A significant educational trend: customized, high-end small private schools are becoming popular among high-income families in the United States.

These schools are completely different from any public or private education system. For example, a school called Forge Prep, serving students in grades five through eight, cultivates students' learning abilities by solving real-world problems, creating businesses, and designing products.

Children learn skills such as negotiation, sales, and public speaking, fostering entrepreneurial fundamentals from a young age.

In these schools, classes are led by "guides" or "coaches" instead of teachers. Some schools use AI tutoring systems to tailor courses to each child's individual needs.

Such schools are growing rapidly across the U.S. For instance, a school called Alpha was founded 12 years ago in Austin, Texas. In 2025, it added eight new campuses across the country, and nearly 20 more branches are set to open this year.

The mission of these private schools is to cultivate versatile talents who can adapt to changes in the world, rather than people who only know how to memorize and take exams.

Alpha's notable fans include billionaire Bill Ackman. The annual salary of in-person mentors is at least six figures. Many of the parents are wealthy individuals working in finance and technology. These agile-minded parents generally recognize that AI will replace traditional model-based thinking, and that conventional education is already outdated.