New initiative helps establish classical Christian hybrid schools, embraces use of AI technology

When Jennifer Burns started a classical Christian hybrid school near Chicago 20 years ago, she had no idea it would lead to launching a nationwide network of schools.

Burns later spent nearly four years helping start schools through Turning Point USA’s Turning Point Academy and has now launched Excelara, an initiative designed to start and support schools similar to the one she founded.

“I realized when I was mentoring school founders that we really could do so much to lighten the load, to reduce the burden and barriers to starting schools,” Burns told The Lion in an interview. 

Excelara uses a four-pronged approach that includes a built-in curriculum with an AI tutor, seed money to help schools launch, administrative support, and teacher training and mentoring. Burns said 15 schools in various states are piloting the platform, in addition to 150 schools she previously helped start through Turning Point, most of which are classical and hybrid. 

Her goal is to make quality Christian education “as accessible and affordable as public school,” she said. That is achieved by keeping costs down – hybrid schools typically meet two or three days per week and use facilities such as church buildings – and by accessing school choice funds available in many states. 

Embracing artificial intelligence 

One distinctive of Excelara is its use of technology. While classical education often limits technology, especially in younger grades, Burns’ company has developed a “Socratic A.I.” tutor that guides students by asking questions rather than providing answers. 

“It is an adaptive platform that is first and foremost trained up well – everything’s taught from a biblical worldview,” she said. “We also felt strongly that the classical pedagogy is so powerful in the job that it does to really train up young men and young women to think clearly and to be honorable and virtuous, so we have it teaching from that particular perspective.” 

The AI tutor is used on students’ at-home days and to assist teachers in the classroom. All students receive tutoring in math and language arts, Burns said, to keep them from becoming disengaged. 

“Those are the two foundational subjects where we find that students either feel bored to tears or feel left behind and confused, and those are two subjects that you don’t want students feeling either one of those ways,” she said. 

The platform also helps teachers with lesson planning, specialization and aspects of grading, allowing educators to see “whether the student is comprehending and mastering the material.” 

Burns said she was initially opposed to using technology but changed her mind after seeing how many school founders needed support and how some students struggle to meet the rigors of classical education without additional help. 

“This is the kind of tool that will be super helpful for those two things,” she said. “But the reality is that it’s a tool, and I think just like with any tool, we need to use it wisely and judiciously and we need to make sure that it’s not running us, that we’re really in control of it.” 

Feedback has been positive, Burns said. Schools have launched in 11 states, including New York, Texas and California, with more planned. She has also received interest from South Africa and Canada, noting that Canadians seem “really worried about what’s going on in their public school system.” 

Startup grants are $10,000, funded initially by a $100,000 donation, Burns said, though she plans to raise additional funds. Excelara is also working with Accreditation International and the Middle States Association to help schools gain accreditation, which is required for school choice participation in some states. 

Additional features include an online academy for students without access to a physical campus, a trades survey course for high school students, and the opportunity to earn an associate degree during high school through courses aligned with Austin Christian University. Students who spend nine or more years in Excelara network schools will be eligible to earn a college degree online tuition-free. 

Burns said she has helped educators, pastors and current and former homeschool parents launch schools. 

She also hopes to see churches return to serving as educational hubs for their communities and for education to become more decentralized so “families have the opportunity to find that perfect fit for their child in a loving environment, nice, tight-knit community.” 

“My hope is that really, every child has accessible to them an education that is truly worthy of them, and that it is an education that recognizes their potential and helps them reach it.” 

The Herzog Foundation, publisher of The Lion, also helps prospective Christian school founders launch healthy schools, including microschools, hybrids, and traditional Christian schools. For more information, visit hfschoolbox.com.