Servant Leadership | The first half of the year will see the Spark Studio spending an entire session on a focus area as they step into the flow of Acton and prepare to launch into more complicated Quests later in the year. Last session the studio focused on "building the tribe" and "defining emotions".

Each week this session the Spark heroes will explore a different aspect of servant leadership through their launches and projects.​

​Week 1: Random Acts of Kindness
Week 2: Paying it Forward
Week 3: Volunteering
Week 4: Thankfulness/Gratitude
Week 5: Thanksgiving/Exhibition Prep

Writer's Workshop: Poetry
Civilization: Middle Ages
Creativity Time: Improv Workshop

World Traveler Quest | During this session Lions explore the world through travel. Asking hard questions like: Do we look to the past, present, future, or distant lands for direction? Why travel? With who? Should it be a tight or loose schedule? Cheap or luxurious?

Along the way Lions will be planning a life changing trip to a city they would love to visit, complete with travel itineraries, budgets, trip preparations and useful travel tools. Lions will also create a Bucket List of places they want to see in the world (and in Nebraska), as well as learning to create a complete itinerary; a trip budget and a Google Earth Tour for a relative who can’t make the trip they planned!
​

Writer's Workshop: A Speech in the Shoes of a Historical Figure 
Civilization: Middle Ages
Creativity Time: Improv Workshop

​Dear Acton Lincoln Families,

We are building a school that's redefining education. Traditionally education has focused on standardized test scores and memorizing facts. (Control, regurgitation, oversight.) At Acton Academy Lincoln, it’s about deep learning and bringing a love of learning (true mastery) back to the forefront. But more importantly, it’s about raising the next generation of leaders that will move us closer, not further, from the founding ideals of America. It’s about raising human beings to be personally responsible, respect individual liberty, value freedom of religion, and exude patriotic reverence for country.

This defines the spirit of the private school my wife (Heidi) and I have started to build here in Lincoln, Nebraska. We will be a school for anyone, but I know full well we won’t be for everyone.

​Heidi and I first came across the Acton model a little over a year ago. Acton is a decade-old micro-school concept that puts the child in the driver’s seat of their education and focuses on building strong human beings. We opened our doors last fall in the middle of a pandemic when other schools around the country were closing theirs. Why? See that opening paragraph again. I believe we need strong young leaders now more than ever.

Before Acton, we were simply two parents seeking an education option that would help us raise happy, healthy children who wouldn’t be placed in a box or sat at a desk to passively take in the information being presented to them for the next 12 years. We wanted them to be the driving force behind their learning and to discover the world for themselves.

We wanted them to be personally responsible for the decisions they made and the consequences of those decisions.

We wanted children who would think critically about the world around them, question authority when it needed to be questioned, and respect it when appropriate. 

We also desired our children to know what they believed and how to defend said beliefs, know what they stood for, and ultimately know why they were put on this earth.

We wanted them to do all this while loving everyone who stood in opposition to their beliefs and understood why it is vitally important that we have the freedom to believe and worship in our own way in our country. 

Speaking of country, we were seeking an educational option that taught them to love their country and know its true history. The perfect implementation of the American ideals may have proven to be beyond our grasp so far, and that’s okay; because each generation has the chance to change that. Each leader elected, each vote cast, has the ability to move closer to that founding vision.

When we discovered Acton, we realized this was our chance to build the very school we had worked so hard to find, one that baked all the things we desired for our children right into its DNA. 

As we set out to build this school, we knew it had to be an independent, exempt school. We wanted the freedom to build something more powerful and freer than the confines of state-mandated curriculum, standardized testing, and bureaucracy. Why? See the opening paragraph again...

As a small, private micro-school, we operate as a small business. We make business decisions that are in the best interest of our customers: the children first, and the paying parents second. We are not here to teach your children to hate their country, their race, their religion, or their gender. In fact, we aren’t here to push an agenda, unless you consider the first paragraph an agenda, and then we are here to push the hell out of that agenda. Why? Because critical thinking leads to good decisions, good decisions lead to the right habits, the right habits forge character, and character determines destiny.

