PODCAST · education
ReDream Education
by Makenzie Oliver
It’s time to ReDream Education!My name is Makenzie Oliver. Microschool founder, VELA connector, educator, coach, and believer in the power of starting small, dreaming boldly, and rebuilding the future of education one courageous step at a time.If you’re here, it’s because something in your life, your classroom, your family, your child, or your community, is asking for a new dream. A wiser dream. A ReDream. With ReDream Education, we challenge the old models, we rethink what learning can be, and we build innovative pathways for children, families, and communities.In this weekly podcast, in our Facebook group, in our blog, and in our membership program, you will will gain systems, strategies, stories, and soul work you need to design personalized learning, understand how education is changing for the better, start or scale a micro-school, lead with confidence, make a change for your family, and create an education model that actually works for today’s world; because you aren’t just dr
Episodes
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Ep 425: How to Start & Plan a Microschool for Next School Year: Work Backwards From Opening Day to Enrollment, Marketing, Tuition, Staffing & Your Microschool Calendar Plan
You want to start a microschool. You have the idea. You've done the research. You've listened to the podcasts. You've saved the posts. But when are you actually going to OPEN it? Or maybe your microschool is already open—but next year you want to grow enrollment, hire a teacher, move into a new...
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Ep 426: Let's Talk Enrollment! How to Market Your Microschool, Find Families, Fill Your Seats & Build an Open Enrollment Strategy That Actually Works
What if you build the microschool… and nobody enrolls? It's one of the biggest fears microschool founders have. You can create an incredible program, choose the curriculum, find the space, build the website—and still wonder: Where are the families going to come from? In this episode of our Build...
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Build Your Microschool for Next Year NOW: How to Plan, Grow, Market, Enroll, Fund & Scale a Microschool or Homeschool Hybrid + The A–B–C Microschool Founder Path
What are you building next year—and what needs to happen NOW to make it possible? If you are starting a microschool, growing a microschool, running a homeschool hybrid, increasing enrollment, hiring teachers, looking for a new facility, adding programs, changing tuition, or simply trying to…
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Ep 424: How to Lead, Grow & Scale a Microschool Without Burning Out: Leadership, Hiring Teachers, Delegation, Systems, Building a Team & Growing Your School Beyond the Founder
What happens when the microschool you dreamed about actually starts to grow—and suddenly everything depends on you? When you first start a microschool, homeschool hybrid, private learning program, or alternative school, doing everything yourself can almost feel necessary. You're the founder. The...
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Ep 423: How to Market Your Microschool & Grow Enrollment How to Attract Families, Get More Students, Build Your Brand & Fill Your Microschool or Homeschool Hybrid
You built the microschool. But do the families who need you know you exist? One of the biggest mistakes microschool founders, homeschool hybrid leaders, and education entrepreneurs make is treating marketing like something they only need when enrollment is low. You post when you need students.…
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Ep 422: The Money Behind Building a Microschool: How to Fund, Budget, Price Tuition, Make a Profit & Build a Financially Sustainable Microschool or Homeschool Hybrid
How much money do you really need to start a microschool—and how do you build a microschool or homeschool hybrid that is financially sustainable enough to last? In this episode of the Re-Dream Education Podcast, we’re talking about one of the most important—and sometimes most uncomfortable—parts…
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Ep 421: How to Manage Your Time as a Microschool Founder: Productivity, Priorities, Delegation & Building a School Without Burning Out
How do you manage your time when you're starting, running, and growing a microschool or homeschool hybrid program—and everything feels important? Welcome to Episode 2 of The Real Work Behind Building a Microschool, a podcast series for microschool founders, homeschool hybrid leaders, education...
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Ep 420: From Dream to Microschool: The Real Work Behind Creating and Sustaining A New Form of Education
What does it really take to start, build, grow, and sustain a successful microschool, homeschool hybrid program, or alternative education program? In this first episode of our Series, "The Real Work Behind Building a Microschool or Homeschool Hybrid" we’re going back to where every microschool...
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Ep 419: What Happened to Kindergarten? Why Play, Nature, Wonder, and Childhood Are Disappearing from Schools and How Microschools Can Create An Academically Excellent Learning Experience
Many parents walk into a kindergarten classroom today and leave with a feeling they can't quite explain. The desks seem smaller. The expectations seem bigger. The play kitchens are gone. The dramatic play centers have disappeared. Children are spending more time on worksheets, assessments, and...
