated students who enjoy technology and creative work
- Teens seeking professional skills with real-world applications
- Students who learn well through video instruction and hands-on projects
- Families wanting industry certifications to enhance college/career prospects
Consider Alternatives If:
- Your child requires constant supervision or struggles with self-regulation
- You have limited technical resources (requires appropriate software access)
- Your budget is extremely tight (courses plus software costs add up)
- You prefer textbook-based learning over video instruction
Our Bottom Line
Brain Buffet offers high-quality, project-based training for industry certifications that can give students marketable skills. While it requires self-motivation and technical resources, the curriculum delivers professional-level instruction through engaging projects that prepare students for certification exams with a high success rate. Parents appreciate that students create real-world projects while learning valuable skills that can lead to future career opportunities.
Subjects covered
Core subjects: Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Animate, Dreamweaver, Lightroom), Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Autodesk Design Software (AutoCAD, 3ds Max, Fusion 360, Maya, Revit), Business & Finance (Intuit QuickBooks Online, Entrepreneurship and Small Business certification), Information Technology & Networking (Cisco Networking, Cybersecurity, IT Specialist), Communication Skills for Business
Special emphasis: Project-based learning, real-world applications, industry certification preparation, hands-on projects for portfolio building
Teaching Format
Online, video-based platform: Courses delivered through a web-based dashboard with streaming video lessons
Self-paced instruction: Students progress at their own speed, allowing for flexibility in learning
Project-based learning: Curriculum organized around real-world projects rather than traditional textbook lessons
Assessment approach: Includes practice quizzes and assessments to review important concepts; progress tracking available for parents
Implementation flexibility: Suitable for independent study or as part of a homeschool curriculum; minimal parent involvement required
Supplemental materials: Additional resources like lesson plans and worksheets are being developed for classroom use
Pricing
Per-Course Subscription: Approximately $99.99 per year for individual course access
All-Access Bundle: About $69.99 per month or discounted annual rate for access to all courses
Group Purchase Options: Volume licenses available for classrooms or co-ops at discounted rates
Free Trial: 7-day trial available to evaluate courses
Additional Fees: Certification exam fees not included; software access required (e.g., Adobe Creative Cloud) may incur extra costs
Cost Consideration: Budget for software and exam fees; potential discounts for group purchases or funding through educational programs
Parent Involvement
Low to Moderate involvement required
Oversight role: Parents monitor progress and ensure accountability
Reduced teaching burden: Video instructors deliver all instruction
Administrative duties: Parents set up the course and software, then allow students to progress independently
Monitoring and motivation: Parents check that students stay on task and offer help if needed
Grading and support: Parents may review completed projects and coordinate certification exams
Technical support: Help available for platform navigation and troubleshooting