Acton Academy Lincoln exists to empower character-filled human beings for life. Our graduates will be the leaders our country needs to help America finally live up to her ideals, allowing Freedom of Religion and Individual Liberties to live on for future generations, and have personal responsibility return to the home, the workforce, and society as a whole.

Be Blessed,

We are excited to announce our Montessori-based Spark Studio was named one of the 9 best Lincoln Preschools by Expertise.com!

Experise.com scored 58 preschools in Lincoln, NE on more than 25 variables across five categories, and analyzed the results to hand-pick the list of the best Lincoln preschools, with Acton Academy Lincoln topping that list.

When we first started homeschooling, the kids and I loved it. It felt like I was learning much of what they were learning for the first time (Like most of you, I feel that my schooling taught me to take tests, but not actually understand the material). The kids loved being home in their element, learning at their own pace, exploring, playing, being kids. It felt good and it felt right for our family at that time. 

Fast forward a few years, I found myself not as involved and being pulled in the direction of my passions as my business grew. We were making it work, but I was not longer matching my kids LOVE for learning. We could tell as parents that they were not as happy as they could be. There was a lot of pushing and pulling amongst us as a whole family. We had pretty much stopped going out to learn, out of frustration on my end, as well as theirs. Simply put, I knew I was failing them and we were not happy. 

When I first heard of this new private school in Lincoln, Nebraska called Acton, it sounded like a perfect fit for our family. We knew we could never return to a traditional school setting as we had empowered our kids to love learning and take charge of their path, rather than follow "the normal path," which did not fit our values. When Acton popped up and it felt like perfect timing. Then I saw the price. It was simply not in our budget. And would my oldest really like it? He had gone through a traditional school and had been scarred by the experience. He was hard to please and I wasn’t sure he would enjoy the school. Although I knew, deep down it was exactly what he needed. 

I signed up to get the newsletters, but we were far from ready to apply. It was just not a possibility in our minds at that time... ​

The emails and enrollment updates kept coming and each time I dreamt of this new life for our family. I dreamt of the kids having guides that have a passion for kids. Guides that are inspired to create activities special for the kids. Guides that inspire my kids to learn and be excited to grow. A group of kids to play with and interact with daily. Older kids to inspire and help the kids grow. While we were already unschooling, our oldest was missing the guidance of older children to inspire him to learn. And he was finally ready to take that big leap in learning, but I wasn’t giving him what he needed to take the jump. I also dreamt of my days where I could grow as a person and be inspired for myself. The kids deserved a happier mom, I deserved to be a happier person. 

I wanted the kids to go to Acton for themselves, as well as for me. But each month, it just seemed impossible for our budget, we just couldn’t take the plunge. That didn’t stop me from stalking the website, checking the enrollment numbers, would they still have room??? 

We had been working on our money mindset and had come across baby stepping as a tool to use. It can sometimes be hard to take a giant leap, but babystepping can help one become confident in their faith allowing more money to flow to them. This gave us the idea that we could ease our way into Acton. One child could start, we could adjust the budget and easily have one child attend! Then Zach emailed me out of the blue, asking if I had questions. From there, it all fell into place. Our budget adjusted well to one child so we enrolled our second child the following month. Our last leap of faith will be our third attending in the fall. 

So we’re in! Now will my 10 year old son (Trip) like it? It has been an adjustment for him, but it has been a wonderful experience for him as well. He’s an adventurous boy who loves to explore the outdoors. I was allowing him to do this for the majority of his days. His biggest adjustment has been to buckle down and face his resistance to those things that don’t come naturally to him (reading and writing). I knew he was ready to do the hard work and I knew he would have uncomfortable feelings. But after the first couple of weeks, he was hooked (thank you open gym time, friends and Civilization learning). He loves learning and he loves having guides give him opportunities to learn. He also loves being able to ask questions, which the traditional schools were not allowing him. 

