Foundations Academy

Foundations Academy solves 2 main problems: 1. “I want an alternative to the schooling system, but I need help to know what’s best for my student.” 2. “I’m comfortable homeschooling my child academically, but we need community.” We serve famlies who have been homeschooling, but want to do it in community and families who want to take a more active role in educating their children, but need support and guidance. Another segment of our market are full time working parents who want their kids raised in a “homeschooled enviroment.” What makes us different is the fact that we blend the gentle ideas of Charlotte Mason and the ancient processes of classical education together in a beautiful way that serves to prepare our students to be lifelong learners and leaders. We recognize the whole person as an individual, and we believe God has created each child with specific gifts and talents. Early on, a student can learn to hear the voice of God and step out in obedence to build His kingdom here on earth! Revenue comes from parents paying tuition. We have thought and prayed about starting an FA branch that is donor funded that serves students who can’t afford tuition.

We would like wisdom to know the best way to scale logistically. We want to keep our k-8th communities no bigger than 100 students, and we’d like them in a home. So we’d love to know what makes the most sense financially and organizationally.

The scripture we feel like the Lord has given us for our mission is: “And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.” Isaiah 58:12 We are so thankful to be able to work with the Lord to repair and restore families who have been broken by the world and been hurt through other systems of education. The biggest way we do this is by creating a culture and an environment of joy and stress free learning. Creating space in this way allows the Holy Spirit room to repair and restore hearts and souls. This contributes to the advancement of God’s kingdom on earth, because repaired families can repair families! Once we’ve been redeemed, we can show God’s redemptive power to others! We demonstrate a spirit of generosity and stewardship by providing scholarship help to a large portion of our community, and we do it through stewarding the funds the Lord brings in through tuition. We also worok hard at not wasting or spending money on unnecessary materials. We do our best to be up front and fair in our costs and to treat each student and family with the respect of meeting them where they are and walking forward with them academically and wholistically.

Emily McLeod is the happy wife of Matt McLeod and the mom of 4 all around great kids. She loves education and has wanted to be a teacher her whole life. It has been a great joy for her to work in conjuction with the Holy Spirit in building Foundations Academy, a Christian, classical, hybrid program. Emily has taught in public schools, private schools, and homeschooled settings. She has a heart to see all children grow in the grace and the knowledge of God.

Contact: emilyrosemcleod82@gmail.com

Matt McLeod is a husband, father, educator, coach, and entrepreneur whose career has centered around developing people, building healthy cultures, and creating environments where others can grow. For more than a decade, Matt worked in private Christian education, serving in a variety of leadership roles including athletic director, assistant principal, lower school head, and assistant head of school. Those experiences allowed him to see education and school leadership from several different perspectives and helped shape many of his convictions about leadership, organizational culture, student development, and the important role schools can play in the lives of students and families. Basketball has also been a significant part of Matt’s life and career. He has coached for more than 20 years and has spent much of that time helping athletes develop not only as basketball players, but as leaders and people. His work eventually expanded into leadership development and mental performance coaching, where he has had opportunities to work with athletes, coaches, and teams ranging from middle school programs to the professional level. Today, Matt leads 405 United Basketball, a youth basketball organization in the Oklahoma City area built around a development-first approach to youth sports. While basketball is the vehicle, the larger goal is to create an environment where young athletes are challenged to grow in skill, basketball IQ, confidence, character, leadership, and their understanding of what it means to commit themselves to a process of continual growth. One of the most meaningful things Matt has helped build, however, has happened alongside his wife through Foundations Academy, a Christian, classical homeschool hybrid program in Oklahoma City. Foundations began with just nine students during its first semester and has grown into a K–12 community serving more than 200 students across two campuses as it enters its fifth year in 2026–27. The growth of Foundations has been exciting, but it has also brought new questions about how to lead and steward an organization well as it moves beyond its startup years. For Matt and his wife, the opportunity to participate in Cultivate together comes at an important point in that journey. They are excited to learn from other entrepreneurs and leaders, think more intentionally about the future of Foundations Academy, and continue developing an organization that serves families well and makes a lasting impact on students and their community. Across the different chapters of Matt’s career—education, coaching, leadership development, 405 United, and Foundations Academy—a consistent theme has emerged: a desire to build things that help people become who God has created them to be. He is excited to bring those experiences into the Cultivate community while also learning from the experiences, ideas, and perspectives of the other leaders in the cohort.

Contact: matt@coachmcleod.com