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Great curriculum helps students learn. Great community helps them thrive.

In this episode of School on a Mission, Gina Watts and Andrew McPeak welcome Michael and Bethany Jones, founders of The Hybrid, a homeschool learning community in Pennsylvania that is reimagining what educational support can look like for families.

Drawing from backgrounds in education, counseling, ministry, and parenting, Michael and Bethany share how a simple desire to help homeschooling families feel less isolated has grown into a thriving community where students learn together, families support one another, and relationships are just as important as academics.

Together, they explore why connection is essential to student success, how partnerships with families create stronger learning environments, and why education is most impactful when we invest in the whole child—hands on, hearts on, and minds on.

Resources Mentioned

• Next Gen Insider: Free leadership insights, practical tools, and resources for anyone investing in the next generation.
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Learn More About Michael and Bethany Jones

Michael and Bethany Jones are the founders of The Hybrid, a homeschool learning community in Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania. Since launching in 2022, The Hybrid has grown into a thriving community where students and families learn, grow, and build meaningful relationships together through a relational, whole-child approach to education.

Connect with Growing Leaders

Learn more about Growing Leaders, explore leadership resources, and discover practical tools to help you invest in the next generation:

🚀 Welcome to the School on a Mission Podcast! 🎙️

Hosted by Andrew McPeak and Gina Watts, this podcast is for educators, school leaders, and change-makers who believe in building schools where leadership, character, and social-emotional growth matter just as much as academics. If you believe education should inspire, equip, and empower the next generation—you’re in the right place!

Each episode features engaging conversations, expert insights, and real-world strategies to help you create a school culture where students thrive. From leadership principles and community engagement to AI in education and social media strategy, we tackle the most pressing topics in modern education.

🎧 New episodes drop regularly—don’t miss out!

💡 Connect with us at schoolonamissionpodcast.com

📲 Follow us on social media & join the conversation!

🔹 The School on a Mission Podcast is produced by Growing Leaders, powered by the Maxwell Leadership Foundation.

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How do we prepare students not just for graduation—but for life?

This episode kicks off our special summer series on School on a Mission, highlighting the educators, mentors, coaches, nonprofit leaders, and community partners who are helping students thrive beyond the traditional classroom.

Gina Watts and Andrew McPeak welcome Penny Abbott, Executive Director of the Foundation for Leadership Education, for a conversation about one of the most overlooked ingredients in student success: meaningful relationships across generations.

Penny shares how her organization is helping students develop leadership, confidence, and character through school partnerships, iLead leadership curriculum, scholarships, and intentional mentoring relationships between young people and experienced community leaders. Together, they explore why leadership development should begin early, why communities are essential partners in education, and how investing in students today creates leaders who will shape tomorrow.

Resources Mentioned

• Growing Leaders iLead Leadership Curriculum
• Ready for Real Life by Andrew McPeak
• Books by Tim Elmore

Journal Prompt

Andrew challenged listeners with this reflection:

Look around you and ask: What leaders and resources are already around me that could be available to my students? How can I help make those connections happen—even if I don't have time?

Take a few minutes this week to reflect on the people, organizations, and opportunities already present in your community. What's one step you can take to better connect students with those resources?

Learn More About Penny Abbott

Penny Abbott is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Leadership Education, where she works to prepare tomorrow's leaders through leadership education, scholarships, mentoring, and meaningful community partnerships.

Learn more about the Foundation for Leadership Education:

https://www.lowcountryleaders.com

Connect with Growing Leaders

Learn more about Growing Leaders, explore the iLead Leadership Curriculum, and discover additional resources designed to help you invest in the next generation.

🚀 Welcome to the School on a Mission Podcast! 🎙️

Hosted by Andrew McPeak and Gina Watts, this podcast is for educators, school leaders, and change-makers who believe in building schools where leadership, character, and social-emotional growth matter just as much as academics. If you believe education should inspire, equip, and empower the next generation—you’re in the right place!

Each episode features engaging conversations, expert insights, and real-world strategies to help you create a school culture where students thrive. From leadership principles and community engagement to AI in education and social media strategy, we tackle the most pressing topics in modern education.

🎧 New episodes drop regularly—don’t miss out!

💡 Connect with us at schoolonamissionpodcast.com

📲 Follow us on social media & join the conversation!

🔹 The School on a Mission Podcast is produced by Growing Leaders, powered by the Maxwell Leadership Foundation.

Send us Fan Mail

What does it look like to lead with purpose for more than five decades—and still be growing?

In this powerful Season 3 finale of School on a Mission, we sit down with Linda Jolly, a lifelong educator whose 55-year career spans classrooms, coaching, counseling, campus leadership, district administration, and regional service. From her early days as a teacher and coach to her current role at Region 18 Education Service Center in Texas, Linda reflects on the moments, mentors, and values that shaped her legacy.

With honesty, wisdom, and deep compassion, Linda shares stories of resilience through cancer, lessons learned from leadership transitions, and the profound impact of teachers who see potential before students see it in themselves. She unpacks the core values that sustained her—accountability, courage, compassion, adaptability, and honesty—and offers heartfelt guidance for educators navigating burnout, transition, or questions of calling.

This episode is both a reflection and a benediction—an invitation to remember your why, lead with integrity, and invest in people in ways that last far beyond the classroom.

Key Takeaways

• Legacy is built through consistency, relationships, and values—not titles
• Teachers shape lives when they see and name potential in students
• Emotional resilience grows through purpose, reflection, and service
• Leadership is about trust, delegation, and creating space for others to lead
• Teaching is a gift—and how you use your gifts becomes your legacy

🚀 Welcome to the School on a Mission Podcast! 🎙️

Hosted by Andrew McPeak and Gina Watts, this podcast is for educators, school leaders, and change-makers who believe in building schools where leadership, character, and social-emotional growth matter just as much as academics. If you believe education should inspire, equip, and empower the next generation—you’re in the right place!

Each episode features engaging conversations, expert insights, and real-world strategies to help you create a school culture where students thrive. From leadership principles and community engagement to AI in education and social media strategy, we tackle the most pressing topics in modern education.

🎧 New episodes drop regularly—don’t miss out!

💡 Connect with us at schoolonamissionpodcast.com

📲 Follow us on social media & join the conversation!

🔹 The School on a Mission Podcast is produced by Growing Leaders, powered by the Maxwell Leadership Foundation.