​I was a straight A student all through grade school.
I received a 4.0 by my high school graduation. 
I was successful in my classes, even the hard ones. 
My goal was college.

Yet. 

Once I got there, I was fairly lost. 
I changed my major 5 different times. 
I spent a lot of time wandering, without much direction.

My intellect proved successful for most of my life, but college needed more than that. 

I needed to listen to my heart and follow it - something I was never taught.
I needed to find my calling. 
_____

Everyone’s education’s stories are different. 

But I wonder, how many of us graduate high school with no awareness of our calling? How many of us enter college without knowing our diverse gifts and talents, understanding what brings us deep joy, and realizing (or even creating!) an avenue to contribute and be a light? 

​What if education focused more on each child’s uniqueness, each child’s heart, and not just the intellect? 

Would there be more fulfillment? 
Would there be more joy?
Would there be more positive change, in small and big ways?

Acton Academy Lincoln doesn’t just focus on head knowledge.
We focus on the heart as well - the light within.
  
We focus on helping your child find a calling that will change the world.
That’s our mission.

​Prior to Covid-19, Alex was a great traditional student, excelling in the public school setting.  He didn’t require supervision on his homework, nor did I ever hear from the school about any issues.
 
When schools were forced to close after spring break in 2020, he and I worked together to navigate online learning.  It was very challenging and confusing, as it was new to everyone and there was no standard… just multiple teachers trying to figure out how to upload and grade lessons, and Alex and I trying to find and complete them. 
 
Summer break couldn’t come soon enough. 
 
He physically went back to school in August, however after a few short weeks his allergies kicked in and we were (understandably) given the option of getting him tested for Covid-19 or quarantining for 2 weeks every time he had allergy symptoms (since they are identical to Covid-19).  This didn’t seem to be a viable option, so we elected to move back to Online Learning 100% of the time.
 
Zooming throughout the day seemed like a great idea, in a perfect world he’d be engaged online, be taught the lesson and do his homework.  In reality, he found it hard to focus sitting on Zoom from 8am-3pm, there were technical difficulties and he didn’t feel like he could ask questions of the teacher.  He was getting none of his homework done during the day, so we would spend evenings and weekends working to “catch up”.  This turned out to be a blessing and a curse. 
 
Without this experience I never would have known what he was studying and working on.  Being so involved in his homework made me realize that very little of what he was doing in traditional school would serve him in the future.  I was so convinced of this I found myself “helping” (doing) homework alongside him just to get through it faster in the evenings – he’d work on one thing, I’d work on another. 

In late January I simply broke.  After spending months in this mode, I couldn’t take it anymore and neither could Alex.  We were exhausted and desperate to have a life back, we were convinced there was a better way.  I started looking for solutions online, and naturally the internet answered… a sponsored ad for Acton Academy Lincoln.  I read everything available about Acton, I watched every video about Acton.  I looked for anything I could find about Zach and Heidi.  I sent an email and I scheduled a tour.  Frankly, Alex and I were convinced before we ever walked in the door. 
 
My biggest reservation in switching to Acton was making sure Alex would be prepared for college when the time comes.  This concern was alleviated while reading the required book, “Courage to Grow" (request a FREE copy) and during a short conversation with Zach on our tour (schedule a tour today!).
​
First, Acton students typically fare better than peers in testing;
Second, the goal is to be ready for life:

• Critical thinking (Socratic discussion) is how they begin their day at Acton
• He will be permitted to move through subjects at his own pace – if he has a great understanding of material he is allowed to move on, if he struggles with a subject he can continue to work on it until he “gets it” instead of being dragged along regardless
• He will have had 15 internships prior to graduation

 
I’ve seen Alex excited and engaged since moving to Acton.  He no longer has anxiety related to school and homework, he simply enjoys learning again.  It’s fun to pick him up every day and hear about what he worked on and what he’s proud of.  He also really enjoys the time they have during the day to move and be active. ​

Developing self-awareness from having tried a number of things and the self-confidence from actually having pulled through doing hard things that mattered! 

This means at time that life can be messy at Acton, it can be messy in the studio, it can be hard on parents and guides to see the learners struggling through real issues. We always encourage our parents to sit back and give issues room to breath and for the heroes to work through these issues themselves. That said, we aren't asking parents to be passive, they can still be an active participant in their child's Acton journey, it just looks different at Acton than it might in a traditional school setting.

