Christian academy in Washington state using AI-powered learning with aim of 'Godly formation of the whole child'

A Washington state-based school is using artificial intelligence to offer what it says is the first online Christ-centered classical school of its kind.

After a successful pilot year with a cohort of pioneering schools and families, American Faith Academy in Tacoma opened enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year this month, with a mission to serve Christian families and students across the country through a flexible online model designed to foster wisdom, virtue and the development of confident, independent learners.

Blending classical pedagogy and personalized learning while supporting families and local communities, the program builds on classical education principles and a consistent biblical worldview to anchor students in truth, while encouraging intellectual curiosity, a love of learning, and a sense of purpose, according to Stephanie Ludwig, AFA's director of Curriculum.

“We take the formation of our students seriously. Matthew 18:6 applies to us at AFA as much as it does in any traditional school setting. Every curriculum decision and every instructional approach reflects that conviction,” Ludwig told The Christian Post.

After asking the pilot families to “stress-test the system and flag any content that didn't align with a biblical worldview,” Ludwig said AFA leadership are “confident in the integrity of what our students encounter.”

“AI supports rich, thoughtful instruction without compromising the depth, truth, and beauty at the core of classical Christian education,” she added.

The academy integrates AI-powered adaptive technology, drawing on research showing that personalized instruction and one-to-one tutoring can significantly accelerate learning. As part of an effort to expand access, the academy has partnered with SchoolChoice USA to help families navigate Educational Savings Accounts and other funding opportunities. 

AFA Head of School Jennifer Burns, who also serves as president of Excelara, an organization dedicated to providing resources for Christian schools, told CP the inspiration behind the school was a response to what she calls the “U3 problem” in American education.

“Education has become unmoored from truth, virtue and the godly formation of the whole child. In too many places, it’s been reduced to a checklist: get good grades, move to the next level, get into a good college, land a good job,” said Burns.

“Somewhere along the way, we lost sight of what education is meant to do, which is to cultivate wisdom, shape character, and anchor a young person in truth and faith.”

She added that society has underestimated children’s potential, while the education system has under-delivered despite significant resources.

“American Faith Academy was created in response to these realities," she told CP. "Our aim is both simple and deeply ambitious: We aim to provide an education truly worthy of every child — one grounded in God, shaped by proven classical pedagogy, and strengthened through adaptive learning that meets each student where they are and calls them upward.”

On the technical side, Burns explained that AFA’s academic foundation predates the use of AI and draws from over 20 years of experience in classical Christian education.

“AFA utilizes a private, controlled AI environment, not an open, public-facing system. We operate within a privately managed instance of models such as Claude, which allows us to tightly govern how the technology is used,” she said. 

With specialized AFA customization to define the boundaries of content and inquiry and ensuring all responses reflect a biblical worldview, Burns said AFA’s system is “designed to function as a guided tutor — asking thoughtful questions, providing scaffolding, and adjusting in real time to a student’s level of understanding.”

“AI is being used to ask the right questions rather than give the correct answers,” she added.

As for data privacy and stewardship, Burns said AFA is fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation, Europe’s 2018 data privacy and security law for organizations worldwide.

“We do not share student or user data with third parties, and we do not use student data to train AI models,” she added. “AFA's data is securely isolated, and it is not accessible by external providers.”

Looking ahead, Burns said large-scale AI adoption could be transformative for Christian institutions if used with wisdom and guardrails.

“If used wisely, AI does not replace the teacher; it restores the teacher to their highest role," Burns told CP. "For Christian institutions in particular, this moment carries both opportunity and responsibility. The opportunity is to use these tools to strengthen formation, ensuring that students are not just informed, but shaped in truth, wisdom and virtue.”

Enrollment for AFA is now open for the school year beginning Aug. 24. The academy is also providing a free “Celebrating America 250” unit study for any K–12 student in honor of America’s 250th birthday.