Become the grownup kids will remember for a lifetime
Prenda gives you everything you need to run your own microschool for K-8th grade learners.
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started
thousands of parents
learning system
support
training
and counting
started
thousands of parents
learning system
support
training
and counting
started
thousands of parents
learning system
support
training
and counting
Microschools help kids love learning again
A microschool is a tight-knit community of 5-10 students designed to help every learner find their purpose and master skills at their own level and pace.
Conventional education |  |
One-size-fits-all generic exposure to curriculum | Customized curriculum to meet every kid at their personal pace and skill level |
Controlling top-down culture designed for conformity | Autonomy-supportive culture aimed at empowering each student |
Extrinsic motivation encourages bare-minimum learning and avoidance | Personal goal setting helps kids take ownership and find their internal drive |
Pre-determined subject matter decreases engagement and curiosity | Inquiry-led problem solving to help kids pursue their passions |
Prenda microschools drive engagement and academic growth
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Become a Prenda Guide
We give you everything you need to start and run a microschool in your community:
Prenda prioritizes engagement and academics by leveraging evidence-based techniques in a four-mode learning day: connect, conquer, collaborate, and create. With projects designed to nurture each child’s personal passion and adaptive diagnostic tests in math and reading, Prenda provides a customized curriculum that makes sense for each child.
Easily set up your microschool with Prenda’s plug-and-play software platform. Manage enrollment, track students’ progress, process payments, even build your own marketing website with Prenda tools. Your dedicated microschool set-up specialist and personal guide coach will support you at every step.
Year-round academic coaches provide on-call support to help you with learning, behavior, motivation, and more. Prenda also offers free ongoing training to help you understand the art and science of empowering young learners.
Our Story
A few years ago, I noticed how traditional education was dulling my kids' love of learning. They seemed lost or bored - the conventional structure just wasn't set up to cater to their individual needs. But kids should naturally love learning! So, I invited seven neighborhood kids around my kitchen table to try a different way…
- I set kids up working on projects, solving problems, collaborating with each other, nurturing their inherent curiosity.
- I pulled from innovative, evidence-based research and focused on academics and emotional well-being.
- I began to notice how other kids were thrilled when traditional school was canceled for a snow day, but devastated (to the point of tears!) when my microschool was canceled.
I wondered if there were other passionate people who might want to start their own microschools and help kids love learning again. Prenda has since grown into a full, K-8th grade learning experience. With a research-driven curriculum, real community and support, and plug-and-play software, you'll have everything you need to start your own microschool and help kids discover their love of learning again.
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Kids (and Parents) love Prenda
I was looking for a different education option for my son. An environment that sparked his love of learning. Where he would feel comfortable, and like he belonged… I enrolled him in a Prenda Microschool. He was thrilled to be a part of this small-group setting where he could work at his own pace, collaborate with others, and get one-on-one support.
In just a year, he went from two years behind in math to one year ahead. He was confident, and thriving, and that’s all I ever wanted.
Our guide goes above and beyond for all her students. She has been working with my girls this whole school year and I’ve seen such improvement in their academics and behavior, it really is amazing to see. I’m a single mom of 3 girls and I thought that traditional education was my only option, thanks to Prenda and our guide, my girls are getting the education they need and deserve.
My little guy has always been bold, kind, outspoken, brave, and funny. When he started public school for kindergarten, I began to see a change in him. He became quiet, and anxious, and didn't seem to be learning much. He started Prenda for second grade, and I am beyond impressed. My son got his spark back! He cares about how he learns best! He is not just surviving school, he is thriving, and I couldn't be happier! He is back to his old self, and honestly, he is even better. I got my kid back, thanks to Prenda.
Our Prenda guide has changed the lives of my daughter and my family. Our daughter has ADHD and was really struggling in public school. This frustration led to poor behaviors. She has been with her Prenda guide the past two years and she is thriving. She went from a kid who absolutely hated school to one that LOVES it. Her whole attitude changed and we got our sweet and thoughtful girl back. All of the stress and anxiety that our family had is gone.
My child joined Prenda in the middle of third grade and we had struggled with her learning. I had my suspicions that she was behind but the school kept pushing her forward. When she joined Prenda my suspicions were confirmed - she was two years behind in Math and Reading. Because of our Prenda guide’s candor and compassion, my daughter is now in 7th grade and performing at the high school level in Reading and on target for Math.
A team behind you at every step
You don't need an education background as a Prenda guide. You'll have a team behind you at every step. Learn more here.
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Inside a Prenda Microschool
Prenda was built to provide a better school-life balance for kids and families. While schedules vary from microschool to microschool, most microschools run 4-5 hours per day, 4 days per week.
Meet Prenda Guides
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Before Prenda, I homeschooled for 15 years. As I explored the idea of microschooling and researched Prenda, I found that it was the perfect fit for my family. Prenda has been a huge blessing for me as a guide, for my son, and for my other learners. Prenda's teaching philosophy is top-notch. The program encourages autonomy which is one of the things that I value most in education. I am so grateful to God for placing me on this teaching journey with Prenda! It has been amazing!
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I love Prenda! This is an educator's dream job! I have never (in my nearly 30 years of being an educator) been so excited to see graphs, data charts, and diagnostic reports! I'm genuinely giddy! The collaborative efforts that happen when they have ownership of their learning, and their eagerness to work on the next subject--it makes my heart flutter! This educator mama's heart is bursting!