No doubt, as a parent at Acton Academy, you have embarked on a hero’s journey (whether you are ready for it or not!). Below are answers, testimony and tips we’ve gathered from Acton Academy parents from all over the world to equip and inspire you on your Hero’s Journey as a parent:

Our promise is to equip and inspire your child to find a calling that will change the world.  Struggles and difficulties are part of the journey.  

Instead of focusing on short term happiness, Acton Academy focuses on long term satisfaction and fulfillment. Overcoming short term challenges is often a part of that journey.

As parents, we’ve found our heroes grow most when we comfort them and listen empathically, but do not try to solve the problem ourselves or allow blame to be cast on others.  “I hear you. That must be so hard.  I trust you to find a way to solve this on your own and can’t wait to hear how you did it” seem to be the most powerful words we can use as parents.

If your goal is to have a child who is happy all the time, Acton Academy may not be the right place for you.

​More important than measurements on a hero’s journey are the questions a parent asks a child every day. Here are a list of powerful questions we can ask our young heroes to prepare them with the character to embark on a hero’s journey:

Questions that seek understanding:
"What's the best thing that happened today?" 
"What's the most challenging  thing that happened today?"
"What did you discuss at launch this morning?"
"Did you learn anything new about yourself or your calling today?"
Asking "Why?" Listening, then asking again. Variation: "Why do you think...?"
What did you fail at today? 

Questions that discover and reinforce heroic character:
What did you do that was hard today?
What did you do that was kind today?
What did you do that was [character trait] today?
What did someone do to you that was [character trait] today?

Questions that follow up on challenges or goals: 
"What goals did you set today?"
"Did you submit that town hall request today?" 
"Did you ask [name] to go the the peace table today?" 
"Did you ask someone for a hero buck today?" 
"Did someone ask you for a hero buck today?" 
Likely a lot of opportunity to follow up with encouragement, trust, and relatable personal stories with these questions.

​I came across a great analogy the other day comparing the “witching hour” we, as parents, all know and love - to the second half of February. The long, exhausting time period you just wish would hurry by. We’re definitely there. I find myself checking my weather app an unhealthy number of times, as if checking it will hurry these frigid temps along.

We rounded out the month of January with 25 hours outdoors, about 5 hours less than I would have liked. I see that number and it looks so small and yet I KNOW that many of those hours required some real effort, time and tears to make it out the door. So, we’ll take them.

Acton is a place where the learning environment is nurturing, and we provide a variety of academic offerings, technology, entrepreneurship, physical education, music, art, community service, and leadership opportunities. We believe middle school is a time to build character, seek independence, and gain an understanding of self and others. As an independent school, we place great value on preparing our students not only for High School (coming soon!) but also for a world beyond school. We believe in the education of the whole person - inside and outside of the studio - and encourage students to develop intellectually as well as into citizens of good character. Quests help students learn about potential careers they might be interested in as well as develop lasting skills such as the ability to work as a team, develop creative solutions, and to set and crush goals.

Students from all types of school choice backgrounds thrive at Acton Academy Lincoln: Whether your family comes to us from a Montessori school, after homeschooling, public school, private Christian school, or charter school, we believe a like-minded tribe aligned around a common purpose is powerful. Learning happens all the time, and staff, parents, and children each have a powerful part to play. All parts of our learning community are engaged for support, to share perspective, and bring value.

Grab Your FREE Info Kit Here: my.actonacademylincoln.com/freeinfokit

Applying to private schools in Lincoln, Nebraska can seem like an overwhelming process. There are so many options from private Christian schools, to Montessori schools, not to mention a handful of alternative  homeschool options to choose from. Each has their unique application process.

For us, we prefer to call ours and audition. We are auditioning for you as much as you are for us! It's a two way street, and it must be a good fit for both parties. 

Our philosophies must be well-aligned. Our unique audition format acts as your guide as you discover the Acton learning design and philosophy. As you go through, you will be asked to reflect on your ideas about education to ensure that our environment and execution are REALLY what you want for your family!

We recognize that we ask you to dedicate time and thought to the process. Families who are thriving in our community often share that they truly enjoyed the process, and we hope you do too.
​

1. VISIT US!
We invite you to schedule a campus tour OR attend a Discovery Night. 

2. REQUEST OUR PARENT APPLICATION + HERO FORM
After completing your own research and reading "Courage to Grow" we invite you to complete our two-part online questionnaire.