After the first few weeks, we started noticing significant changes in his attitude. He is simply happier. He loves the different activities, the fun and engaging way of learning, the freedom and the interesting conversations. He’s inspired to learn those things that don’t come naturally and he’s excited to learn more. Before Acton, he was grumpy often, fought us on everything and never content. Now he’s fun to be around, he’s always smiling, he’s been cooking supper with us and contributes in our conversations. He’s a better team player when it comes to family items. He’s happy again!  

Our second child (Fiona), 7, was needing social time and friends. We’ve noticed her confidence the most since she’s started at Acton. She’s typically shy and tends to sit back and observe. Acton has allowed her to feel more comfortable with herself. Due to the small class size, she contributes in class, speaking in front of the entire group and confidently excites learning. She is proud to have friends and loves having duties to carry out and contribute. She loves sharing what she has learned at school that day during our supper meal. It makes our hearts happy to see her proudly share her knowledge. She has also started to play more with other kids when we’re in a group setting. She’s becoming more outgoing, which is so much fun to see!
 
From the parent perspective, I’ve never been more excited about a learning opportunity for my children. Acton continues to surprise me in wonderful ways. From the fun activities they get to do during the day, to the awesome experience of getting up in front of a group of people to present their projects each session, to the Forest Fridays (free play is SO important). We know they are learning in a way that excites and fulfills them. Emotional intelligence is a big value in our home and other schools did not practice a healthy environment to allow emotional intelligence to grow and evolve. Acton is a place where I not only feel confident in their guidance of emotions, but they also allow us to grow at home. The kids will bring home tidbits of how they solved a disagreement at school and it leaves me thinking we should set that up at home. They are giving the kids the language and the tools to bring up topics of discussion at home. The end of session exhibitions left me leaving with pride and confidence. The tools and lessons they are giving the children are life long lessons that will make them better leaders, parents, peers and members of a society. It’s a wonderful opportunity and the kids are thriving. 

​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.

As I scroll my LinkedIn Account and read daily news articles on education innovation, I can't help but think... Man we have one of the best schools in the world right here in Lincoln, Nebraska! 

In an attempt to understand where each of our prospective families is coming from, I make a point of asking our all our families who tour our school in southwest Lincoln, "what is one thing you wish you would have had the chance to learn in school?" I also posted this on my social media accounts recently and despite the wide variety of answers, without exception I find myself answering the same way... We do that here at our private school. 
​
Seeing what other thinkers are wishing for in education like what Trevor Soponis, PhD posted recently, “We need new models of learning. … it’s about empowering students to not move at the speed of the teacher or their classmates. Or even study the same thing,” has prompted me to realize what we have here at Infinity School.
I’m seeing big dreams for interdisciplinary programs, high schools that don’t make teenagers start at 8am, and hopes to see the programs not revolve around a curriculum that is painfully outdated. Guess what, we’re already doing all of that here!

Reading all of these posts on LinkedIn and wishes for change in education, I’ve really been thinking about what “education innovation” means. To me, innovation is a process of questioning, reinventing, and trying. It is asking big questions that we might not like the answers to in our pursuit of removing old ways of thinking to make room for new ways of growth.

Education Innovation questions are ones like these:

1. Are report cards still (or were they ever) a useful tool for measuring progress? If not, what is better?
2. How can we hand power and ownership of learning over to those doing the learning?
3. What kinds of learning activities are truly useful and impactful?
4. How can emotional intelligence, empathy, and open mindset thinking be incorporated into every day?
5. Is having a teacher as “expert” standing in front of a (often large) group of children/ teenagers the best way to learn? Do you like learning like that?
6. What is school for?

I also believe that innovation in education is about creating systems and processes that make it possible for the program to essentially run itself. And putting the ability to change these systems in the hands of those they most affect — the learners.

Over the past five years I have watched the handful of brave six to eight-year-olds who walked through our doors on the day we opened from thinking inside the public school box to people who can project manage, lead others even when a few of those others are difficult and not contributing, ask incredible questions, and do tough things. And they are happy.

