Reinventing High School: Entrepreneurship & Personalized Learning in Utah

On this week's episode of the LiberatED podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with Cory Henwood, innovation coordinator for Utah's Iron County School District and founder of Launch High School, a new public high school focused on personalized learning.

Cory shares his journey from public school math teacher to district innovation leader, and explains how Launch High School blends competency-based learning, personalized schedules, and real-world entrepreneurship. Students spend much of their time building projects and businesses while progressing through academics at their own pace—an approach that has led to some of the strongest academic outcomes in the district.

Kerry and Cory also explore how school districts can respond to the growing landscape of school choice, ESAs, charter schools, and customized learning options. Cory discusses his work supporting new innovative programs across Utah, including emerging models that allow families to combine multiple educational experiences tailored to their children.

They close with a look ahead at the future of education—and why Cory believes that greater family choice, flexibility, and personalization will continue shaping schooling in the years to come.

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Kerry's latest book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, is available now wherever books are sold!