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Ep 418: Why Personalized Learning Is So Hard: How to Start Implementing as a Teacher, Leader, and Homeschool Parent (And Why Education Needs It More Than Ever)
What if the biggest challenge in education isn't student ability—but the system itself? In this episode of ReDream Education, Makenzie Oliver explores why personalized learning has become one of the most talked-about ideas in education, yet remains one of the most difficult to implement...
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Ep 417: May Was a Whirlwind and Everything Is Changing: A Summer Reflection for Teachers, Parents, and Founders
Have you ever found yourself standing between one season ending and another beginning, wondering how everything changed so quickly? That's exactly where I find myself right now. May has been a whirlwind. Between end-of-year celebrations, family visiting from out of town, preparing Lighthouse...
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Ep 416: What Summer Reveals About Teachers, Families, Burnout & Modern Parenting: Reflecting and Preparing for Purpose During the Summer
May is heavy. Parents are overwhelmed. Teachers are exhausted. Kids are overstimulated. And somehow, while trying to survive the end of the school year, families are also expected to magically prepare for summer. In this honest and deeply relatable episode, Makenzie Oliver unpacks what summer...
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Ep 415: The Core 4 Planning Strategy for Parents and Teachers to Plan Summer with Creativity, Camps, Community and Care without Stress
If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now… you’re not alone. Welcome to Maycember—that end-of-school-year rush where everything feels like too much. The events, the deadlines, the emails, the emotions… and on top of it all, you’re trying to figure out how to plan summer for your kids without…
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Ep 414: Why One-Size-Fits-All Reading Fails: How We Use Phonics, Data, and Flexible Grouping to Help Every Child Succeed
What if reading instruction wasn’t based on grade level—but on what your child actually needs? In this episode, we break down how Lighthouse Learning Microschool uses a tailored, research-based approach to reading through phonics-based progression, intentional assessment, and our walk-to-learn...
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Ep 413: Why We Started Lighthouse Learning Foundation a 501(c)(3): How Microschools Can Lower Tuition, Expand Access, and Build a Sustainable Future
Why would a microschool start a 501(c)(3) foundation—and what does that actually mean for families, tuition, and the future of education? In this episode, we break down the real reasons behind launching the Lighthouse Learning Foundation and how it works alongside our microschool model. Designed...
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Ep 412: When a Microschool Becomes a Macroschool: Navigating Growth, Expectations, and Staying True to Your Calling
What happens when a microschool grows—and not everyone grows with it? In this episode, we explore the transition from a small, intimate learning environment to a larger, more structured school model, and the challenges, blessings, and leadership decisions that come along the way. Designed for...
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Ep 411: The Indoor Epidemic: How Sunlight, Outdoor Learning, and Simple Shifts Can Transform Our Children's Health and Education
Are today’s children spending too much time indoors—and is it impacting their health, learning, and development more than we realize? In this powerful episode, we explore the growing “indoor epidemic” affecting kids across the world and how sunlight, outdoor learning, and simple daily shifts can...
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March Madness: Transforming Education Through Microschools: How Innovation Empowers Students, Teachers, and Parents to Break Free From the Traditional System
Are we preparing students for the future—or just pushing them through an outdated system? If you’ve ever felt frustrated by the limitations of traditional education, this episode is for you. We’re diving into why the current model needs a transformation and how microschools are paving the way for…
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March Madness: How to Build an Engaging Learning Environment – Easy Strategies for Microschools & Homeschool Hybrids (Even If You’re New or Lacking Resources!)
Are you ready to create a dynamic, engaging learning environment, but feel overwhelmed or underprepared? Whether you're starting a microschool, homeschool hybrid, or alternative education space, this episode is packed with practical, low-cost strategies to bring learning to life—even if you're…
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March Madness: Empowering Teachers and Families with School Choice: The Key to Education Freedom and Flexibility
What if education didn’t have to be one-size-fits-all? What if families had the freedom and flexibility to choose an education model that best fits their child’s unique needs, strengths, and future goals? 🎓✨ In today’s episode, I’m diving into the powerful topic of school choice and why it’s…
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Ep 410: Scaling for Success and Community. How Growth in Small, Relationship-Driven Learning Environments Are Reshaping Education
When families hear the word microschool, they often picture something tiny, experimental, or unstructured. Others assume that if a school grows, it must lose the connection and personalization that made it special in the first place. In this episode, we gently challenge those assumptions and…
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Ep 409: Traditional School vs Nontraditional School: What's the Difference? How to Know Which Is the Right Fit for Your Child and Family
In this episode, we walk through the key differences between traditional education models and nontraditional learning environments—without judgment and without jargon. If you’re reviewing assessment data, growth reports, or questioning whether your current school setting is meeting your child’s...