Acton Academy Lincoln is a "year-round" private school.  The 10 month school year is broken up into "sessions" that are typically 5-7 weeks with a 1-2 week break in between. There is an 8 week break in the summer with an optional 2 week summer session.

You can find tuition information along with other specifics about our audition process to our private school here in Lincoln, Nebraska under the apply page of our website.
​

At Acton Academy, a private school in Lincoln Nebraska, we believe that the American Experiment, with all its faults, is the best hope on earth for protecting human liberty. As Acton Co-Founder Jeff Sandefer says in this episode of Our American Experiment, "We believe in liberty and justice and the ideals of the American revolution as the cornerstones of civilization. In addition to experiential learning, we will study the American documents and the true meaning behind them, as we examine other cultures and forms of government." 

This session our heroes (what we call our students) learned about the American flag and the history of the pledge of allegiance.

One of the top questions we are asked by parents when touring our private  school in Lincoln, Nebraska is "what curriculum do you use?" 

While we utilize Montessori elements and the latest in game-based adaptive software, the "curriculum" at Acton Academy Lincoln can seem confusing; especially with so many Lions pursuing independent learning plans.

When asked about curriculum on tours, I like to quote fellow Acton owner, Matt Beaudreau:

A question we commonly hear at our Private School in Lincoln, Nebraska is: “How is your school different from a Traditional Montessori school?”

As we prepare to open a more traditional Montessori Studio in the Fall to compliment our Elementary and Middle School Studios, we thought it would be great to share this article from a fellow Acton Academy owner. They explain their experience as parents with a top-rated Montessori school near them and opening an Acton Academy similar to our school in Lincoln, NE.

The following has been adapted from their original article. We added our specific name and city where applicable.

We relied on the experience of having both of our children attend a wonderful Montessori program as toddlers and preschoolers, our own research on this topic, as well as the input from other Acton Academy owners who have also spent time contemplating the answer to this question. We certainly share many values of the Montessori system and care greatly for our friends who run and work in these schools.

A common response to this question from other Acton owners is that Acton Academy is almost like a Montessori 2.0 or Montessori for the 21st Century. While Acton Academies do believe in many of the principles espoused by Maria Montessori (respect of the child, self-learning/freedom of choice, multi-age classrooms, a prepared environment and teachers as guides, to name a few), there are significant differences between the programs as well.

It is important to note that not all Montessori schools are officially licenced so there is some variation in the style of programming delivered. Similarly, each Acton Academy is independently owned and operated as well so absolute generalizations cannot be made.

With that in mind, here are some specific distinctions that make an Acton Academy a unique learning environment compared to a Montessori school.

Maria Montessori seemed to invest her genius in preschool-aged children and early childhood development. Acton owner Kai Olderog had this to say: “She designed it for those ages and placed an enormous amount of trust in children that age to be responsible for their environment and capable of doing amazing work.”

The Montessori programs offered for older children weren’t necessarily developed by Maria Montessori and have been formed by individual programs wanting schooling for higher ages. As a result of this distinction, many Montessori schools add more traditional elements to their programs as the children get older; this actually leads to decreased responsibility in the higher grades. At an Acton Academy, our Hero’s are given more responsibility as they get older and are heavily involved in self-management, leadership, and self-government of their learning environments.

Having said that, our school and many other Acton Academies accept students at age six or seven so we often rely on, recommend, and partner with local Montessori programs for the toddlers and preschoolers who will come to our school at that older age.

At an Acton Academy, a large emphasis is on the development of mastery when learning Core Skills (reading, writing, math, and spelling). We utilize tools, at times technology-based, that allow our students — we call them “Heroes” — to learn at their own pace and individually. We continually seek the most efficient ways to enable this, and many Acton Academies incorporate other paper-based tools (Singapore Maths, Writer’s Workshop, for example) to find the best means to achieve our ultimate goal.

Technology is one tool we use to allow this kind of learning to take place. For the most part, Montessori programs have a reflexive policy against the use of technology in the classroom.

Jeff Sandefer, the co-founder of Acton Academy said this about our program: “Acton isn’t pro-technology, but we use powerful game based programs for areas like Math, as well as relying on the internet to bring experts and the world to us. We don’t dismiss technology out of hand. If it’s a useful tool, process or habit, we use it, whether its Khan Academy or a walk in the park.”

