Mr. Brush explained that he loves homeschooling — and was homeschooled himself at a time when it was considered taboo. Since Unbound centers on the word "thrive," he explained that it means accepting full responsibility for your life: creating value, prioritizing relationships, and living resiliently despite the world being a fallen place.

The mission of Unbound encourages students to find hope and seek out the light of Christ — to look for something bigger than themselves. Unbound helps students see the bigger picture and strive to impact the world around them through project-based learning and group work, developing both work ethic and resilience.

Whether a student becomes rich or famous, Unbound teaches them to live an exciting, meaningful, and impactful life. He believes homeschoolers — because of their unique educational background — are especially well-positioned to train for this mindset and lifestyle.

As the parent, you might ask: "How can I implement these ideas now?" Mr. Brush offers six practical starting points:

• Teach communication — Read How to Win Friends and Influence People together; watch TED Talks to discover the secrets of good communication.
• Teach a love of learning — Explore hobbies together and model curiosity by reading books, listening to podcasts, or trying something new.
• Teach initiative — Encourage them to see a need and act on it. Model this yourself — just do it because it needs to be done.
• Teach learning from failure — If they earn a bad grade or miss an assignment, show them how to grow from it. When you mess up, talk about what you learned.
• Teach extraordinary in the ordinary — Show the beauty in a Monday nature walk or in cleaning the house as an act of love for your family and home.
• Teach life skills — Practice balancing a checkbook, saving money, fixing machinery, or writing a paper — learn together.

Mr. Brush also draws on his love of 18th-century naval history. Young men aged 12–14 were placed on ships as midshipmen and had to learn as they went. Homeschoolers, like those midshipmen, can learn as they go — and that's a strength, not a weakness.

Like Unbound, you can implement real-life skills through project-based learning and community engagement. Have your homeschooler work on an art mural, build with Legos, or develop carpentry skills. Better yet, build something that benefits the community — a Little Free Library, volunteering at a horse barn, or serving at a soup kitchen.

Mr. Brush firmly believes that when students enter the workforce, they should focus on three things:

1. Autonomy — you get to decide how you do your work
2. Experience — built through real-world engagement
3. Skill — developed through practice and reflection

Volunteer opportunities help build all three. They also cultivate kindness and resilience — because no one in this world gets a free pass, and learning to show up matters.

Unbound itself offers tracks (similar to majors) where students earn certificates and transferable credits, with training in communication, finances, and basic life skills — plus career preparation and job placement. If a student doesn't find a job through Unbound, Mr. Brush promises a full refund of the three years of learning.

Mr. Brush noted that Unbound is a natural next step after Nxt Era. Homeschoolers involved at Nxt Era can move on to Unbound after high school. Parents can use the wisdom from Mr. Brush to propel their homeschooling journey forward.

Enroll your child in volunteer opportunities to help them learn life skills. Teach your child how to communicate, learn, take initiative, experience failure, find the extraordinary in the ordinary, and build life skills. Through learning, failing, and experiencing life, your homeschooler can be equipped to truly thrive.

Feel free to use our community to share ideas and connect with other parents. Share volunteer ideas and tips — we at Nxt Era want to help you and your homeschooler succeed!