This handful of learners five years ago has grown to almost forty children and youth doing school differently.
​
When we ask them what they like the most about this program, we usually hear two things: I love the freedom to be myself and learn how I learn, and all the adults are really nice here. We don’t hear about how innovative we are or about the myriad of things we have done to make this program one of the leading systems in education. These Eagles simply know that they matter and that their love of learning continues to grow. Maybe that’s truly what education innovation is about.

​
Andrea
Co-founder & Director of Acton Academy Infinity
Originally blog published on Infinity School Blog

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 when learners are allowed to work at their own pace on core skills programs and our real world projects look nothing like traditional subjects that fit nicely into a textbook.

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.

​The following is an excerpt taken from “Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children” by Angela J. Hanscom

A day in the life of a typical modern kid- imagine this. 

Sarah, a sweet nine-year-old, gets up and dresses quickly in the morning, keeping in mind that if she eats fast enough her mother will let her watch cartoons before leaving for school. As soon as she finishes her last bite, she watches reruns of “Looney Tunes.” Twenty minutes goes by in a flash.

Sarah lives in the country, so it takes about twenty-five minutes to drive to school. Her mom feels guilty about the long drive, so she lets Sarah play on the iPad until they arrive. “Everyone, please take your seats!” the teacher shouts as Sarah approaches her desk, where she sits most of the day, except for a brief snack, quick lunch and a twenty-minute recess. Then it is time to go home.

After another twenty-five minute commute home, Sarah is feeling energetic after a long day of sitting. She instantly heads toward the swing set in the backyard. “Not yet,” Mom catches her. “Homework first”. Sarah groans, shuffles to the dining-room table, and pulls out her assignment.

“Argh…” Sarah is literally trying to pull her hair out. “I hate this! I can’t do this!” It takes about ninety minutes to complete the homework on a good day. By the end, she is exhausted. After two bouts of crying, she feels angry and spent. “Can I play on the iPad for a little bit?” She asks her mother. Her mother, thinking Sarah has definitely earned it this time, says, “Sure. But remember, we need to leave for Girl Scouts in thirty minutes.”

After Girl Scouts, Sarah and her family use the drive-through on their way home since it is already a late night. When they get home, Sarah grabs her Harry Potter book and readies for thirty minutes before it is time for lights out. Tomorrow, she’ll do this routine all over again. Only instead of Girl Scouts, she has basketball practice. 

​If you’re anything like me, you finished reading this excerpt feeling empty, exhausted, overwhelmed and sad. Sad because while this may not be your family, we all know that family or families that live this exact life. When I think about these children, children begging for time, for play, for life to just SLOW down it truly breaks my heart. 

​I came upon this book on my Kindle months ago. I started reading it, life got busy with the Holidays and so I set it aside and just days ago started back at the beginning. Two weeks ago I came upon an Instagram account called “1,000 hours outside”. It was pretty easy to see that I was being pointed in a strong, straight line towards the simple concept that our children thrive when we allow them outdoor, active, FREE play without adult interference.

I don’t use the term “called to” lightly. But this, there was no denying. Maybe it’s our current climate, the craziness that was 2020, I’m not sure -but when I came upon “1,000 hours outside” on Instagram I fell in love with her message, her content, her challenge and I didn’t hesitate- 2021 would be the year that the Harsin family committed to 1,000 hours outdoors.

Are we currently behind our (my goal) hours? We are. Do I enjoy being outdoors in the cold? I do not. Is it a fight (with LOTS of whining involved) to get everyone in boots and coats and hats and out the door? 100%.

But, here’s what I already know...after just 12 days: Once we get outdoors and find our adventure- our big girls don’t want it to end. This past Sunday we spent almost 3 hours at Mahoney State Park sledding, hiking, having a picnic and even after all that time- they didn’t want to be done! I’ve noticed that the girls are already asking for less screen time- when we come in from outdoor time they’re so content to just settle in and PLAY. Bedtime is a breeze, nothing wears a kid out more than moving their bodies in the fresh air. Our girls are falling asleep immediately and for the most part, not making a peep for 11-12 hours. If nothing else, these things make it ALL worth it.

