Future of Education Podcast

What actually happens when you leave traditional careers to build an alternative school from scratch? In this episode, MacKenzie sits down with fellow alternative school founders Gillian Berard (former public school teacher) and Jenna Baggott (former NICU nurse) to unpack the practical realities of launching Infinity Academy, a project-based microschool on 17 acres in Ontario.
From navigating local zoning laws using yurt classrooms to balancing AI-powered personalized academics with outdoor life skills, it’s a candid, unfiltered look at the practical realities of launching an alternative school today.

Episode Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro: Meeting the Founders of Infinity Academy
01:29 - Why Reforming Public Education Feels Like "Steering the Titanic"
03:22 - Leaving Nursing & Teaching to Build Something New
06:31 - Infinity Academy’s Vision: Self-Directed & Nature-Based
08:18 - Using AI & Adaptive Tools for Core Academics
12:45 - The Role of the Educator as a "Guide"
14:53 - Addressing Common Misconceptions About Alternative Schools
17:37 - Student Motivation & Real-World Application
19:09 - The Reality of Year 1: Zoning, Funding & Risk
24:09 - Yurt Classrooms & Bypassing Structural Permits
25:30 - Using Social Media to Prove What School Can Be
27:45 - Practical Advice for Launching Your Own Microschool

Connect with Infinity Academy on Instagram: @infinity_education.inc
Learn more about Infinity Academy: www.infinityacademyed.com/
Watch the Future of Education on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@future_of_education
Read MacKenzie's Substack: futureofeducation.substack.com
Learn more about all our schools: 2hourlearning.com/schools
Learn more about Alpha School: alpha.school

Leadership skills in the workplace don't always translate to leadership skills in the home. Often times, the well-intentioned efforts of ambitious parents can lead to surprising consequences for their kids. As it turns out, the secret to raising extraordinary, self-driven kids isn't just pushing harder and chasing optimization...and today's guest is here to unpack just that.
In this episode, MacKenzie sits down with Heather Chauvin—former social worker, stage 4 cancer survivor, host of the Emotionally Uncomfortable podcast, and advisor to high-achieving leaders—to talk about how ambitious parents can lead their families without burning out in the process.
We're covering:
Energy Management vs. Time Management: What happens when you fill your calendar without first seeking emotional alignment.
Intentionality vs. Control: How to stop micromanaging and support your child's innate development.
The Overparenting Trap: Why high achievers accidentally create a "comfort crisis" for their kids and how to break the cycle.
Parenting as Quiet Leadership: How to shift out of being "the doer" who controls every task.

Episode Timestamps:
02:42 – Performative Parenting: Trapped in the Comparison Game
05:14 – A Stage 4 Cancer Diagnosis and a Burnout Crisis
07:47 – Energy Management vs. Time Management
09:53 – Why Reactive Living Drains Your Daily Capacity
14:43 – Intentionality vs. Control: Are You Supporting or Micromanaging?
15:43 – The "Time & Energy Audit": Making Invisible Stress Visible
18:44 – The #1 Mistake High-Achieving Parents Make With Their Kids
25:38 – Overparenting and the "Comfort Crisis" in Modern Childhood
27:28 – Why Emotional Regulation Beats Quick Fixes Every Time
31:44 – From "The Doer" to "The Be-er": Reframing Parenting as Quiet Leadership
34:56 – Simple Steps to Buy Back Your Time and Reclaim Vitality

Learn more about Heather Chauvin: www.heatherchauvin.com

Watch the Future of Education on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@future_of_education
Read MacKenzie's Substack: www.futureofeducation.substack.com
Learn more about our schools: www.2hourlearning.com/schools
Learn more about Alpha School: www.alpha.school

What if one focused conversation each week could help your child identify roadblocks, set meaningful goals, and take ownership of what happens next?
In this episode, MacKenzie speaks with Jackson—an Alpha Guide with a background in sports psychology—about Limitless Meetings: recurring, one-on-one coaching conversations that transform a student's ability to set and stick to goals. Jackson explains how to structure a quick, focused check-in, adapt the conversation to a child’s age and interests, and use motivational interviewing instead of defaulting to lectures or quick solutions.
Parents and educators will leave with a practical framework for helping children articulate what they want, identify what is getting in the way, choose their own next step, and determine exactly how they want to be held accountable.

