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

Each quarter, students choose at least one individual passion project based on their own interests. 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, 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 "textbook fee” based on your student’s earnings).

ELA curriculum uses MindPlay, and Math uses STMath.

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. During the 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:

August: El Jefe Cat Lounge

October: Mission Garden

November: Cooper Center for Environmental Learning, Sweetwater Reserve

December: Tucson Village Farm, Dr. Kaboom show at Fox Theatre, Heist at Arizona Theatre Company

January: Brandi Fenton Park (Bat research simulation with Pima County Conservation, Lands, and Resources Education Program)

February: Where The Wild Things Are show at Fox Theater

March: Creative Arts Teen Summit at the Tucson Festival of Books

April: TBA

May: TBA

Daily Schedule (lab classes vary by day):

9:30-10:00: Drop off, games/activities

10:00-10:15: Community Circle

10:15-11:00: Independent Work TIme

11-12:00: Lab classes/Enrichment Activities

12:00-12:30: Lunch

12:30-1:30: Lab classes

1:30-2:15: Independent Work Time

2:15-2:45: Social Game Time

2:45-3:00: Closing Circle/Cleanup

3:00-3:15: Parent pick up

Students will always be able to have choices around how they spend their time. If they choose not to attend a Lab, for example, they can choose to do something else in a different space as long as a staff member can supervise. 

Bread making with Tucson Fun Science