Alumni Spotlight: Nicole Pauling, M.Ed. Starts LGBTQ Homeschool Association 

Not all educators serve students in traditional classrooms. Some are entrepreneurs who innovate, transform, and create change in unconventional learning spaces. A master’s degree in education equips and empowers folks from all professional backgrounds who want to be educational change agents in their communities anywhere in the world. This is Nicole’s story.

Nicole Pauling, M.Ed. is a recent graduate of Moreland University’s Master’s Degree in Education with Educational Technology who built a successful educational career in e-learning around her passions and interests. Not a traditional classroom teacher, Nicole has developed a series of online classes called “Academy of Wonder” through the platform Outschool focused on history, psychology, art, and gamified learning. 670 students and their families, many of whom coming to her from homeschool settings, have rated her classes “5 Stars” and come back consistently for more learning. But Nicole has a calling to serve in an area of need she identified in the homeschooling space.

As a mother and educator in digital learning spaces, Nicole recognized that LGBTQIA+ students are at increased risk for trauma and abuse. Her passion for creating inclusive learning environments, both at home and in school, inspired her to found the LGBTQ Homeschool Association. Nicole is building a community of support and educational resources for families and educators of LGBTQIA+ students, transforming her local community and the digital space of homeschooling. Her association is an online community which curates and provides family resources, networking, and educational materials to support teachers and families of LGBTQIA+ students. Watch her complete interview in alumni spotlight video below!

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