When we first started looking for Kindergarten options in Lincoln, Nebraska one of the most important things for our family was to have a part-time option for our daughter. 

As we searched, it quickly became apparent that there weren't many options for part-time Kindergarten, let alone ones we saw working long term for our family.

Needless to say, it has always been part of our vision to offer a part-time Pre-K and Kindergarten option at Acton Lincoln. Today that vision is a reality! We are happy to announce we will begin offering a limited number of part-time seats in the fall, with the hope of growing this option in the future!

We are excited to announce our revamped Wilderness Wednesdays in partnership with Camp Sonshine - Shiloh, where our learners will spend the day exploring and immersing themselves in nature. Barring extreme weather, we will spend half the day in free play, simply learning to 'be in nature' and half the day completing challenges, hiking, and developing outdoor & survival skills. They will also have the opportunity to work together, build shelters, and become connected to our natural world and each other. ​

This session our entire school will be diving into the "Survivor" Quest which, as the name suggests, is focused on a variety of survival based skills and challenges. Heroes will dive into basic human needs like food, water, shelter, and warmth and will learn skills to take care of those needs in a wilderness setting. They'll get to try their hand at a variety of awesome hands on activities like starting fires with magnifying glasses and flint & steel, setting up tents, purifying water, and practicing first aid skills (Adventure Heroes will get first aid certified!). This Quest is built to offer the right level of challenge to heroes no matter their previous experience or initial comfort level with the outdoors. While all three studios will be completing this quest, the specific challenges will vary across studios.

This Quest also culminates in a camping trip for our Adventure and Discovery Studios, where they will have the chance to put their newfound skills to the test! And while they will walk away with some practical skills they can take with them, the more important skills of critical thinking, problem solving and overall confidence are far more valuable take aways!

Biomes | Desert
Each session hero's in the Spark Studio spend time exploring a different Biome from around the world using our Waseka Biome Readers, with the goal of sparking curiosity & a love for reading. This session they will be exploring the Desert Biome!

Genre Writing | Apprenticeship Prep

Heroes will dip their feet into one of the most important and unique aspects of the learning design at Acton - real world apprenticeships.

Heroes will begin with research on industries, companies, and professionals that interest them, then narrow their list to their top three possibilities, and then spend most of their time on the process of actually securing an apprenticeship. It might sound a little intimidating, but the daily challenges will walk heroes through a tried and true step by step process for finding and securing an apprenticeship.

• Launches serve three purposes: to inspire, equip and connect.

How do you demand attention, teach key skills or keep young people in order if a guide has limited authority and is unable to questions or lecture?

In many ways, it’s a mis-framed question for a learner-driven community. But the short answer is that Heroes get everything they need for the day in a few 15-minute Launches, written and delivered by a guide or (even better) a Hero.

• To Inspire by connecting to a challenge, hero or world-class example that lifts your eyes to the horizon and gives you energy.
• To Equip by offering a process, recipe, algorithm or framework that leads to better decisions and habits.
• To Connect by bringing the tribe closer together with each other, fellow travelers or loved ones.

“To Inspire” comes first, because without a “Why?” it’s unlikely Heroes will embrace a new process or want to work together.

Description
The 15 minutes of group time at the start of the day, before a work sprint, and to kick off project time is called the “Launch.” It’s a powerful moment because it gives your studio the opportunity to get inspired, equipped, and connected before embarking on the next challenge. At the end of a successful Launch, everyone is ready to get something important done.

Questions for your studio
It’s 8:30 a.m. Heroes are arranged in a circle. The Exhibition is in two days and there are at least four days of work left to do. Do you launch by: inspiring Heroes with a moving video about a sprint to the finish; equipping them to create a plan to prioritize and execute on the last stages of the Quest; or connect the tribe by sharing personal experiences of sprinting towards a deadline?

