The inspirEd Podcast
Gay Hendricks: Tools to Reach Your Full Potential
Within all of us is a unique confluence of what we love, what we're good at, and what we can contribute to our community. We carry around unconscious ideas about the limits of our abilities, but no one's success is predetermined. Prolific author and Stanford graduate Dr. Gay Hendricks brings
Iris Chen: Saying Goodbye to the Tiger Mom
When Iris Chen saw her own childhood experiences with Tiger parenting repeating with her own children, she knew she needed a complete mental and emotional shift. Tiger parenting refers to an approach to parenting that is common in immigrant Asian families, specifically Chinese families. It involves very strict and controlled
Behan Gifford: Worldschooling From a Sail Boat
Imagine you could spend 14 years travelling the world and seeing 48 different countries. Now imagine doing that with 3 kids and worldschooling them in the process. Well, this was the life of Behan and Jamie Gifford! We spoke to Jamie about her experience with worldschooling and any advice that
Sean Dagony-Clark & Joe Burgess: Why Education Doesn't end at School
Have you ever heard the phrase you canât teach an old dog new tricks? Well, itâs time to put that old adage to rest and embrace the idea of lifelong learning, no matter your age or stage of life. Within the education space specifically, itâs important for
Dr.Brigitte Wraae: The Entrepreneurial Learning Journey: Kid addition!
Have you ever wondered how young is too young to start encouraging entrepreneurial skills development with your kids? Well, weâve got the answer. According to entrepreneurial education expert and author Dr. Birgitte Wraae, kids are never too young to start learning these skills. This isnât necessarily because all
Andreas Marinopoulos: Lessons Learned Interviewing Hundreds of Edtech Startups
Imagine if you could get the inside scoop around the challenges and developments that are being experienced in all corners of the education world. Well, look no further! We recently chatted to EdTech entrepreneur Andreas Marinpoiulos who has spent over 7 years working in the EdTech space. During this time,
Galileo Moms: How Much Structure is too Much? (Or too Little)
Self-directed education offers children so much freedom and opportunity in their education journeys. Â However, for parents and other caregivers, it can be a struggle to tow the fine line between giving just enough support and structure versus giving too much. In this episode, the Galileo moms discuss what a day
Joseph Connor: Scaling World-Class Education
Education is becoming more and more accessible thanks to todayâs incredible tech innovations and movement towards hybrid learning models. However, itâs one thing to deliver quality education, but it's another thing to deliver quality education at scale. So how can we ensure that education is scaled without losing
Alex Yang: A Student's Perspective on the Future of EdTech
How do young people feel about the future of EdTech and alternative education? Are they inspired? Are they optimistic? Or are they downright apathetic? NYU student Alex Yang is here to offer us a fresh perspective and some youthful optimism about the future of the education space. Â Alex is an
Sergii Sokoliuk: Is it too early for Web3
Just as weâre coming to terms with the World Wide Web, something new is emerging: Web3. âWeb3 is an idea for a completely new iteration of the World Wide Web that we know and currently use. This new structure will be based on blockchains and will be connected to
John Tan & Jai Flicker: Self-Determination Theory and Education
Self-directed learning is a core component of most forms of alternative education. Did you know that this is based on the self-determination theory? Self-determination theory is a macro theory of human motivation and personality that concerns people's inherent growth tendencies and innate psychological needs. It is concerned with the motivation
Denise Newsome: The Elephant in the Teachersâ Room
It is a new age in education. Society is seeing that teachers are aware of curriculum needs but also have a unique insight into the needs of individuals. The motivation is no longer to shuffle students through the traditional system but to develop spark and creativity in students.âWhat can
John Tan & Jai Flicker: How Attachment Theory Impacts Education
Students require more than just academic support when it comes to learning. For effective learning, students need psychological and emotional support, too. Having strong relationships with a caregiver is crucial for a child's development and how they progress in their education. This is also connected to ideas around attachment theory.
Ronan Robertson: Unschooling and the Freedom to Follow my Passion
What does it really mean to let children follow their passion? Ronan Robertson is a 15-year-old unschooler, hunter, horse wrangler, trail cutter, and skier. At age 14, Ronan left home to live in the Canadian wilderness to work as a trail cutter and horse wrangler. His current dream is to
Kelly Davis & Heidi Conway: Women Changemakers in the Education Sector
Imagine a gender-equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. In celebration of International Womenâs Day, we celebrate Galileoâs resident female entrepreneur powerhouse, Kelly Davis. Her teaching experience began during an off-the-grid experience in a remote village in
Galileo Moms: What Can Worldschooling offer?