Acton Academies emphasize the use of the Socratic Method in educating our students. This differs from the group discussions led by teachers, which Montessori programs encourage. The Socratic method, with the use of active questioning in order to draw out and clarify one’s thinking, is a vehicle for developing critical thinking skills, stimulating critical reflection, and developing depth of character. Although group discussions are better than lectures, often the teacher is still in the role of ‘expert’ and this can limit the robustness of thought required by the students.

Real world preparation includes a need to adapt to a place influenced greatly by technology, a continual shift in knowledge, and a rapidly changing landscape. We just don’t know what kind of future our children will face so developing useful skills and a critical thinking approach is extremely important moving forward.

The Acton Academy system is focused on preparing our Lions to find their own calling in the real world. We continually help our students in this regard in multiple ways:

1. The use of the Hero’s Journey heuristic as a way of using stories as a backdrop for learning, and in understanding that they themselves are on their own journey

2. Bringing in guests to discuss their Hero’s Journey and demonstrate the challenges everyone faces on their life’s path

3. The use of Quests as structured real-world challenges that create real world accountable results, much like project-based work

4. The use of Apprenticeships as Eagles get older to make the world their classroom

5. The focus on entrepreneurship, leadership, and self-management

6. An emphasis on character development and the concepts that allow our Hero’s to do their best – Curiosity, Gratitude, Grit, Growth Mindset, Optimism, Purpose, Self-Control, Social/Emotional Intelligence, and Zest
At an Acton Academy, we continually focus on relating lessons and tasks to the real-world in order to give our Hero’s the skills, abilities and confidence to succeed in whatever field they choose. The focus is on the process of learning, not just the content of it, thus enabling them to be ready for whatever the future may bring.

An Acton Academy has, at its core, the mission to enable our Hero’s to Learn to Learn, Learn to Do and Learn to Be, along their path of finding their own calling. The program has been developed with this goal in mind and therefore there is constant reflection on what is working and what is not, so continual improvements can be made as needed. The Montessori Method is a specific educational philosophy in and of itself, and thus it can be hard to change in a rapidly changing education landscape.

Overall, while Acton Academies do share, respect, and incorporate many of Maria Montessori’s philosophies on children’s education, we do have a number of differences which we feel help our Heroes to best prepare themselves for the future. It comes from the similar desire to do all we can for our next generation but also takes advantage of the recent advances in tools, philosophy and understanding of education in the 21st Century.

“You don’t have to be smart to go to Acton. You have to want to be smart.” – Matteo, an Acton Academy middle school Eagle

Though merely two sentences within a long, heated Socratic discussion, Matteo’s words were flashes of gold. Everyone agreed with them. With clarity and ease, he’d pointed us to the essence of why Acton exists in a way I had never pondered.

It is about wanting. It is about desire.

Desire is longing for something not yet attained and includes a sense of dissatisfaction with the status quo. It is the fuel for curiosity – the most powerful intrinsic motivator.

But I wasn’t satisfied with my analysis of Matteo’s words. Was he really talking about just the desire to be smart?

I decided to pursue his idea further. I asked a small group of Eagles to help me out:

Why do you want to be smart?

So I can feel confident in the world.
So I can understand how things work.
So I can make hard decisions and tough choices.
So I can do the right thing.
So I can do something important with my life.
So I can solve problems that aren’t being solved yet.
So I can find my calling.

Their wanting to be smart was not about having an academic credential. It was not about pleasing parents and teachers. 

These young people desire doing intelligent work that matters for this big, wonderful world.

Shakespeare wrote: “Joy’s soul lies in the doing.”

Acton Academy exists for the “doing” not just the “knowing.” Ultimately, there will be joy even if the journey includes suffering and sacrifice because the learning and work are purposeful. They are driven by the heart – where desire and character reside.

As a parent, this shifts my stance on talking with my sons about their work at school. My natural tendency at the end of the week is to ask them: How many points did you earn? How many Eagle Bucks do you have?

These extrinsic, academic questions are easy and okay. But, frankly, they miss the target.

There is a much more important question: What do you want?

I often forget to consider the desire in their hearts. When I focus merely on the external evidence of their daily learning, I snuff out the force that will drive them for the rest of their lives: the desire that lies in their hearts to do work that matters.

These young people exude profound confidence and inner freedom because they carry a mindset of growth. They know they can learn absolutely anything if they work at it. There is no slumped-over pessimism that comes from the burden of being labeled “smart” or “not smart.”

It’s as if they are already saying, “Open wide your doors, world. We are excited to meet you.”
​
Thank you, Matteo.