A week later, it’s early in a new Learning Arc. You start preparing for your next launch by assessing needs. Do energy and intentionality need attention? Is there a key process or framework that needs to be introduced to uplift the culture or execute on a difficult learning challenge? Do you need to introduce incentives or encouragement to unite the tribe or break up cliques?

How will you inject energy, right from the start of the launch? Will you do a quick physical activity, watch a short video, or tell an “imagine this . . .” story? Or perhaps you will share a personal testimonial, tell about the struggle of a hero, describe a big upcoming event, or do a centering exercise?

Which opening question will place each Hero in his or her own shoes or the shoes of a protagonist, facing an extremely important and difficult moral decision that requires immediate action and someday may be faced by each Hero in real life?

What two to four “anchor questions” will you ask, in what order, to dig deeper, provide more perspective, diagnose a problem or create an action plan? During today’s launch, will you focus more on Socratic process to enhance critical thinking skills, the needs or a few to be heard or making progress on a critical decision faced by the studio?

Finally will you close the day with “lessons learned;” next steps or a call to action, for example:

• “What do you absolutely have to get done today?”
• “How many minutes until we are focused on important work?”
• “What is the one thing you promise not to do today to make sure you don’t get distracted?”

It's through these daily launches that we develop

• Clear thinking, which leads to good decisions,
• Good decisions lead to the right habits,
• The right habits lead to character and
• Character becomes destiny!

Acton Academy’s Learning Philosophy is:

• Clear thinking leads to good decisions,
• Good decisions lead to the right habits,
• The right habits lead to character and
• Character becomes destiny.
  
  

Learning to learn means finding the recipes, processes and algorithms that help us make better decisions and more deeply embed the right habits of critical thinking.  

Learning to do means making practical decisions in the real world to accomplish great tasks, as a way to change the world.    

But however important the tasks of learning to learn and learning to do, the most important part of finding the Grail in the Hero’s Journey is not the Grail itself, but how the hero is changed in the process.  This is the essence of learning to be.

We want Eagles near the end of a successful, satisfying and fulfilling life to have answer to three important questions:

1. Did I contribute something meaningful?
2. Was I a good person?  and
3. Who did I love and who loved me?
   
   

As such, through launches, studio processes and Servant Leader badges we continually stress the connection between daily tasks and “learning to be” or the process of becoming who you were meant to become.

Variation Across Studios

In the Elementary Studio, much of the “learning to be” impact comes from hero stories, working together in curiosity-filled quests and “learning to be” badges, supported by Full-Circle Feedback from peers.

In the Middle School Studio, 360 feedback and Hero Bucks become even more critical for earning additional freedom and responsibility through Freedom Levels, all supporting the habits of self-management and self-governance, as recorded in Servant Leader Badges.

By Launchpad, many of the most important “learn to be” habits are deeply embedded, and increasingly put into action in lower studios through Servant Leader badges, while attention shifts towards who Launch padders will become in their “next great adventure” in the real world. 

We are thrilled to announce our quests for our Spark, Discovery, and Adventure Studios for this upcoming session.

As our learners continue to work towards answering their overarching question of the year, "How do we build a heroic culture?" each studio will spend the first week back this session revisiting all things Acton. From their daily launches, to Freedom levels, from Core Skills to their contracts, they will explore how these systems help build culture and why each is an important building block for a successful Acton experience!

On top of that, we are also partnering with Tiger Rock Martial Arts this session, to allow all of our heroes to try out Taekwondo during PE, culminating in a Taekwondo showcase as part of our public exhibition on March 31st!

But what does it truly look like to live a healthy life?

Our Spark studio will explore how factors like food, exercise, sleep/ screen time, and mental health all contribute to the strength of their immune systems and ultimately their ability to live a long healthy life!
​

The Sparks will dive into the world of rainforests, exploring the ins and outs of this diverse and important ecosystem!

