PHOENIX — Just a mile from Chase Field, where home runs and fan applause fill the stadium, something quieter, but just as powerful, is happening inside a local classroom.
At ASU Preparatory Academy Pilgrim Rest, about 200 kindergarteners through eighth-grade students are experiencing a new kind of learning—one that goes far beyond textbooks.
ASU Prep Pilgrim Rest is a Title IX school where more than 40% of the students come from low-income households, according to Principal Marissa Schneckloth.
But thanks to community support and a major donation from the Arizona Diamondbacks, students now have access to cutting-edge technology that is reshaping their education.
A Classroom That Feels Like Another World
Inside the school’s Dreamscape Learning Lab, lessons come to life through virtual reality and cinematic storytelling.
Students don virtual reality (VR) headsets and are transported to entirely different worlds—from outer space to prehistoric times.
“The seat actually has what they refer to as ‘butt kickers,’” Schneckloth explained. “So it vibrates as you’re in the experience. If you’re going through the moon and there’s a rocky spot, your actual chair will vibrate. It really gives you that full-body experience.”
For students, that immersion makes learning unforgettable.
“I’m in the intergalactic center,” one student said during a session.
Bridging the Technology Gap
For school leaders, this lab represents more than innovation — it’s equity.
“A lot of times in communities like ours, technology like this never gets here because it’s simply unaffordable,” said Richard Yarbough. “But we want to flip the script and make our students and our community the first ones to have access to this.”
The lab is a natural fit for the school’s focus on STEAM education—science, technology, engineering, arts, and math—giving students hands-on experiences that deepen understanding.
Real Results in the Classroom
The impact is already measurable. In just three years, the school has improved from a “D” rating to a “B,” with ambitions to climb even higher.
“Our five-year marker is, of course, to be an ‘A,’” Schneckloth said. “But truly, every year, every student that walks through our doors, we want them to excel academically, socially, emotionally—and we want them to believe in themselves.”
That shift is clear in students like 9-year-old Marlyn Brown, who now looks forward to subjects like math. “We do division, and I love division,” she said. “And we’re doing geometry, and I feel like geometry is really cool.”
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The transformation at ASU Preparatory Academy Pilgrim Rest was made possible in part by a $100,000 donation from Diamondbacks Charities, helping provide a tuition-free, STEAM-focused education for families in the community. From virtual reality labs to rising academic performance, this Phoenix school is proving that when opportunity meets innovation, students don’t just learn—they thrive.
