The Elon Musk School of Learning?
It could be happening soon in Bastrop, Texas, where the world’s richest man plans to open a technology-focused curriculum for children ages 3 to 9 — with plans for a university, also in Texas. The primary school is a five-minute drive from a SpaceX facility.
Ad Astra, Latin for “to the stars,” symbolizes Musk’s goal — and tech in general — of cultivating the next generation of problem solvers and builders. The school’s mission is “to foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking,” according to its website, with emphasis on “hands-on, project-based learning where students are encouraged to explore, experiment, and find solutions to real-world problems.”
“Ad Astra offers a progressive learning environment that emphasizes the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) into its curriculum,” the website added. Curriculum ranges from coloring and collage-making to studying maps and globes.
The school, which presumably builds off the principles of the Ad Astra school that some of Musk’s children attended in Hawthorne, Calif., is accepting applications for 21 students, according to a Bloomberg report. Funded with about $100 million from Musk’s nonprofit X Foundation, based on documents reviewed by Fortune, the school marks a starting point of sorts for a broader educational initiative.
“Astar Nova is the way gifted education was meant to be: Experiential, hands-on and allowing you to be curious,” Ray Wang, principal analyst and founder of Constellation Research, said in a text message. “You end up with very brilliant kids who are well balanced.”
The rise of STEM or Montessori-method schools address a global shortage of workers with science, engineering, technology and mathematics skills to meet growing labor market demands, particularly as automation and artificial intelligence (AI) explode within organizations and the federal government. The problem is particularly pronounced in the U.S.: 45% of STEM employees with a PhD are foreign-born.
The World Economic Forum, meanwhile, describes scientific literacy and information and communications technology proficiency as essential skills for 21st-century workers.
For more than a decade, the void has been partially filled by the growth of STEM schools that offer more Advanced Placement and dual-enrollment courses than traditional schools. The reasoning in Silicon Valley and other tech hubs is that such schools, especially among primary and secondary students, will spark an earlier interest in the topic and lead to more boys and girls pursuing tech careers.
Adults not steeped in STEM are coping with a knowledge and skill gap in the age of AI. Nearly nine in 10 employers said they offer company-paid upskilling benefits in AI, but estimate that on average only slightly more than half of workers (55%) use them, according to DeVry’s second annual report, “Closing the Gap: Upskilling and Reskilling in an AI Era.”
In starting his own school, Musk is adding to the movement when more knowledge workers are expected to work with AI, robots and automated tools, say tech execs, venture capitalists and analysts.
Gartner predicts that within four years, 15% of day-to-day work decisions will be made autonomously through agentic AI. “There is a lot of education and innovation that needs to occur before this technology is fully integrated into businesses’ operations and employee workflows,” Mike Connell, chief operating officer at Enthought, said in an email.
