4 lessons · Self-guided written course
Education by Design: Decide, Return, and Plan Together
Compare realistic college routes, build a returning-learner plan, and agree on family support without giving up student agency.
By Brian Kennedy Jr., M.Ed.
Includes the 23-page toolkit and this four-lesson written learning path.
Who this is for
What you will build
Submit a two-route decision brief, checked source/cost ledger, feasible weekly plan and support agreement. Explain one attractive option you ruled out, one unresolved fact and the next review date. Redact names, account details and private records before sharing.
No paid software, public posting, real outreach or sale is required. Use a private real situation or a clearly labeled fictional case.
How you will know you learned
Complete an observable piece of work, check your reasoning, and revise it using an original instructional rubric. Return to a new case after 14 days.
This is educational practice. No accredited certification or admissions, employment, income or wealth result is promised.
The learning sequence
Choose criteria before comparing schools
Build: Two-route decision dashboard
Check costs, requirements, and opportunity claims
Build: Source and affordability ledger
Build a returning-learner plan that fits your life
Build: Returning-learner roadmap
Hold a family planning conversation with clear boundaries
Build: Family or independent-support agreement
A free practice sample
Start with a decision you can name.
Try these first three prompts from “Choose criteria before comparing schools.” Use a notebook or your preferred accessible format. Your answers stay with you; this page collects no worksheet responses.
- Decision and deadline
- Route A / Route B
- Non-negotiable requirements
Check your reasoning
One school scores 88 but fails your required class schedule; another scores 73 and fits. Does 88 settle the decision?
No. Resolve the scheduling conflict or treat that route as presently infeasible.
Start with Brian
Education by Design: Decide, Return, and Plan Together: your first step.
Brian introduces this resource through his authorized AI avatar and approved natural voice. This 52-second introduction gives you a specific first action.
Read the exact introduction transcript
Welcome to Education by Design. I’m Brian Kennedy Jr. I want you to approach education with a sense of possibility and a plan you can act on. That means asking what you want to learn, what you want to build, and which environment can help you take the next step. In this course, you will compare two realistic routes, check the facts that matter, and work through the time and support your plan requires. If you are returning to college, your experience and responsibilities belong in the plan. If you are a family member, your role can support the learner’s independence. You will leave with a decision brief, a source ledger, a workable week, and a support agreement. You can use your own situation privately or work through our fictional examples. Start by writing the decision you face and the date you need to make it. Then open the first lesson and choose the criteria that matter to you.
Put your learning to work.
Loading connects to our video host. Press play when you are ready.
Open the introduction videoChoose your next step.
Explore the resource that fits your current decision, or ask about facilitated learning for a group.