The things that I love most about the 1,000 hour challenge (outside of what it can bring to our children): you can begin this challenge whenever you choose, you set your own rules and even if you fall short of the 1,000 hour goal...you still WIN.

If one word of this resonates with you- I challenge you to dig into either of these resources, or the many others that you can find on this very topic and explore. We owe it to ourselves, our families and our children to simply do that...explore.

I am excited for our journey and hope you will follow ours here, while simultaneously finding the inspiration to start your own outdoor journey. 

​Our education journey started with the public school system.  Kindergarten year we had a good year and a great teacher.  As we entered first grade I could slowly see the rigid structure weighing heavily on Peyton.  It was a struggle to get her to want to go to school.  I began researching other options in the area and did not have anything 100% resonate with my desires for Peyton’s education. I explored the homeschooling option; however, since I work full time I would not be able to give Peyton the guidance she would need or be able to connect with other homeschooling families in the community due to my work schedule. 
 
We continued into her second-grade year and her not wanting to go to school only intensified.  She was miserable and I was miserable sending her every day.  I honestly understood why she was not happy.  A lot of what I saw in her is what I felt growing up going through a system that was very rigid and put me in a one size fits all approach that did not align with how I learned at all.  We went to our second scheduled parent-teacher conferences in February 2020 and I left knowing I had to figure out a change.  Tests and metrics that we had been told in previous years to not put much weight into all of the sudden in the second grade were a big deal and the ability to explain those to the parents and help guide the student on the best path to enhance their learning was non-existent.  One month later COVID hit and school was remote the remainder of the year.  I was dealing with a very different child via remote learning.  She wanted to learn, and she could explore her interests as well as develop in core skill areas.  ​Ironically several of the programs we used at home were the same ones she was using at school, so she was getting some of the same content but with the ability to work at her level and solidify her understanding instead of having to keep at a pace to get through the year worth of content to meet standards and most likely only solidify a fraction of the understanding.  This showed me kids are missing the valuable building blocks they need in education.

​The stage was set. It was parents vs heroes. Who would win? Conventional wisdom said the parents should have easily beat the heroes. It turns out the exact opposite was true!

The challenge, if you don’t know it, is a fun and instructive design exercise that encourages teams to experience simple but profound lessons in collaboration, innovation and creativity.

The challenge seems simple enough: small teams have to build a structure in 18 minutes using 20 sticks of spaghetti, 1 yard of tape, 1 yard of string and 1 marshmallow. The winning team is the one that can construct the tallest freestanding structure with the marshmallow on top within the time allowed. The point of the exercise is to collaborate very quickly in order to respond to the task. It reveals some surprising lessons about the nature of collaboration.

I had the the prior knowledge that our youngest group of heroes (age 5-7) had time and again proven they would beat CEOs of fortune 500 companies, so it was extra special to watch this play out in front of our eyes.

The challenge has been done hundreds of times across the country and the results are intriguing.

Who performs poorly?
Recent business school graduates. Why? They cheat and get distracted. They try to find the single correct plan and then attempt to execute that. They run out of time and when they put the marshmallow on top, it’s a crisis. Sound familiar?

Who performs well?
Kindergarten kids. Why? First of all, none of the kids spend time trying to become CEO of Spaghetti Inc.! More importantly, they start with the marshmallow and then build successive prototypes, all the time keeping the marshmallow on top until they find a solution that works.

The lesson learned from all this fun? The capacity to experiment and prototype is essential to success. (aka trial and error)

What a week! From our launch party last Saturday with our founding families to completing our lip dub challenge. What a full amazing week as we launched our brand new alternative school in Lincoln, Nebraska!

