Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
This podcast is made possible by our listeners and viewers. If this show has brought you value, you can support it by becoming a member of thewayfwrd.com/join, our platform designed to help you find the health and freedom community (people, practitioners, schools, farms, and more) near you. Your membership directly supports the podcast and the work we do.
The public school system has been damaging our children… but it doesn’t have to be this way.
In this conversation, I sit down with the founders of Infinity Academy, a project-based and nature-rooted school that was created after years of questioning the assumptions behind institutional education.
Gillian, the school’s Curriculum and Instructional Lead, spent more than a decade teaching in public education and repeatedly felt that something about the system wasn’t working. Her work now focuses on project-based learning designed to nurture curiosity, critical thinking, and intrinsic motivation in children.
Jenna, a Registered Nurse and wellness educator, co-founded the school after recognizing similar systemic problems in healthcare and education. Her work helps integrate nature, hands-on learning, and whole-person wellbeing into the educational experience.
Together, they’re building a model where learning follows the child’s interests through questioning, research, creation, and reflection. Their goal is to help children develop agency, curiosity, and the confidence to keep learning long after the classroom.
You’ll Learn:
[00:00] Introduction
[03:40] How public school was designed to crush curiosity
[21:31] The grief, the infinity fountain, and the 30-day scramble to open Infinity Academy
[41:12] What is project-based learning, and what does it look like?
[43:11] Why community beats homeschooling, and what learning looks like at the Academy
[01:04:14] Teaching history without presenting it as an absolute truth
[01:25:49] Sex ed, gender ideology, and the topics deliberately left to parents
[01:48:48] Why "preparing kids for the real world" might be the wrong goal entirely
[01:56:41] Advice for the single mom trapped in the public school system
Learn more from Gillian and Jenna:
Infinity Education | infinityeducation.ca
Infinity Education | instagram.com/infinity_education.inc
Infinity Academy | infinityacademyed.com
Gillian Berard | instagram.com/gillianberard
Find more from Alec:
Alec Zeck | instagram.com/d_alec_zeck
Alec Zeck | https://x.com/Alec_Zeck
The Way Forward | instagram.com/thewayfwrd
The Way Forward is Sponsored By:
RMDY Academy & Collective: Homeopathy Made Accessible
High-quality remedies and training to support natural healing.
Enroll here: rmdyacademy.org
Explore here: rmdycollective.org/aleczeck85
Paleovalley: 100% Grass-Fed Bone Broth Protein is a nutrient-dense, easy-to-digest source of collagen and essential amino acids. Sourced from grass-fed cows, this protein powder provides the building blocks for healthy joints, skin, and gut function—without fillers or artificial ingredients. Support the show and claim 15% off your PaleoValley order!
paleovalley.com/thewayforward
New Biology Clinic: Redefine Health from the Ground Up
Experience tailored terrain-based health services with consults, livestreams, movement classes, and more.
Visit NewBiologyClinic.com and use code THEWAYFORWARD (case sensitive) for $50 off activation.
The Way Forward members get the $150 fee waived: thewayfwrd.com/join
Want to grow your podcast but not sure what's actually working? Podigy helps me produce The Way Forward. Take their free assessment to get clear on your next move—and a chance to win a call with their founder.
form.typeform.com/to/VjBhoQWR
This podcast is made possible by our listeners and viewers. If this show has brought you value, you can support it by becoming a member of thewayfwrd.com/join, our platform designed to help you find the health and freedom community (people, practitioners, schools, farms, and more) near you. Your membership directly supports the podcast and the work we do.
The public school system has been damaging our children… but it doesn’t have to be this way.
In this conversation, I sit down with the founders of Infinity Academy, a project-based and nature-rooted school that was created after years of questioning the assumptions behind institutional education.
Gillian, the school’s Curriculum and Instructional Lead, spent more than a decade teaching in public education and repeatedly felt that something about the system wasn’t working. Her work now focuses on project-based learning designed to nurture curiosity, critical thinking, and intrinsic motivation in children.
Jenna, a Registered Nurse and wellness educator, co-founded the school after recognizing similar systemic problems in healthcare and education. Her work helps integrate nature, hands-on learning, and whole-person wellbeing into the educational experience.
Together, they’re building a model where learning follows the child’s interests through questioning, research, creation, and reflection. Their goal is to help children develop agency, curiosity, and the confidence to keep learning long after the classroom.
You’ll Learn:
[00:00] Introduction
[03:40] How public school was designed to crush curiosity
[21:31] The grief, the infinity fountain, and the 30-day scramble to open Infinity Academy
[41:12] What is project-based learning, and what does it look like?
[43:11] Why community beats homeschooling, and what learning looks like at the Academy
[01:04:14] Teaching history without presenting it as an absolute truth
[01:25:49] Sex ed, gender ideology, and the topics deliberately left to parents
[01:48:48] Why "preparing kids for the real world" might be the wrong goal entirely
[01:56:41] Advice for the single mom trapped in the public school system
Learn more from Gillian and Jenna:
Infinity Education | infinityeducation.ca
Infinity Education | instagram.com/infinity_education.inc
Infinity Academy | infinityacademyed.com
Gillian Berard | instagram.com/gillianberard
Find more from Alec:
Alec Zeck | instagram.com/d_alec_zeck
Alec Zeck | https://x.com/Alec_Zeck
The Way Forward | instagram.com/thewayfwrd
The Way Forward is Sponsored By:
RMDY Academy & Collective: Homeopathy Made Accessible
High-quality remedies and training to support natural healing.
Enroll here: rmdyacademy.org
Explore here: rmdycollective.org/aleczeck85
Paleovalley: 100% Grass-Fed Bone Broth Protein is a nutrient-dense, easy-to-digest source of collagen and essential amino acids. Sourced from grass-fed cows, this protein powder provides the building blocks for healthy joints, skin, and gut function—without fillers or artificial ingredients. Support the show and claim 15% off your PaleoValley order!
paleovalley.com/thewayforward
New Biology Clinic: Redefine Health from the Ground Up
Experience tailored terrain-based health services with consults, livestreams, movement classes, and more.
Visit NewBiologyClinic.com and use code THEWAYFORWARD (case sensitive) for $50 off activation.
The Way Forward members get the $150 fee waived: thewayfwrd.com/join
Want to grow your podcast but not sure what's actually working? Podigy helps me produce The Way Forward. Take their free assessment to get clear on your next move—and a chance to win a call with their founder.
form.typeform.com/to/VjBhoQWR
