Elon Musk’s latest venture in education, the Ad Astra Montessori school, has received its official permit to operate.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission granted the school’s license to open on November 14th, allowing it to accept children aged between three and six.
This milestone marks the start of a larger educational initiative. Ad Astra hopes to eventually expand its reach into K-12 education, and possibly even a university.
The preschool is located approximately 40 minutes away from Austin and reflects Musk’s commitment to rethinking the traditional system, including education.
The preschool’s focus on STEM at an early age aligns with Musk’s larger mission to drive humanity towards a technologically advanced tomorrow.
Fortune reported that the facility will be able to accommodate up to 54 students in future.
Ad Astra’s tuition has not been disclosed. However, comparable schools in Xplor Education charge about $968 per month.
The story behind “Ad Astra”
The school is named “Ad Astra,” in Latin it means “to the stars.” Musk’s hopes for humanity on Earth and beyond are embodied by the name.
The Montessori curriculum encourages exploration, curiosity and problem solving from an early age.
Ad Astra’s first focus is on activities such as colouring, collage making, globe-studying, and even practical skills like buttoning clothes and solving conflicts.
The curriculum is based on the educational philosophy of Alfred Adler, Rudolf Dreikurs and encourages children to learn independently and become responsible and resourceful community members.
The design of the preschool includes outdoor play areas, including basketball courts, tricycles and open spaces. This balances physical activity with academic exploration.
Why Ad Astra is more ambitious that Musk’s previous educational experiments
Musk’s Ad Astra isn’t his first attempt to transform education.
In 2014, he opened the first Ad Astra School on SpaceX’s California campus, which was designed for his children as well as those of SpaceX staff.
The school operated for several decades before becoming Astra Nova, a remote-learning independent school, in 2020.
The new Ad Astra at Bastrop represents an ambitious vision.
The project, funded by Musk’s X Foundation has received almost $100 million in support of its development.
The Bastrop School is part of a larger education ecosystem that includes plans for primary, secondary and possibly a university.
Musk’s influence is apparent in the location of the school, which is just a few streets away from his companies’ facilities.
Musk is also planning to build the new headquarters of X (formerly Twitter), a company he acquired in 2022 for $ 44 billion. This will further cement his ties with the region.
Ad Astra: A Sneak Peek
Ad Astra is a modest facility, but it has been thoughtfully designed. It is located in a white farmhouse, with a porch. It has outdoor play areas as well as classrooms that are equipped for hands-on education.
The Montessori-style program integrates work with play and teaches children to explore the world around them while learning essential skills.
The preschool will be overseen Greg Marick, CEO at Xplor Education. This company operates similar Montessori schools such as the Discovery Preschool near SpaceX headquarters in California and the Hala Kahiki Montessori school in Hawaii.
Ad Astra has hired three additional faculty members to support its launch.
Some Ad Astra application materials appear to be identical to those of Hala Kahiki in Hawaii, including references to ‘island elders,’ an apparent clerical mistake.
This post, To the stars: How Elon Musk’s Ad Astra Preschool will shape future generations, may be modified based on new developments.
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