This included the Acton tradition of the “Threshold Ceremony” where founding families symbolically choose Acton and to embark on a Hero’s Journey as they cross the threshold from the ordinary world into an extraordinary one.

​After letting our heroes explore their new space we then completed a second Acton tradition of palm painting. Here we invited our founding heroes and their parents to leave their mark on the space.

Our heroes worked hard in their first full week. They took on many challenges and drank information from a firehose!
​
One of their team-building challenges was to create a lip dub video, after some initial failures they adapted their plan and put together this fun version of a Frozen song.

IEPs. This term has always bothered me; it never made sense why only children with learning differences have an IEP. After all, the term stands for Individualized Education Plan (or Program). Shouldn’t every child’s educational journey be individualized?

Individual Is Not Practical in Traditional Education
The problem is that in society, we sometimes do what is more convenient rather than what is right. It’s not practical in traditional education, i.e., the factory model, to individualize each learner’s educational plan. In traditional education, everyone learns the same thing at the same time for the purpose of efficiency. But, if you’ve ever met 2 people even with the same parents, living under the same roof (heck, even identical twins for that matter), you know just how different each individual is. So why do we insist on educating young people in the same way?

Individual Education for Each & Every Learner
At Acton, we believe in individualized education plans 100%, but for each and every learner! This is not to say that everyone won’t learn some of the same material, but the timeline of when that happens is based on who that learner is as an individual. We have learners of the same age in vastly different spots, but no one is ahead or behind, they are all exactly where they need to be for them because everyone’s development is unique. We work towards improvement and progress for each individual with an understanding that there is never such thing as “done” because learning and education is a life-long journey.

Learners Discover and Lean Into Their Passions
And what about passions? At Acton, we let our learners lean into their passions by first exposing them to a wide variety of trades and crafts and then letting them try out what fits for them with apprenticeships each year (starting around the age of 11). This allows them to try out a passion to see if it’s something they would like to pursue (as a hobby or career). Because again, we believe that each child’s educational journey should be, first and foremost…individualized.

Kori Stack, M.Ed.
​Acton Academy Kennebunkport

Long before I ever had kids, I had spent 2 years working toward a degree in childhood education (I wanted to be a 3rd or 4th-grade teacher). As part of the degree program, I spent 80 hours assisting in a 4th-grade classroom. What I learned during that time, was that the public education system is designed to keep the ‘average’ kid moving forward while the above or below average are forced to simply comply with the status quo. I could go on and on about my opinions as to why I think the system is flawed, but ultimately I just concluded that it wasn’t a good fit for me and likely wouldn’t be a good fit for my children. 

Once Kash was born, I started looking into local private schools, but frankly, I didn’t feel that Lincoln had very strong alternatives. This left me feeling a little defeated, and I started mentally preparing myself to send Kash to LPS. I actually went as far as enrolling him. Then COVID hit. Which made public education feel even more constrained than before. I decided to register as a homeschool parent at about the same time that my friend told me about Acton Academy. I watched the videos on the website, scheduled a meeting with Zach, and then read The Courage to Grow. I finally found what I didn’t know I was looking for. One of my favorite quotes of all time is from Albert Einstein: “Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.”. This clearly aligns with Acton’s belief system.

While waiting for Acton Lincoln to open I was forced to figure out a homeschool ‘program’ that would fill the gap. In the beginning, it was a total nightmare for both Kash and I. Why? Because I was doing exactly what I was trying to protect him from. I had put up a copy of the Declaration of Independence, and the U.S. Constitution on the wall behind his desk, and I was trying to force him to follow along the Hooked on Phonics program at a pace that I had pre-determined, rather than letting him work at his own pace. We were both miserable. And I was teaching him that learning is a negative experience. It was the opposite of what I wanted for him. So, I reflected back on “The Courage to Grow”, and decided to reframe things based on that book. 

By this time, you might have the impression that Acton Academies are really different from traditional schools. Like, REALLY different.

You’re right. Acton Academies are off-the-charts different. On purpose.

