Desert Dragon Learning Community provides opportunities for self-directed, project-based learning, and group activities.

Each quarter, students choose at least one individual project based on their own interests. If a student doesn’t have an idea for a project, we have access to self-paced projects on Rock by Rock. Students will present their work to families and the community at the end of each quarter.

We also bring in community members to provide engaging, interactive learning opportunities for students based on student interests.

The 2025-2026 school year will include weekly Lab sessions in Literature, Writing, Math, Social Studies, Engineering, Science, and Psychology. Lab attendance is optional but encouraged.

Families can choose to sign their student up for LifeHub Learning, an interactive program that gives students “jobs” in the form of quizzes, educational games, and digital worksheets. Upon completion of a “job,” students get paid real money! They get their own debit card, and get paid once a month. (LifeHub requires an additional monthly curriculum fee based on your student’s earnings).

As a KaiPod Partner School and member of the National Microschooling Center, we also have access to a menu of curriculum should your student want to work with something else (i.e. Rosetta Stone, Lexia, Zearn). We are are exploring new platforms and programs regularly to find ways to engage the individual learners we have.

Monthly Field Trips allow students to experience learning in different settings. For 2024-2025 school year, we visited Pima Air and Space Museum, Mt. Lemmon, Reid Park Zoo, Tucson Village Farm, Creative Arts Teen Summit at the Tucson Festival of Books, Mission Garden, Second Sky, The Rogue Theatre, the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, and Jumping Cholla. Field trips planned for 2025-2026 so far include Sweetwater Reserve and student matinees at the Fox Theater.

Bread making with Tucson Fun Science