Episode Timestamps:
00:00 – An Introduction to Limitless Meetings
02:58 – Finding the Sweet Spot: Ideal Meeting Lengths for Every Age
05:06 – From Songwriting to Social Skills: Setting Clear, Actionable Goals
06:36 – The Paint-by-Numbers Trick: Keeping Kids Engaged During Deep Conversations
10:48 – Moving from Parent-Led Directives to Student-Owned Agendas
11:56 – The Two Golden Rules: Confidentiality and Tying Goals to Real Life Skills
16:58 – Motivational Interviewing: A Simple Questioning Framework for Parents
24:28 – Positive Reinforcement vs. Negative Punishment
27:28 – The "WTF" Framework
29:21 – How to Use AI to Grade Coaching Conversations
40:43 – The Perfect Closing Question: Establishing Meaningful Accountability

Watch the Future of Education on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@future_of_education
Read MacKenzie's Substack: futureofeducation.substack.com
Learn more about our schools: 2hourlearning.com/schools
Learn more about Alpha School: alpha.school

When Dr. Tasha Arnold came across Alpha's MAP test scores, she was in disbelief. As a lifelong lover of traditional schooling with two decades of experience teaching everywhere from Chicago public schools to top private schools in London and Mumbai, Tasha decided to test the learning model out for herself.
In this episode, MacKenzie and Tasha (who is now the Head of School at Alpha!) dive deep into the massive paradigm shift required to accept AI in the classroom, why technology actually increases human interaction, and why giving kids the space to fail might be the most important thing we can do for their future.

Episode Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction: The Ultimate Skeptic
02:37 - Dr. Tasha’s Global Education Background
05:13 - The New Scarcity: Human Connection vs. Content
07:21 - The Reality of Traditional Classrooms & Lesson Plans
16:44 - Building Life Skills: "UN" Style Town Halls
21:12 - Protecting the Good Teachers (And Filtering the Rest)
25:44 - The "Failure Loop" & Practicing "Support, Not Solve"
30:53 - Building True Confidence Through Competence
34:42 - Data Privacy & Addressing AI Skepticism
38:05 - The Future of AI in Public Schools
41:50 - The Mumbai Experiment: From Skeptic to Believer

Watch the Future of Education on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@future_of_education
Read MacKenzie's Substack: www.futureofeducation.substack.com
Learn more about Alpha School: www.alpha.school
Learn more about all of our schools: www.2hourlearning.com/schools

In this episode, MacKenzie sits down with Alpha guide Chris Hays to break down the stock market simulation he uses to make investing, risk, and reward click for students. Using classroom currency, multiple investment options, and fictional market news, Chris turns a complex topic into a 20-minute weekly game that parents and educators can recreate- even if they're new to investing themselves.
The conversation goes beyond investing and explores practical ways to teach kids how to earn, save, spend, and donate. From needs-versus-wants discussions to a student-run claw machine business, this episode is full of approachable ideas for building financial confidence, curiosity, and strong money habits early on.

Episode Timestamps:

01:20 - Caricaturizing Money: "Professor Dinero"
02:19 - Needs vs. Wants Explored
03:32 - Steal the "Alpha" Currency System We Use
07:12 - Exploring the Controversy of Paying Students
09:55 - The Student Stock Market Explained
18:50 - Elevating Ordinary Lemonade Stands: A Case Study
24:11 - Entrepreneurship Anecdotes
29:41 - Alternative Reward Systems
34:30 - The Five Buckets of Financial Literacy

Watch the Future of Education on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@future_of_education

Read MacKenzie's Substack: futureofeducation.substack.com

Learn more about our schools: 2hourlearning.com/schools

Learn more about Alpha School: alpha.school