A New Era for Catholic Education: Embracing AI and Ethical Learning

The Impact of Generosity

Late in the spring, I received an unexpected letter in the mail. It contained a rather large unsolicited check from an anonymous donor. In fact, it was AVLI’s largest gift ever. The timing is a true blessing because of what we are poised to do as a result.

The Promise of AI

Since AI entered the scene in a meaningful way in late 2023, we have been moving with intention. We aim to capitalize on the promise while avoiding the hype. In 2025, AVLI joined the Rome Call for AI Ethics. This global initiative, launched by the Vatican, promotes the ethical development and use of artificial intelligence. AVLI’s mission to expand access to high-quality online education aligns deeply with the Rome Call’s vision for a human-centered digital future. Through this collaboration, AVLI seeks to help Catholic schools and educators explore how AI can enhance learning while staying true to ethical and spiritual foundations.

Addressing Student Challenges

Our response to AI is only one part of a larger conversation about the formation of young people. Through observation, research, and dialogue, we have witnessed and learned some troubling trends. The stakes feel higher than ever. Yet, the level of student aptitude, as measured by standardized testing, is diminishing. Simultaneously, challenges with cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being persist at untenable levels.

These trends predate both the emergence of AI and the COVID years. However, it is crucial to recognize the rate of acceleration in recent years, coinciding with AI. In the end, AI may be game-changing in education, but only with a course correction.

Finding a Better Path

AVLI is setting out to find a better path—not just for AI adoption but for teaching and learning in our modern age. This effort starts in earnest this fall. We will return to the fundamental building blocks of education and ask more questions. Our goal is not to “break things,” as some pundits suggest. Instead, we aim to identify what’s most important for the formation of young people. We will harness our resources to do those things with greater intention.

The Role of Teachers

Chief among these resources are our teachers. We must ask: How do we align practices and technologies to minimize the cognitive distance between individual students and their teachers? How and where do young people find virtue in their learning? How do our feedback practices foster resilience and growth? In what ways do our grading structures and practices accurately reflect student growth and knowledge? How do we help students recognize the need to fully embrace the struggle of learning? These questions will guide our work.

A New Learning Experience

What we envision will likely yield a vastly different learning experience for both students and teachers. This new model will have weight where it matters but will also be adaptable to purpose and circumstance. It will work alongside our existing models. It will serve as a delivery framework for an exciting new brand of coursework while informing and supplementing instructional approaches for our current offerings.

Looking Ahead

You will hear more about this work in the months and years ahead. I encourage you to plug in and provide personal insights, prayers, and support.

Gratitude for Our Supporters

When one receives an anonymous gift, particularly one of this size, the temptation is to seek clues about the donor. After briefly entertaining ideas with my staff, I realized I didn’t really want to know. Not knowing has allowed me to look with deep and sincere gratitude at ALL the people over the past twenty years who have contributed to our journey. Schools, teachers, students, parents, and friends have all made a meaningful difference at various points along the way.

So, to all of you, I say thank you and expect more. Here we go.

Best regards,

Jeff Hausman

Founder & President