Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling

From the bestselling author of Unschooled, an exploration of new, low-cost K–12 learning models that favor individualized, learner-centered education—“the roadmap for anyone tired of the status quo and ready to make a difference in how we teach the next generation” (John Mackey, New York Times–bestselling author of Conscious Capitalism)

Across the United States, parents, teachers, administrators, policymakers, and ordinary citizens are increasingly frustrated by the rigidity and standardization of modern schooling, and they are seeking alternatives. Openness to different learning models reached new heights during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to accelerate.

Entrepreneurial parents and teachers are responding to the growing demand for learning models that challenge the status quo. They are creating micro schools, learning pods, homeschooling collaboratives, online learning networks, and other flexible educational models that provide specialized, individualized education, often at a lower cost than traditional private schools. Joyful Learning shares the experiences of these everyday entrepreneurs who are reimagining learning in their communities, showing parents what is possible for their children and encouraging aspiring school founders to take their own enterprising leaps.

Blending fresh storytelling with straightforward advice, Joyful Learning is an inspiring, relevant, and timely book for parents looking for different education options for their children, as well as would-be education entrepreneurs hoping to launch their own creative learning solutions. 

 

Kerry McDonald is an internationally recognized journalist, speaker, podcaster, and education thought leader. She spotlights innovative, affordable, student-centered K–12 learning models through her regular articles and dedicated columns at Forbes.com and The 74, as well as her semiweekly LiberatED podcast. 

McDonald is the author of the bestselling book Unschooled. Her articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, NPR, and Newsweek, among many others. McDonald lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her husband and four children.