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Ep 408: The Excitement and Clarity of Designing a Clear Model! How Clarifying Your Model Transforms Enrollment, Confidence, and the Joy of Leading a Microschool or Hybrid
If your microschool or homeschool hybrid feels heavier than it should—if enrollment feels harder than expected, teachers seem unsure, or parents look confused even when they like you—this episode is for you. Many schools don’t struggle because they lack passion or care. They struggle because the...
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Ep 407: Middle School Is Where Kids Get Lost—or Find Themselves: What Parents and Teachers Must Demand From a Middle School Program That Actually Builds Readiness for High School and Life
Middle school is often where confident, curious kids begin to disappear—academically, socially, emotionally, or all three. For many families, this stage becomes confusing, overwhelming, and full of uncertainty about whether their child is truly being prepared for what comes next. In this episode,...
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Ep 406: The Real Conversations Microschool Founders Are Having Right Now: Enrollment Struggles, Tuition Guilt, Teacher Contracts, Nonprofit Finances, and Protecting the Vision of Your School
There’s a certain point in the microschool journey where dreaming turns into deciding. Where your heart for families meets the reality of tuition, payroll, enrollment systems, and leadership responsibility. And lately, inside Microschool Masterminds, the conversations have been real, raw, and...
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Ep 405: Choosing a School That Actually Works For a Student: What Research Says Children Need to Learn
Parents are overwhelmed with school choices—and most are being asked to decide without the information that actually matters. Research shows students don’t learn more because a teacher is certified, experienced, or passionate. They learn more when they believe their teacher knows what they’re...
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Ep 404: Why Parents Everywhere Are ReThinking School: Neurodivergent Needs, the Microschool & Hybrid Boom, and How Families Can ReDream Education With Confidence
If you’re a parent feeling overwhelmed by your child’s school experience… If you’re exhausted from meetings, emails, meltdowns, phone calls, and “something just isn’t working”… If your child is bright, creative, kind, and capable — but school keeps telling a different story… This episode is for...
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Ep 403: When Communities ReDream Education: Former Mayor Matt Morgan on Building a Better Future for Kids
Today on ReDream Education, I am honored to welcome a leader whose influence extends far beyond city hall — former Mayor and City Commissioner Matt Morgan. Many know him as a champion for community development, public safety, and family-first initiatives. But what many don’t realize is how deeply...
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Ep 402: Education Is ReDreaming: Neurodivergent Learners, the Microschool Movement, and Why Your Yes Matters
In Episode 402 of ReDream Education, I’m speaking directly to the parents, teachers, founders, and community leaders who feel the growing tension in modern education — and the growing call to do something about it. If you’ve sensed that the system is strained… If your child is struggling in ways...
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Ep 401: Why Education Needs a ReDream: The Crisis, The Calling, and the Beginning of a New Era
This is Episode 1 of ReDream Education… and this is only the beginning. I created this first episode to speak directly to the three groups who are shaping the future of learning: parents, teachers, and microschool founders. You are the ones living at the intersection of crisis and calling. You…
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Why Microschool Masterminds 2.0 Is the New Blueprint for Founders: Systems, Coaching, Community, and the Support You’ve Been Missing to Build a Thriving Microschool or Hybrid
Why Microschool Masterminds 2.0 Is the New Blueprint for Founders: Systems, Coaching, Community, and the Support You’ve Been Missing to Build a Thriving Microschool or Hybrid …this episode reveals why MSM 2.0 is now the number one place for founders to grow sustainably — without burnout…
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Ep 400: The Rebirth of a Dream: How ReDream Education and Microschool Masterminds Begin a New Era
Today is Episode 400… a milestone I never imagined when I sat at my dining room table with six children during the pandemic, simply trying to create safety and stability for kids who needed a place to learn. But 400 episodes later, I have grown. You have grown. The entire movement has grown. And…
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Ep 399: Kayse Morris - TPT and Online Teacher Business Discussing Fear, Mindset, Teacher Burnout & Rebuilding Your Life + Business
(An exclusive interview on the Teacher Let Your Light Shine Podcast) After a two-year pause from podcast interviews, Kayse Morris — former classroom teacher turned CEO, bestselling podcaster, and one of the most influential online business coaches for teachers is on the Teacher Let Your Light…
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Ep 398: When the Dream Isn’t Big Enough Anymore? What It Really Means to ReDream Education and How it Impacts YOU as a Teacher
When I started my microschool at my dining room table with six children during the pandemic, I thought that was the dream. I thought my purpose was simply to create a safe space for a handful of kids while the world felt uncertain. What I didn’t realize then—what I can see so clearly now—is that...