But if you think Acton students have limited options after graduation, think again! In their years at Acton, students learn to be independent thinkers and self-starters. They launch real businesses. They learn practical, marketable skills. They find their calling.

Acton graduates, from around the world, who apply to college are attractive candidates, displaying responsibility, maturity and a diversity of experiences that is rare among their peers.

Graduates who start their own businesses have a leg up on the competition because, by the time they turned 18, they’d already started and ran several businesses and completed dozens of internships.

There are no limits for Acton graduates – they are ready to follow whatever path they choose.
​

This story is from KOLN - 1011 News in Lincoln. Read the full article on 1011now.com

Soon, there will be a new school opening in Lincoln.

It’s called Acton Academy and is an alternative for parents who don’t want their kids to follow traditional K-12 learning.

The room it will be in is going through renovations right now but soon it will be a place for nearly a dozen kids to learn.

“Our families are really excited to join, and build this with us as we learn too,” said co-founder, Zach Harsin.

Kids who would be in grades K-5 will all be in one room learning together. Right now, there’s ten enrolled.

“They’re learning how to be students in the 21st century and that requires problem-solving skills, that requires interpersonal skills, that requires communication and interviews and how to go out and solicit to get a job,” said Harsin.

Read the full article at 1011now.com

We are excited to announce our new launch date of November 16th, 2020 to meet the needs of our founding families in this current moment.

My wife and I originally envisioned opening in the Fall of 2021. This aligned well with our daughter starting Kindergarten next fall and as busy working parents of three little kiddos, the idea of 18 months of planning sure seemed much less daunting. 

As we started speaking with our founding families, we quickly realized of all the years for these families to sit and wait for their dream school, this was NOT the year. 

We decided to see how we could speed up our time table and meet their needs. We immediately began a hiring search while also looking for the perfect location. Within weeks we had hired our rock star guide and found our ideal location, but it still wasn't how we envisioned launching.

We still needed a handful more families to join us on this journey and there was still about six months of prep, planning, and training to fit into the next few months.

​Yes, we want to deliver on all our promises, yes we want all the pieces to be planned exactly right, but we also realized, we wouldn't be true to the Acton spirit if we waited until the timing was perfect and all our ducks were in a row. This is our own hero's journey after-all!

Curious to learn more about the Hero's Journey and how it fits into the bigger picture at Acton Academy Lincoln? Read More...

We couldn't be more excited to welcome her and her family to our growing Acton tribe! We can't wait for her journey to begin here at Acton Academy Lincoln.

Hi! ​My name is Karla Fitz, my students call me Miss Karla.
​
I am originally from Venezuela, where I lived until 2007 when I moved to Hastings, NE to learn English as an exchange student.

I then had the opportunity to pursue my passion of Vocal Music & Studio Art
at Hasting College. I have since earned my Masters in Music and English as a Second Language.

I then pursued a calling to become a teacher as a lead preschool teacher, before moving on to teach Spanish for Saint Joseph Catholic School here in Lincoln, Nebraska for the last three years.

My husband Jeremy and I have two beautiful little girls, a 4-year-old and a 1 year-old.  The girls were the reason we decided I would try staying home. However, education has always been a great part of me, and the calling never left.

Ever since I was a little girl, I remember my dad saying, “Studying is your one and only job” and we always did our job well. My mom was a music teacher and I followed in her footsteps.

It was while missing my students, that I saw an ad for the Acton Academy Lincoln Guide. The idea of children learning independently, promoting freedom, and encouraging challenges excited me and I knew I had to apply. Once the interview process started, I quickly understood this was not just another school, it was a safe environment for children to develop their interests, their curiosity, and experiment with different subjects at their own pace. Acton is a place where answers aren’t given to the students by the teacher, rather each hero is a teacher at Acton as each of them get to discover answers themselves or better yet, with the help of fellow learners.

I knew this was my place to be.

Today, I am assigned with the task of guiding and helping these learners grow as they develop their own Hero’s Journey. I cannot wait to start this journey alongside them!