Many families dream about traveling the world and allowing their kids to learn as they go. This is also more formally known as Worldschooling. But how feasible is this and how exactly does it work? In this episode, the Galileo moms discuss the ins and outs of Worldschooling and answer
Kate Robinson & Dr Penny Hay: The Power of Creativity
Creativity is such a big part of life, however, itâs often overlooked in a school environment. Kate Robinson and Dr. Penny Hay are on a mission to change this. Kate Robinson is a writer, speaker, and co-founder of a number of initiatives dedicated to the legacy of her father,
Amar Kumar: Future of Education Online and In-Person
The education landscape is changing. Learning models are moving toward a more hybrid-orientated direction. Online learning is being coupled with smaller, in-person learning groups and the overall structures are becoming more and more flexible. Amar Kumar believes that the future of learning will most definitely be a hybrid model. Amar
Jeff Booth: The Price of Tomorrow and Our Education
Just how much will the economic and technological changes on our horizon impact the education space? In this episode, weâre joined by tech entrepreneur Jeff Booth to hear more about this, as well as his own experiences of Worldschooling his own children. Jeff Booth is a visionary leader who
Judy Sarden: Is the Education System Failing Minority Identities?
In this episode, weâll be speaking to Judy Sarden about how to foster more inclusivity and diversity in alternative education spaces, as well as why traditional schooling systems are not necessarily the best environment for black students and students from minority groups. âJudy is a wife and mother of
Rhys Cassidy: How to Prepare Students for an Unknown Future
Unless youâre clairvoyant, itâs impossible to predict exactly what the future will look like for todayâs children. We can try to predict which industries will grow and which will shrink, what sort of skills might be in demand and what skills will become redundant. However, at the
Caleb Hicks & Tara Baumgarten: Learning by Doing
So much of education today is focused on theoretical knowledge. In a school environment, learners are so far removed from the reality of what theyâre actually learning. Itâs been proven time and time again that learning by doing is one of the most effective and impactful ways to
Galileo Moms: Ask Me Anything!
Self-Directed Education and Unschooling are not the norms in todayâs world. Additionally, itâs not always the easiest option for educating our children. Although a homeschooling environment provides us with what traditional education systems often lack, alternative education is not without its own challenges. Letâs admit the envy
Kayla, Keagan & Ashley: Kid Everest
When their grade 5/6 teacher asked them "to create an idea that would change the world", Kayla, Keagan, and Ashley felt what was missing was a safe way for kids to fund their business ideas. Existing crowdfunding platforms share private information so for these three teen sisters that wasn't
Galileo Dads: Alternative Education vs. Dads: Whatâs Going On?
When it comes to making the switch from traditional school to homeschooling and alternative education, it always seems to be a decision that is initiated by the mom. More often than not, the dads are more hesitant about making the change and getting involved. Â But why is this? In this
Michael Cohen, Shauna Anderson, and Vriti Saraf: NFTs for Young Artists
If youâve been to any corner of the internet recently, you would have heard about something called an NFT. NFT stands for ânon-fungible tokenâ and are cryptographic assets that exist on a blockchain. Each NFT consists of unique identification codes and metadata that distinguish them from each other. As
Gareth K Thomas & Nadine Ziegeldorf: What Does Alternative Education Offer Foster and Adopted Children
When children have been exposed to trauma in the early developmental years of their life, it can be a long and complex journey of healing. So where does education fit into this? More importantly, how can we help vulnerable kids to overcome the challenges of the past and engage with
Agustin Cortes: Why Collaboration is Key for Web3
So where can you begin if you want to learn more? Agustin Cortes is a self-taught entrepreneur who has created a platform, Lirners, that teaches and connects those who are interested in learning about everything related to Web3. Lirners is a digital school that focuses on the 7 main components
Jerry Mintz: How to Grow a Micro-School
Episode DescriptionAs a society, we've come to believe that learning can only happen within a traditional school environment. Sending your child to a public or private school for 12 years has become the status quo. But what if, as individuals and collectives, we were to take education into our own
Jamie Heston: There's Nothing to Fear When it Comes to Homeschooling
The past two years have seen many families become accidental homeschoolers, with traditional schools having to move to online mediums. This has been a rare opportunity for parents to experience what a different sort of education would look like and how this could work for their family. However, for the
Elizabeth Streett: Girl-led Opportunities to Make Friends and Become Leaders of the Future
The idea of Girl Scouts seems like something out of an 80âs childrenâs novel. So what do Girl Scouts look like in the 21st century? Todayâs Girl Scouts are different from your mom's or grandma's Girl Scouts. Nowadays, there is an emphasis on entrepreneurship and STEAM, in
Graham Kirk: Audio Editing
Having a marketable skill is often what gets people to consider entrepreneurship. The key factor is to develop a mindset where you see opportunities to use those skills. Graham Kirk has a newly formed audio editing company specifically for podcasters. But he went about it a different route - he