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Ep 397: Why Teacher, Let Your Light Shine is ReDreaming Education! My Origin Story, the Rise of Microschools, Future of Learning, & How Teachers, Parents, & Founders Can Build a Better System Together
In today’s deeply personal and powerful episode, I’m sharing the full story behind why I am officially rebranding Teacher Let Your Light Shine to ReDream Education—and why this evolution matters for teachers, parents, founders, and families who know deep down that the traditional system is no...
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Ep 396: Building a Microschool Through Life’s Biggest Transitions: Maddie Baird’s Story of Faith, Family, and Fearless Leadership
If you’ve ever wondered how to build a microschool while managing major life transitions—or if fear of stepping away has kept you from taking the leap—this episode will encourage and empower you to move forward with faith and clarity. In this episode, I had the absolute pleasure of talking with...
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Ep 395: From Overwhelmed to Organized: How Lisa Woodruff of Organize 365 Helped Me Transform My Home, School, and Business Systems
If you’ve ever felt buried under to-do lists, school planning, paperwork, and the constant pressure to do it all — today’s episode is your breath of fresh air. 🌿 In this deeply personal and transformative conversation, I sit down with Lisa Woodruff, the brilliant founder and CEO of Organize 365,...
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Ep 394: The Future of Joyful Learning: A Conversation with Kerry McDonald, Host of The Liberated Podcast and Author of Joyful Learning
This isn’t just an interview! Today’s podcast is an inspiring dialogue between two passionate women who are transforming education from the ground up in numerous ways. 🌟 In this episode, Makenzie Oliver, founder of Lighthouse Learning Microschool and host of Teacher Let Your Light Shine, sits…
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Ep 393: Grit, Grace, and Growth: The Power of Consistency and Community for Teachers, Founders, and Dreamers Leaving the System
This month, I’m slowing down — not to plan more, but to see more. In today’s episode, I’m talking about something I believe every microschool founder needs before stepping into a new year: an Autumn Audit. I know how it feels to get caught up in the whirlwind of running your school — the lesson...
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Ep 392: Why Every Microschool Founder Needs an Autumn Audit Before the New Year: How to Reflect, Refresh, and Realign Your Vision, Team, and Space for 2025
This month, I’m slowing down — not to plan more, but to see more. In today’s episode, I’m talking about something I believe every microschool founder needs before stepping into a new year: an Autumn Audit. I know how it feels to get caught up in the whirlwind of running your school — the lesson...
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Ep 391: Building a Microschool in a Yurt: Kami Melton’s Journey from Homeschool Mom to Educational Trailblazer
In this inspiring episode, I sit down with Kami Melton, founder of Arkwright Microschool, to hear how her journey from homeschooling mom to microschool builder unfolded—inside a yurt! Kami began her homeschooling journey in Virginia, later moved with her family to Poland, and returned to rural...
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Ep 390: Weaving the Tapestry of Calling: How Microschool Mastermind Lauren Talbot Built a Thriving Microschool in Just 4 Months with her Mother
How do you go from hearing a quiet tug on your heart to building a thriving microschool in only four months? In this episode, I sit down with Lauren Talbot—former accountant, middle school math teacher, and now the founder of The Anchor Learning Center in Louisiana. From her one-stoplight town,...
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Ep 389: What Microschool Leaders Need Most in October! Building Strong School Culture, Engaging Parents and Community, and Planning for Growth with Clarity and Confidence
October is a turning point for microschool leaders, homeschool hybrid founders, and small school visionaries. The excitement of the first weeks has settled, the routines are in place, and now comes the opportunity to either drift into burnout—or intentionally recalibrate for the months ahead. In...
