Submitted
Jean Lee says she has worn many hats, serving as a brand strategist, game developer, ballroom dance instructor, and neuroscientist, among more than a dozen other roles. But since the pandemic, Lee, a Carmel mother of three, has pivoted to become a homeschool instructor.
When Lee’s 10-year-old struggled to stay challenged in first-grade public school, she realized something needed to change.
Lee
“That was my wakeup point. She is quite far out of the average,” Lee recalled thinking. “Public schools can only go so far ahead when it comes to advanced learning.”
At that same time, the world had closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing students home for virtual learning. For a mom on a mission to educate her children differently, it was kismet.
“The methods that home educators can use to teach are so different from public school,” Lee said. “The benefits of choosing curriculum based on your child’s learning needs and creating a customized education became obvious.”
Lee launched The Academy of Chaos to provide a place where she could support other families who were seeking information about home education. In addition to homeschooling her own children, Lee, through The Academy of Chaos, has made a business out of her “next reinvention.” A year and a half ago, she began leading group classes that other children attend, including her first, Junior Achievement Biztown, which taught 40 fourth- through sixth-graders about financial literacy.
“It’s been an amazing experience,” Lee said. “I love teaching, these kids are interested, engaged and passionate about the subjects they register to learn about.”
In her interactions with fellow homeschooling parents on social media, she heard questions “all day, every day” from families seeking to build connections within the homeschooling community. She began mentoring with SCORE Indianapolis mentors Russell Jones and Leslea Hsu in an effort to bring her vision for connecting community to fruition.
With roughly four months’ lead time, Lee, with guidance from her SCORE mentors, set up the Midwest Homeschool Expo, an inclusive homeschool gathering aimed at creating a place to gather both families seeking more information and support to begin home education as well as connect families that are already using custom educational methods outside of a traditional classroom. Educational resources ranging from early learning to dual enrollment and college track planning, as well as neurodivergent learning resources, curricula publishers and local staples such as museums and public libraries will all be present to discuss their homeschool opportunities at the June 22 inaugural event.
“They are my biggest cheerleaders,” Lee said of her SCORE mentors. “They have helped me think through every step and provided extremely valuable insight.”
Jones, whose background is in medical device sales, training, and leadership development and Hsu, whose expertise is in marketing, helped Lee in site selection, outlining vendor agreements, and investigating opportunities to reach the target audience. A SCORE mentor of three years, Jones credits Lee’s tireless work ethic for her success in lining up more than 100 presenters and vendors in a short time.
“If there’s 24 hours a day, she’s using 30 hours,” Jones said of Lee. ”She has no hesitation at 2 o’ clock in the morning, when she has an idea, to start sending emails to CEOs. She has no fear of reaching out to whomever she thinks will benefit the cause.”
About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE has helped 11 million entrepreneurs start or grow a business. SCORE’s 10,000 volunteers provide free mentoring, workshops, and educational services to more than 1,500 communities nationwide. With more than 70 members throughout the Indianapolis area, SCORE Indianapolis provides nearly 3,000 mentoring services annually to local small business owners through one-on-one counseling and small business workshops. For more information about starting or operating a small business, or finding a mentor, visit SCORE Indianapolis at score.org/indianapolis.