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Alpha School Tour with Carson, Mahaveer & Engineering Team

Overview​

Carson led Gary Sheng and Mahaveer Dharmchand on a tour of the Alpha High School campus, explaining the physical layout, educational philosophy, and introducing them to members of the "Superbuilders" engineering team (Arpan Gupta, Bjorn Pagen) and guide Chloe.

Key Tour Points & Discussions​

Campus Layout & Philosophy​

  • Carson described the high school space, noting its past use as a Google office.
  • Explained the freedom students have to work where they feel most productive.
  • Mentioned the use of Pomodoro technique (27 min work / break cycles).
  • Discussed the expansion plans (expecting 50-60 students next year).
  • Showed the cafeteria area and Middle School "Rocket Ship" space.
  • Highlighted the WeWork-like space used by guides and UATX students.

Alpha Educational Model​

  • Discussed the current learning model (potentially rebranding from "Two Hour Learning" to "Time Back").
  • Mentioned the upcoming shift to "Four Hour Learning" next year.
  • Explained the "Rocket Ship" program for high-achieving students, which includes $2k funding, special perks, and trips.
  • Differentiated between the standard track and the "Honors Track" optimized for Ivy League admissions (75% success rate promise).
  • Emphasized flexibility for students pursuing external activities like sports coaching.

Guide Interactions & Structure​

  • Carson explained his guide process: weekly Monday goal-setting meetings with each student, plus Wednesday/Friday check-ins.
  • Meetings are tailored to individual student progress and often include emotional support.
  • Acknowledged that guides use their own systems for tracking goals (Carson uses Notion).

Engineering Team ("Superbuilders")​

  • Gary introduced Arpan Gupta and Bjorn Pagen as key engineers building platforms to automate school management.
  • Bjorn showcased their project generating AI-driven marketing pages for students (using Postgres backend).
  • Discussed the need for a centralized page/resource for understanding Alpha School ("grok Alpha").

Introductions & Other Interactions​

  • Met Chloe, a Harvard Law grad guide focusing on Masterpiece projects.
  • MacKenzie Price was briefly present filming promotional material.
  • Briefly interacted with Chris Schaas (Middle School Guide) and Noble Grant (Student).

Follow-up Actions / Potential​

  • Arpan/Bjorn potentially building a resource page to explain Alpha School.
  • Continued interaction between the engineering team and guides (like Carson) to ensure platform development meets practical needs.