Pam Laricchia: How to Reinvigorate Your Unschooling Journey
âNo matter what age, every child has their own unique way of thinking, learning, and seeing the world. So how can we better connect with and support them without inserting our own opinions, ideas, and expectations on them? âAs an unschooling parent, itâs important to continuously evolve and reevaluate
Christopher Pommerening: Learnlife - A New Learning Paradigm
In this episode, weâll hear from education entrepreneur, Christopher Pommerening, in a conversation about the importance of fostering a lifelong love of learning and how this can be achieved alongside our existing education structures. Christopher Pommerening is the Founder of Learnlife. Learnlife is an open ecosystem that facilitates lifelong
InspirEd by Sir Ken Robinson
Sir Ken Robinson was a trailblazing voice in education and educational reform, and his legacy of activism will live on for years to come. In our latest podcast episode, we hear from the late Sir Ken from the Homeschooling Global Summit in 2019 about his incredible work, specifically: The importance
Dylan Soh: One Kind Block
At 13 Dylan Soh started his first business with his invention the 'GIY Stick' which reuses plastic bottles and upcycled fabric to make any pot self-watering. This was Soh's first crowdfunding campaign and he raised $25,000 on Kickstarter. Now, at 17, Dylan has launched another invention into a startup
Yohei Nakajima: NFTs and Web3 for Education
The internet seems to be filled with talk of NFTs and Web3 - so what the heck are they and how can one get involved? An NFT is a ânon-fungible tokenâ. They are cryptographic assets that exist on a blockchain. Each NFT consists of unique identification codes and metadata that
Elijah and Jemimah Adediran: Lovebites and Smoothies
Children's business fairs are often the spark that gets kids thinking about what's possible. Lovebites and smoothies hit their first high when they participated in kidsâ biz fair Africa (Dec 2019), the first kidsâ biz fair in Nigeria. Interested in creating a food-based business, these sibling young entrepreneurs started Lovebites
Matthew Milan: Raising Independent Thinkers
Matthew Milan has spent the last 20 years solving tough software innovation challenges for a wide range of organizations. The team at Normative, a company he co-founded in Toronto Canada, has launched major products in financial services, location technology, healthcare, and digital video. He focuses on integrating evidence-driven innovation techniques
Galileo Moms, Peggy Webb & Damian Tegheni: How to Accredit Unschooling
For many parents considering some kind of unschooling approach outside of a traditional school, there is always one common, overarching concern. Many parents want to ensure that their children have the option to attend a college, university, or another kind of tertiary institution when theyâre older. Additionally, parents also
Julie Atri: How to Empower Your Child Through Self-Directed Learning
Julie Atri was dissatisfied with what the traditional education system could offer her daughter. Julie wanted her daughter to be her own individual and wanted to provide a supportive environment for her to become herself. As such, Julie removed her daughter from school and allowed her to start self-directed learning
Isabel: Isabel's Everythings
When Isabel started in the How to Start Your Own Business program she was on fire! Her greatest challenge was narrowing down the ideas to one she could prototype in a week and complete in time for the business fair. Isabel arrived at the business fair with birdseed feeders (for
C Bradley Thompson: Should we Separate School & State
How much autonomy do parents and children really have over their own education within a government school system? This lack of separation between school and state calls into question what rights children actually have when it comes to their education, and ultimately their future. Bradley Thompson is a Professor of
Pat Farenga, Gina Riley & Peter Bergson: Unschooling Q&A, Ask Them Anything
Are you considering an unschooling approach for your children? If you are, chances are you have a lot of doubts, questions, and concerns. Our first piece of advice: donât stress! This is completely normal. Weâve pulled together a team of experts to answer your burning questions. In this
Matt Bateman: The History and Futures of Education
Education as we know it has evolved radically from what it used to be. Weâve moved from an era of books and lectures to knowledge at the click of a button. This huge paradigm shift also circles around what learners need and want to learn. In order to understand
Galileo Moms: Unschooling Through the Fear
Self-Directed Education and Unschooling are not the norms in todayâs world. Additionally, itâs not always the easiest option for educating our children. Â Although a homeschooling environment provides us with what traditional education systems often lack, alternative education is not without its own challenges. Letâs admit the envy
Ashley: Ashley the Artist
Ashley doesn't hold back on an adventure or great ideas. She has used her artistic talents to create business opportunities very early on and has developed a following as a commissioned artist. Whether it's designing t-shirts or wigs for cosplay artists - Ashley definitely has an idea for whatever your
Lizz Quain: Raising Entrepreneurs Through 'Worldschooling'
Lizz Quain is a digital nomad and worldschooling solo parent to 12-year-old twin girls. She is passionate about travel and learning about other cultures. Lizz has traveled to, or lived in, over 45 countries throughout 6 continents. She and her twins have been traveling for most of the past 4
Michael Tsai: Getting in College with Galileo
