Arizona’s K to 12 landscape is rapidly shifting. Since 2020, the state’s public schools have lost more than 50,000 students, including roughly 18,000 who have transferred to charter schools and thousands more who have left traditional education altogether. At the same time, school districts across Arizona face budget uncertainty and growing concern about cuts to non-core programs that once fueled creativity and connection, such as arts, athletics and after-school clubs.

In that climate, two Arizona innovators are proving that learning can remain dynamic, personal, and purposeful.

Unbound Academy, the first virtual charter school powered by AI, and Novatio, a private, virtual, AI-driven school for grades 4 to 8, are building a new model around what traditional schools struggle to fund: immersive clubs and real-world courses that put curiosity back in the driver’s seat.

“Kids will never out-AI AI,” said Michael Goto, Unbound Academy’s head of school.

“So instead of competing with it, we’re using it to give students something far more valuable: time. Two hours of highly personalized, AI-supported academics, and the rest of the day to explore, build, and learn through real-world experience. That’s where growth really happens.”

Working collaboratively with Prequel curriculum, schools compress core academics into just two focused hours a day, freeing students to spend the rest of their day learning through passion, projects, and purpose.

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Real-world learning in action

At Unbound and Novatio, students choose from an evolving lineup of clubs and project-based courses that connect academics to real life.

Creative Canvas: A collaborative art and design studio where students experiment with everything from digital illustration to graffiti-inspired murals. Teams curate a virtual gallery that celebrates creativity and teamwork.

Fluent: A global language and culture club where students turn lessons into conversation, using Duolingo and ChatGPT voice mode before practicing in real-world exchanges such as ordering food in French or greeting someone in Japanese.

Launchpad: A hands-on entrepreneurship lab where students design, market, and launch their own businesses. They learn budgeting, branding, and real-world problem solving, then celebrate their first actual sales.

On Air: A storytelling and broadcasting club that transforms students into commentators for sports, esports, or current events. AI tools help refine delivery for clarity, confidence, and charisma.

Pirate Ship / Rocketship: A motivational model that turns accountability into adventure. Students who meet their goals join Rocketship for creative time, while those needing structure get support aboard Pirate Ship. Every week brings new chances to reset and rise.

RoboLab: A coding and robotics workshop where students use VEX VR challenges to program virtual robots, navigate mazes, and solve STEM problems.

The Studio: A capstone-style makerspace where students choose their own passion projects — writing a book, directing a film, or launching a nonprofit — and take them from idea to impact.

Wealth Builders: A real-world finance lab where students simulate 20 years of adult life, learning to earn, spend, and invest their way toward financial confidence.

The new equation for education

Across Arizona, traditional schools are struggling to adapt to declining enrollment and outdated models. Unbound Academy and Novatio, powered by Prequel, are showing what’s next: an education that balances AI precision with human purpose.

“Technology should give teachers more time to connect, not less,” Goto added. “Prequel helps us do exactly that. It handles the data so humans can handle the development.”

Information: unbound.school or novatio.school