Drew University isn’t just rethinking liberal arts education — it’s stretching it.
President Hilary Link has been framing Drew as a “modern academy,” a place where learning isn’t a four-year sprint but a 60-plus-year arc, since she came to campus three summers ago.
This fall, that arc begins earlier than anyone expected: with the launch of The Drew School, an AI-powered Grade 1–8 school opening right on the Madison campus.
Link’s vision imagines Drew as a porous, intergenerational learning community — the kind of place where a 7-year-old and a 70-year-old might both be wandering the Forest, both wrestling with the same big questions. In that model, education isn’t defined by a major or a checklist. It’s defined by purpose, relationships, and the ability to apply knowledge to real, complicated problems over the course of an entire life.
“We recognize the importance of rethinking every stage of learning from age 6–60 and beyond,” Link said. “To be relevant, universities must rethink the metrics, systems, and structures that have long governed us. Can a person solve problems? Collaborate? Adapt? Create value in complex situations?”
The Drew School is the first step on that continuum — a school that treats young learners not as future college applicants but as the earliest members of a lifelong academic community.
It’s being built in partnership with the Alpha School, the nationally recognized network whose AI-driven platform, 2HR Learning, will power the initiative.
And it’s built for a very specific kind of kid: the one who doesn’t thrive in a traditional classroom.
Brian Holtz, The Drew School’s leader and co-founder of the Alpha School, spelled it out this way.
“Most traditional schools are killing creativity in these uniquely inspired students who don’t run with the grain,” he said. “They’re told early on to conform and comply. We’re not in that business. The Drew School is looking to give these students the time, space, and mentorship to zero in on what actually makes them tick.”
That’s the pitch: a technology-forward model paired with personalized academic coaching — plus something almost no K–8 school can offer — the full resources of a university, from faculty to labs to campus culture.
The school’s design runs through three pillars:
Personalized learning: Students move at their own pace through adaptive technology, supported by dedicated learning coaches.
Life skills for the future: Public speaking, financial literacy, AI fluency, resilience, time management, leadership, healthy habits — all baked into the day.
Real-world impact: Through Discovery Projects and the Creator’s Studio, students identify real problems and build solutions meant to matter beyond the classroom.
MacKenzie Price, co-founder of 2HR Learning and Alpha Schools, said Drew is the first university campus to host a 2HR Learning-driven school.
“I am looking forward to watching how The Drew School integrates into Drew University’s future vision for education as a 60+ year journey,” she said.
Link is equally intrigued.
“We are thrilled to be their first higher education partner.”
