The education revolution is here.
Families and founders across the country are building education that fits their lifestyle. It’s real, it’s growing, and it’s closer than you think.
Read the full article, written by Meredith Olson, VELA President. 🔗 Link in bio.
@velaorg is redefining what it means to take ownership of your education.
Watch the full episode, visit VELA.org, and download the app #linkinbio
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#education #school #podcast
🚌 Hop aboard the “magic school bus” and meet @solstice.hybrid.academy , the vision of VELA Founder Sarah Harrinton in Norfolk, Virginia! In true VELA Founder fashion, Sarah took action on her ‘crazy idea’ to reimagine education and renovate an old school bus into a classroom bursting with creativity. Solstice Hybrid Academy provides a “homeschool style” learning environment and flexible full and parttime program options for families. With Montessori-inspired learning, a strong STEAM focus, and over 200 afternoon field trips a year led by their real-life Miss Frizzle, Solstice makes learning an adventure! 🚀
Tobin and Martina Slaven built @actonacademyfl because the system Tobin spent 20 years preparing to lead wasn't what he wanted for his own five children.
Four years in: Gold Status three years running. 90% retention. Growing toward 100+ learners who do hard things and earn new levels of freedom every day.
VELA is supporting their continued growth. Find programs like this in your community. Download the VELA app. Link in bio.
This is Indie Education growing in real time.
VELA is the leading investor in Indie Education, having awarded $50M in Indie founders since 2019. Just last month, we awarded 48 microgrants across 27 states, totaling $455,000. These aren't grants keeping programs alive. They're multiplying what's already working.
Trends from this round? Founders operating above capacity. Waitlists topping 200 learners. Re-enrollment rates are hitting 90-100%. Programs sustaining themselves on tuition and family referrals alone.
And behind every number, a kid whose life looks different. A resistant reader became a grade-level mentor. A child with school anxiety now tells her mom she can leave. A student who ran down the hall shouting, "I hate this school!" on day one, now doesn't want it to close for holidays.
VELA microgrant applications are due on the last day of every month. Link in bio.
Prom season is here, and the Indie Education movement is absolutely shining! ✨
Students from @extendhomeschool in Bowie, MD, spent last weekend dancing and celebrating aboard the Spirit of Baltimore. Proof that Indie Education doesn't mean missing out on the moments that matter. VELA Founder Kym Kent built a community where students get it all.
Classrooms without walls! ☀️ At @carolinakidscoop , beaches and picnic shelters are the classroom. And kids are thriving.
Carolina Kids Co-Op is pioneering hands-on experiences that boost both academic growth and well-being. What started with just 12 kids on the beach is now serving nearly 1,000 learners across 17 locations!
Read the full @standtogether story! Link in bio.
VELA Founders: You built something real. Now it's time to grow it.
VELA Microgrants are open for 2026, and applications are accepted every single month. No waiting for one annual window. Apply by the last day of any month — next deadline is May 31.
This is not startup funding. It's momentum funding. We invest in programs that are already running, already serving families, and ready to expand.
All VELA Founders who have not received a microgrant are eligible to apply.
Find the application in the VELA app: Resources for you -> Funding application.
This Mother's Day, we're honoring the moms who decided that owning their children's education wasn't radical. It was just love in action.
They started microschools. They found founders who shared their values. They pulled their kids from systems that weren't working and built something that did. They made the hard calls and showed up every single day.
That's not a small thing. That's a movement.
To every mom in the Indie Education community: what you're doing matters. Your kids are going to know the difference.
Happy Mother's Day from all of us at VELA. 💛
When every child is seen, real learning begins.
Felicia Rattray searched for a school that truly saw her autistic child. She couldn't find it. So she built it.
@permissionedu is a microschool where neurodivergent and neurotypical kids get exactly what the name promises. Personalized learning. No judgment. Permission to grow at their own pace.
VELA's reinvestment is helping Felicia expand so more families can find what she built.
Find programs like this in your community. Download the VELA app. 🔗 Link in bio.