More and more, traditional K-12 public schools are not helping their students get into the colleges of their choice, or to build up students as strong applicants to their dream colleges. How can we use alternative educational strategies to help kids get into their ideal colleges, and prepare them for
Tim Chen: Educational Activism in Taiwan
In recent years, Taiwan has developed into a role-model country for educational choice and alternative education. At the heart of this reform is Tim Chen, who is known as the godfather of homeschooling and is a famous advocate for educational choice in Taiwan. Tim and his wife Dorota have been
Galileo Dads: Living the Self-Directed Life
Have you ever heard the expression âIt takes a village to raise a childâ? When it comes to education, it couldnât be more true. When your kids embark on a journey of self-directed learning, they have the opportunity to draw on the knowledge and expertise of anyone and everyone
Fenley Scurlock: Fen's Fantastic Soap
Finding his niche in the handmade soap industry has allowed him to bring his unique approach to colors and shapes that you won't find anywhere else. Fenley is a keen observer of customer buying behavior and has successfully scaled his business to include larger orders. Starting with learning the skill
Daniel Prince: What Does it Mean to be 'Educated'
Daniel left the financial industry 4.5 years ago to travel through Asia, Europe, and North America with his wife and 4 young children. The family has traveled the world via the sharing economy and home swapped their way around the globe. Together they have shared the most wonderful journey
Alan Dix: Why The Future of Tech is Human-Centric
In the 21st century, technology is the ultimate double-edged sword. Technology defines how we work, live, learn, play, and communicate. Whatâs needed is an approach to technology that is human-centric. This means putting the human experience at the center of the design to ensure that our use of technology
Rowan: Rowan's Amazing Ketchup
When Rowan joined his first class of How to Start Your Own Business he was only six and thought he would like to sell ice cream which he would make on-demand with bicycle power. Wow! In the next class, each student was to bring a prototype of their idea and
Nathan Day: Bitcoin is for Kids Too!
Bitcoin is more than just a buzzword, but rather an incredible innovation that we should all be learning about. While it may seem like a financial fad, itâs definitely something thatâs here to stay. Learning about these kinds of disruptive innovations is crucial for preparing kids for the
Ozan Sonmez: How to Foster Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Teens
Entrepreneurship doesnât have an age limit. The entrepreneurial mindset teaches children how to think outside of the box, solve problems and understand the world around them. Itâs a valuable life skill that they will carry through with them for the rest of their life, regardless of what path
Galileo Moms: Living the Self-Directed Life
What are the reasons you are home educating your children? It could be because you want to travel the world. Maybe Covid shutdowns showed you a better way for your kids. Maybe you know school failed you, and you want better for your kids⌠there are as many reasons for
Jeremy Stuart: Should Class be Dismissed in Pursuit of Self-Directed Learning?
What does it mean to be educated? In the context of the 21st century, the idea of being âeducatedâ is becoming less rigid and increasingly broad as more and more parents look beyond the walls of the classroom to find a meaningful education for their children. This is a question
Juliet English: You Can Educate Your Children, Even if You're Not a Teacher
Many parents think that they canât homeschool their children simply because theyâre not âeducatorsâ. But this couldnât be further from the truth! You definitely donât have to be a qualified teacher in order to educate your children. While making the change from conventional school to home
Caleb Hicks: What About Life After School
We always assume the worst when it comes to teenagers. Theyâre often branded as lazy, uninterested, and perpetually bored. Caleb Hicks begs to differ. Having spent years in the tech space, Caleb has witnessed firsthand just how much teens can achieve when given the chance. Having co-founded the school
Lenore Skenazy: Why we Should Raise our Children to be Risk Takers
Lenore is also the co-founder and president of Let Grow, a national nonprofit promoting childhood independence. Let Grow aims to spread awareness about the power of childhood independence and provides programs at curricula for parents and teachers. Lenore now lectures everywhere from DreamWorks to Microsoft to schools across America. In
Joe Burgess & Brian Tobal: How to Foster Meaningful Student-Teacher Relationships
Brian Tobel is the CEO of SchoolHouse which is an organization that helps families to create small group micro-schools run by qualified, passionate, and experienced teachers. He's been working at the intersection of technology, learning science, and startups for over a decade and, because of Joe, is now fascinated by
Ray Girn & Matt Bateman: Mainstreaming and Modernising Montessori Education
Higher Ground Education is on a mission to make Montessori education accessible to children and families, no matter where they are. They do this through a blend of on and offline learning opportunities and developing a supportive global community dedicated to inspiring children to learn in a way that is
Lottie Dowling: Raising Global Citizens
Lottie Dowling is the Manager of the Going Global department of Meg Languages. She supports educators to develop global citizenship in their students and has extensive experience in the field of global citizenship education. âShe will bring this expertise to inspirEd and will discuss the importance of fostering a sense
Blake Boles: Why Are You Still Sending Your Children to School?
