Rural North Carolina microschool blends AI curriculum with hands-on Airbnb management

A new microschool in Elizabeth City-Pasquotank, North Carolina, is offering students a different approach to education by combining artificial intelligence-based instruction with hands-on experience running an Airbnb rental property. The program, which began this school year, enrolled 26 middle school students through a lottery system.

The initiative aims to foster emotional intelligence and entrepreneurial skills through project-based learning. The district partnered with Water Street Real Estate Company to provide practical business experience for students. According to district leaders, the goal is to connect classroom learning with real-world applications.

Elijah, a sixth grader selected for the program, was initially hesitant about switching schools but became interested after learning he would help manage an Airbnb. His mother, Terrie Wilson, said she hopes the experience will reignite his enthusiasm for learning. “I want him to understand there’s so much more out there,” Wilson said. She believes that working in the community will make education feel more relevant and provide valuable training.

Microschools like this one have grown in popularity over the past decade across North Carolina and beyond. During the 2023-2024 school year, 157,642 students were homeschooled in North Carolina—about 6.75 percent of all students—according to data from Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy’s Homeschool Hub (https://homeschoolhub.jhu.edu/).

Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools superintendent Keith Parker sees microschools as a way to bring innovative experiences to rural communities while keeping children enrolled in public schools. “You also have to think about ‘what is that going to ignite in their brain?’” said Colina Bartlett, microschool administrator for Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools.

Inspired by visits to private schools such as Alpha School in Texas—which uses AI-backed personalized lessons—the district decided on a model where students split their time between core academic subjects and business projects related to managing the rental property. Students will learn about entrepreneurship, business strategy, hospitality and logistics by taking on roles such as furnishing the home or creating guest guidebooks.

The program relies on Khanmigo’s AI tutor for personalized instruction due to its small staff-to-student ratio. If successful, district leaders hope this model can be expanded into traditional public schools.

Parker described the effort as both an educational experiment and a response to challenges facing rural districts: declining enrollment and limited local economic opportunities. By giving students practical skills and exposure to local businesses, he hopes it will encourage them to stay in their community after graduation.

For now, parents like Wilson are focused on what these changes mean for their children today: “Just think about how much you would have to learn to be able to do that,” she said of her son’s new responsibilities at the microschool.