About this episode

LaRae Hulsey shares her journey from enrolling her children in a microschool to founding her own educational program amidst family challenges.

On this episode of LiberatED, LaRae Hulsey tells host Kerry McDonald about her remarkable journey from enrolling her children in a Prenda microschool in rural Apache County, Arizona to launching her own program, LaRae's Learning Lab . Along the way, her family faced extraordinary challenges, including her husband's leukemia diagnosis, which required relocating for medical treatment. LaRae explains how the flexibility and personal connections of microschooling provided stability during crisis, why she eventually stepped into a leadership role herself, and how her microschool now serves a dozen students in a community where alternative education options are rapidly expanding. She also offers encouragement and practical advice for aspiring founders who may doubt their ability to start something of their own. In a conversation about resilience, purpose, and the power of personalized learning, LaRae's story highlights how education entrepreneurship often begins with a parent's desire to help their own children thrive. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org . Kerry's latest book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness…

People in this episode

Host: Kerry McDonald

Guest: LaRae Hulsey

Topics covered

• microschooling
• education entrepreneurship
• family crisis
• resilience
• personalized learning
• alternative education

Keywords

• microschool
• education
• family crisis
• resilience
• personalized learning
• entrepreneurship
• alternative education

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Prenda, LaRae's Learning Lab

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

Places: Apache County, Arizona

More episodes of LiberatED Podcast

• Navigating Legal Challenges as an Education Entrepreneur, with ERC's Lynn Swanson · July 21, 2026 · 37 min
• From Democratic School Founder to Urban Nature Educator · July 17, 2026 · 36 min
• What If Learning Started with Curiosity Instead of Curriculum? · July 14, 2026 · 47 min
• Inside a Youth-Run Microschool in Virginia · July 7, 2026 · 36 min
• When A Microschool Founder Has To Step Away · June 30, 2026 · 36 min
• How Summit School Grew from 50 to 140 Students in 3 Years · June 23, 2026 · 33 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the LiberatED Podcast podcast page.