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Ep 388: Reconnecting to Your Roots as a Microschool Leader: Preventing Burnout, Building Parent & Community Advisory Boards, and Using Personality Frameworks to Grow a Thriving Microschool Culture
As a microschool founder or homeschool hybrid leader, it’s easy to get caught up in curriculum, enrollment, finances, and the daily logistics of running a school—but one of the most powerful growth multipliers you have is reconnecting to your roots and knowing your people. In this episode of the...
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Ep 387: From Library Meetings to Leading Logos Homeschool Academy: How Jennifer Pinto Built a Homeschool Hybrid in Iowa with Faith and Microschool Masterminds
What does it look like to step out of traditional education and wait on God’s timing to build something completely new? In this inspiring episode, I sit down with Jennifer Pinto, co-founder of Logos Homeschool Academy in Iowa. After leaving traditional schooling in 2023, Jennifer connected with a...
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Ep 386: How Microschool Founders Can Overcome Parent Pressure. Setting Boundaries, Building Confidence, and Communicating Expectations to Create Thriving Schools Without Burnout
Starting a microschool comes with incredible joy—but it also comes with the pressure of making everyone happy: parents, students, even your staff. If you’ve ever felt the weight of parent expectations on your shoulders, this episode is for you. In today’s conversation, I’m pulling back the…
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Ep 385: A Mother’s Heart, a Founder’s Struggle: Navigating the Heartbreak and Hope of School Choices
For six years, I’ve poured my heart into building a microschool—creating a place of freedom, belonging, and personalized learning. My daughters were the reason I started this journey. And yet, today, neither of them are with us at our microschool. In this episode, I open up about: My daughter’s...
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Ep 384: What’s Saving My Sanity (and What’s Not) as a Microschool Founder. Behind the Scenes: All the Fun Things, The Routines and Systems Keeping Me Sane as a Microschool Leader
Behind every thriving microschool is a leader who is juggling 1,000 spinning plates — curriculum, enrollment, parent communication, staff management, and personal life. In this candid behind-the-scenes episode, I’m sharing the honest truth about what’s actually saving my sanity right now as a...
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Ep 383: Reset Your Microschool Systems Before Burnout Hits The 4 Week System and Routine to Finally Get Organized and Free
Running a microschool requires relentless focus, clarity, and strong systems. If you’re spinning your wheels every September—re-creating lesson plans, re-building operations, and re-learning the same organizational habits—you’re headed straight for overwhelm. In this episode, I walk you through a...
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Throwback-To-School: What to Do When You Ask Yourself: Do I Have The Time, Energy and Resources to Start or Grow Your Dream School or Teaching Business!
Welcome To The Teacher, Let Your Light Shine: Throwback-To-School Series! You are a teacher, a dreamer, and a builder. This new, refreshing month, we are bringing you something special. Our throwbacks series! Featuring hand-picked episodes from the vault that are JUST as powerful now as when they...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
It’s time to ReDream Education!My name is Makenzie Oliver. Microschool founder, VELA connector, educator, coach, and believer in the power of starting small, dreaming boldly, and rebuilding the future of education one courageous step at a time.If you’re here, it’s because something in your life, your classroom, your family, your child, or your community, is asking for a new dream. A wiser dream. A ReDream. With ReDream Education, we challenge the old models, we rethink what learning can be, and we build innovative pathways for children, families, and communities.In this weekly podcast, in our Facebook group, in our blog, and in our membership program, you will will gain systems, strategies, stories, and soul work you need to design personalized learning, understand how education is changing for the better, start or scale a micro-school, lead with confidence, make a change for your family, and create an education model that actually works for today’s world; because you aren’t just dr
HOSTED BY
Makenzie Oliver
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does ReDream Education have?
ReDream Education currently has 438 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is ReDream Education about?
It’s time to ReDream Education!My name is Makenzie Oliver. Microschool founder, VELA connector, educator, coach, and believer in the power of starting small, dreaming boldly, and rebuilding the future of education one courageous step at a time.If you’re here, it’s because something in your life,...
How often does ReDream Education release new episodes?
ReDream Education publishes regularly with 438 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to ReDream Education?
You can listen to ReDream Education on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts ReDream Education?
ReDream Education is created and hosted by Makenzie Oliver.
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