Blake Boles fervently refutes this idea. Having discovered the concept of self-directed learning when studying at UC Berkeley, he has become a passionate advocate for the profound benefits of self-directed learning. He âbelieves that a surprising number of kids donât need school to become happy, competent, and successful adultsâ
Peggy Webb: Accreditation in the 21st Century
Your child can learn in their own way, and still gain the diploma they need for their learning! One of the biggest fears that parents face when considering unschooling their children is the lack of accreditation, and the impact this could have on their childâs future job and college
Ken Danford: Learning is Natural, Schooling is Optional
Since 1996, Ken Danford has been working with others to make school optional for any interested teen in Massachusetts, US. He is the co-founder and executive director at North Star. Rather than focusing on weaknesses, we ask: âWhat are you good at? What do you love to do?â and build
Jenny Wilkins & Ella Guinevere: Athletic Success Without the School Team
Jenny has been a homeschooling mom for 8 years. She currently is an EdD student with a computer science background, she is in tune with how to utilize technology to aid and augment educating her children. Besides being a homeschooling mom, she works as an English consultant to businesses and
Lesley Jones Sessler: From Principal to Unschooler
âWhen youâve spent your life in the school system, as a student, then as a parent and educator, making the shift to self-directed learning can be challenging. Whether the move is how you educate your kids, or your students, it requires a lot of unlearning and a radical shift
TK Coleman & Isaac Morehouse: Passion-First Education
T.K. Coleman is the Education Director for FEE and the host of "Revolution of One" podcast. His life mission is to help others realize that they have the permission and power to be the predominant creative force in their own lives. Isaac Morehouse is the founder and CEO of
Pat Farenga: Growing Without Schooling
Pat has been an advocate of 'alternative' education since he started working closely with John Holt many decades ago. Holt is still considered to be the founding father of the modern-day homeschool movement. Since Holt's passing in 1985, Pat has carried on his message to inspire many more people to
David Kohler PHD: The Art of Facilitating Real Group Learning
Empowering people to get how awesome and powerful they are is one of Davidâs biggest drives in life. He holds a doctorate degree in mathematics and has been teaching this discipline with students for the past 15 years. In the past 3 years, he has taken on to expand
Pilar Fortuny: Nature-Based Learning
Pilar Fortuny studied innovative education techniques, in the Montserrat School of Barcelona, complementing her studies with the Montessori and the Waldorf methodology and visiting hundreds of schools and initiatives. âThis learning inspired her to develop her own methodology focused on developing a leading attitude based on finding their own potentials
Naomi Fisher: Changing Our Minds! Preparing for Self-Directed Education
Psychologist Naomi Fisher has been actively involved in self-directed education both as a parent and in her professional role as an advocate and supporter of children and their families. Naomi recognized that there was much in the education system that is actively working against childrenâs needs and best interests.
Marko Koskinen: Question-Based Learning
Marko Koskinen is passionate about question-based learning and designed a successful method to teach math through question-based learning which has been used successfully in Finland for about 10 years.â From the moment your child points at an object and you tell them what it is, they are learning by questioning.
Michael Saylor & Jeff Davidson: Decentralized Education
What do bitcoin and unschooling have in common? Money and Education are two of the most important aspects of life, and both are, in the mainstream, controlled by governments and long-established institutions, with all the power at the very top of society. Both these systems are being challenged in the
Peter Gray: Free to Learn
Peter's book 'Free To Learn' is one of the most cited resources that people use to explain how they come to find inspiration when challenging the conventional schooling system. Peter's own journey with his young son who was not happy at school was a defining turning point in their families'
Robyn Roberston: Honey! I'm Homeschooling the Kids
Robyn Robertson has been living this life with her family for years. After traveling to 7 different countries by the time she was 6, she grew up and settled into ârat race lifeâ with her husband and children, and became a private school educator. But the urge to travel never