The Rebel Academy

05/30/2026

We have never turned a student away.

We’d like to pause and thank all of our new and long-standing monthly donors! Your donations provide stability for our operations and help us keep our reputation, which rides on the idea that we will help anyone and everyone complete a GED. If you’re not a monthly donor, as little as $5 a month helps us stay afloat! Scan to sign up! Oh and we’ll send you a Rebel tee or hoodie! DM for deets and THANK YOU!

05/28/2026

Hey Rebel Community! Would you do us a favor and follow us over on Linkedin? We're trying to grow our presence!

The Rebel Academy | 35 followers on LinkedIn. Education for the rest of us. | The Rebel Academy is brand new, but the needs it will meet are not; in Oregon (and many other states), the GED is the only affordable option to complete a high school credential for students who did not make it through the...

05/25/2026

Hello friends! We have developed a new math learning app to go with our online math course, and we need BETA testers! If you have an Android phone, a Gmail account, and a few minutes a day for 2 weeks to help us out, we would love to include you in this exciting step of getting our app on the Google Play Store. Please DM us or write to [email protected] to sign up! Thank you!

05/21/2026

UPDATE! SHE DID IT! Lindsay is a graduate! 🎓

05/21/2026

This is Lindsay. Lindsay is a single mom in recovery and aspires to start college to enter the medical field. Lindsay came to us only about a month ago, but has made lightning fast progress toward finishing her GED, passing three out of the four tests already with only math to go. Here she is at PCC going in for the math test today, which, if she passes, will be the final hurdle toward her GED. She will also become our fastest student to complete all four tests!

Our first graduation is June 28 and is open to the public. Even if you can’t go, you can sign up for recurring donations for as little as $5/month which help us pay for GED tests, graduation regalia, and books for our inspiring and tenacious students like Lindsay. You’ll even get swag from us as a thank you! |nfo below. Thank you for helping Lindsay get to the finish line. Now come applaud her and our other amazing students and grads on June 28! They would love to meet you!

05/20/2026

Celebrate our grads and get YOUR SWAG! Folks who commit to a $5 recurring donation will get a free REBEL TEE and folks who commit to $10 recurring get a FREE HOODIE! Even if you can't attend our inaugural (amazing) ceremony, you can still show our grads, tutors, volunteers and current students that you believe in them with a monthly donation so small you won't even remember it's there. Grad season is HERE!!!! 🤩💜🎓🎓🎓🎓

The Rebel Academy

05/07/2026

We’re so honored to celebrate Christian Rodriguez today on his birthday! Christian started as a student with us last year and unlike many students, stuck with the math after transitioning out of corrections and into the community. His tutor Tom met with him for about six months until he was ready for his math test. After he passed that, he thought for sure the science GED test would stall him several more months, but he surprised himself with a high score on the first try. He completed his GED in August of 2025 and being bilingual, became our Spanish-English translator, enabling our Spanish speaking students with opportunities to pursue the GED too. Christian is humble, caring, eager to grow and learn, and is a wonderful asset on our team.

We’re so lucky to have you Christian! ¡Feliz cumpleaños y gracias por todo que ofrece a nuestros alumnos!

02/20/2026

We have a formerly incarcerated student who only had the math GED test left since 2020. He’s been trying on his own to pass it since getting out of prison and has failed it seven times. SEVEN! After a few months of receiving tutoring from our rock star tutor Shawn, he FINALLY passed his math test today with a 148! We’re so proud of him and can’t wait to celebrate him at our graduation! 🥳👨🏽‍🎓

01/20/2026

SEEKING BOARD MEMBERS!

The Rebel Academy is seeking experienced, values-driven professionals to join its Board of Directors.

Founded in 2024 by Dr. Lauren Zavrel, a former GED instructor with 15 years of experience in community colleges and correctional facilities, The Rebel Academy was created to address systemic barriers in adult education. Traditional models fail many learners, particularly BIPOC students and those with learning differences. Our response is simple and effective: deliver student-centered instruction directly to learners, without institutional bureaucracy.

The Rebel Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in Oregon and Washington. We provide GED instruction in English and Spanish through three service pathways: online GED math courses, partnerships with community agencies, and private tutoring with need-based scholarships.

Equity is central to our work. We prioritize hiring justice-impacted and BIPOC tutors, creating living-wage, meaningful employment while expanding access to foundational education.

Our vision is to create pathways to foundational success.
Our mission is to deliver affordable, person-centered instruction and meaningful work for formerly incarcerated people.

Board service with The Rebel Academy offers the opportunity to help shape an accountable, community-centered education model with measurable impact.

Professionals aligned with access, dignity, and systems-level change are encouraged to connect. Send us a DM or reach out to [email protected] if you're interested!

01/08/2026

Three decades ago when I began my prison sentence, corrections officers worked eight-hour shifts. Some did the work well and ...