I can’t describe to you precisely the magic that happens here. But I can just say that Prenda is a miracle for my students and me.
I have no burnout. I have minimal stress. I wake up, make the commute down my hallway, and get my home space ready to teach. Education is fun again and parents are witnessing their whole child grow. I can’t tell you how honored I am to provide an educational environment like this to these kids and foster a love of lifelong learning in each of them.
I was unsure about leaving my job and pulling my kids from public school. I was nervous that I didn't have what it took to teach, and leaving the only system I knew seemed scary and crazy. We made the jump, and I started a microschool with my own two children and four additional learners. My students love coming to school every day so much that going home is the most challenging transition. Thank you to Prenda for offering this life-changing experience.
As a previous homeschool parent, I know the stress of choosing curriculum and making sure you have all your bases covered to teach your children independently. Prenda has allowed me the opportunity to bring my kids home and school them with great resources in a way that empowers them as learners. They learn to own their education, and they can work at their level regardless of where the other kids in their class are.
FAQs
A microschool is a small group of learners led by a caring adult or “guide” that helps kids progress academically while deepening their love of learning and supporting a strong sense of self-efficacy.
There are a few basic prerequisites to run a Prenda microschool:
- a safe and suitable location
- the internet
- and you–a caring, dependable, willing-to-learn adult!
No. There is no educational requirement to guide a microschool. Interestingly, about half of all guides are certified teachers and the other half are passionate parents or community members who want to make a difference for the students in their lives. We’ve seen successful microschools run by homeschool parents, business leaders, soccer coaches, grandparents, and church leaders.
“Guiding” is different than “teaching.” Our learning experience does not depend on the guide to provide instruction as a teacher would in a classroom setting. Instead, you help students set goals, monitor their progress, and support them as they learn how to learn. Academic coaches provide expert support for guides and live 24-hour math tutoring is available for students when needed.
Prenda charges a per-student platform fee of $2,199 per year for state scholarship students or $219.90 per month for direct-pay students.
Guides charge an additional fee for microschool services provided to students. Each guide determines their own fee during the microschool setup process.
Prenda collects the total microschool fee from students, retains the Prenda platform fee, and transfers the guide fee portion to the guide through a third-party payment processor. The timing of billing and guide payments depends on how students in the microschool are funded.
Yes! We call this a "Single-Family Microschool" but we consider you just as much a guide as if you were guiding a “Multi-Family Microschool.” You still have access to all the tools and support a Multi-Family Microschool gets except payment services, unless you expand to serving students beyond your family.
The Prenda learning experience was designed around a 16-hour week for K-2nd grade students (4, 4-hour days) and a 20-hour week for 3-8th grade students (4, 5-hour days). However, you can choose to adjust this schedule to meet the needs of your community. You may also choose to guide more than one microschool. You'll set your calendar for the year during the microschool setup process.
In our experience, 7-10 learners in a microschool is ideal. You may choose to exceed 10 students, but we have found that when groups get too big the magic of the small group is lost and guiding becomes stressful. Most parents are looking for a small-group experience so if you accept more students, your microschool may become less attractive.
A state scholarship provides public funding to families to use for their student’s education. Families can use these state scholarship funds to pay for a student’s Prenda microschool experience. The most common term for these scholarships is an "Education Savings Account" or "ESA." Availability and details of these programs vary by state. If available in your state, this funding is typically enough to allow families to participate in a Prenda microschool with little to no out-of-pocket costs.
Check out your state's funding page by clicking your state on the map here for more information.
Direct Pay means that parents pay out of pocket for their child to utilize Prenda's learning model and attend your microschool. Each student signs up for a monthly subscription that includes the $219.90 Prenda fee plus whatever you (the guide) decide to charge as a monthly guide fee. You'll set your guide fee during the microschool setup process.
Each guide is an independent business owner, who is solely responsible for operating their own microschool. You are not a Prenda employee or independent contractor. Prenda is an educational service provider that helps provide you with the resources and support you need to run a successful microschool.
Prenda does not assign students to microschools. It is up to you as the guide to recruit students and families for your microschool. We provide helpful resources like Facebook pages where guides and families can connect, the microschool map, and a customizable microschool profile page to help you spread the word about your school. Additionally, we provide you with information and shareable resources to help your community understand what a microschool is and why they might be interested in attending with you.
You can learn more about how to recruit students to your microschool on our free webinar "marketing your microschool" here.
Prenda does not provide locations for microschools. It is up to you as the guide to find and secure a suitable location for your microschool. Most guides operate out of their home, but many use more formal locations like churches, commercial spaces, or community centers. Some guides share a larger location and host several microschools together. If finding a location sounds hard, reach out to us and we can help you think through your options and connect you with a guide coach that can support you.
No. The ultimate responsibility for ensuring the safety and security of students rests with the guide and the families who choose to enroll in the microschool. Prenda does not approve or certify microschool locations and does not guarantee the safety and security of students in the microschool. It is important for parents to conduct due diligence and make sure the guide and microschool environment is a good fit for their child.
Prenda requires a background check for every guide and adult who will be at the location during school hours. Prenda pays for all background checks. Guides should ensure that students are always safe while at their microschool. This includes controlling access to things like drugs, medicine, chemicals, alcohol, or weapons, and any bodies of water as well as ensuring that students are safe on the internet.