Imagine this… you are a mechanical engineer who works for one of the biggest arcade companies in the world.  Your challenge is to create a new arcade game that will win the prize for generating the most income at your company’s exhibition on March 31st.  Not only will the winning team be promoted within the company with the honor of having designed the company's most popular new game, but each team member will receive a Chick-fil-A gift card as well!  Buckle your seatbelts, here we go! 
​

​Narrative: The learners have a big responsibility: to better the community by choosing whether or not to purchase a studio pet, and if so, which pet to choose. They come up with proposals, conduct the appropriate research, learn the art of persuasion, ask others to join them, and then vote on a final decision. 

The Challenge: You are placed in the shoes of a mayor/ city planner and must balance the wants and needs of different residents, and ultimately build a great city!

In this Quest, Lions will have the chance to deeply explore electricity and quantum mechanics, and put theory to concrete use by constructing functioning 21st-century cities.  Throughout, they’ll be challenged to function as effective teams - setting goals, dividing work, and managing projects in the face of uncertainty and aggressive deadlines.
​

Genre: "I Have a Dream For My Community" Speeches

The learner's genre challenge this session is to write a persuasive speech to designed to help improve something in their community. They have six weeks to work their way through a series of writing challenges, culminating with a speech where they "stand on the box" and give their 5-8 minute persuasive speech.

Acton’s Exhibitions of Learning take place at the end four to seven-week sprints that make up a session. Much like an agile software sprint, sessions have a real-world deliverable at the end, often presented to a live studio audience made up of more than parents.

Exhibitions are performances, with stakes as high as possible. We want Heroes to feel more like Steve Jobs presenting the iPhone than a lame middle school science fair.

Although Exhibitions allow Heroes to showcase what they’ve “learned to do” in Quests, Civilization, Writing, Art, and other learning challenges, they should never resemble the pristine, tightly managed traditional school performances largely crafted by adults.

​Therefore, exhibitions are 100% planned & ran by the heroes. Each session a committee is selected to plan the exhibition and we have seen the exhibitions very much take on the personalities of those heroes selected to the committee, meaning no two exhibitions are alike!

By the end of your time in your child's studio, you should have a grasp of their learning and progress over the past session. But please keep in mind at Acton, academics are not our primary focus. They are important, but finding a true passion for learning, for life, and developing interpersonal skills and leadership skills trump all and that is a little harder to summarize in an exhibition or a piece of paper.

For our middle & high schoolers each year they will complete a series of 3 science based quests in a row. Last session our heroes were introduced to how we explore science at Acton with Edison's Lab Quest. This year's series of science quests will explore physics, followed by Biology and Chemistry in future years. ​

Colonial Acton |  Lions in our Elementary Studio will imagine that Acton Academy is a British colony. They must pay taxes to King George and are subject to royal proclamations and taxes imposed by the King (via his Royal Governor played by a guide). To end Colonial Acton, Lions must draft a Declaration of Independence and roll a die to determine the consequences.

Putting themselves in the shoes of frustrated British colonists being ruled by King George gives Lions an opportunity to:

• Feel the resentment and frustration of having to obey a distant and seemingly unfair ruler who knows little about their way of life;
• Understand the need to compromise and join together as one in order to have any hope for winning a war against a larger power; and 
• Weigh the possible outcomes of two choices and make a decision with real-life consequences.​
  
  

(This is the same experiment that Laura wrote about in Courage to Grow!)

--- A note to parents: Heroes may feel a lot of emotions when this is introduced, as freedoms they normally have at Acton are temporarily taken away by the tyrant King George. Thanks in advance for your support and encouragement through this journey!
​

Edison's Lab | This session the Adventure Studio heroes will get their first glimpse at how we tackle subjects like Science at Acton Academy. This will be the first in a three part physics-focused cycle of Quests for this year.

For this quest Heroes will take on the role of innovators in the footsteps of Thomas Edison in his Menlo Park lab. They will be working in teams to solve challenges dealing with energy and electricity by devising simple machines and systems and creating patents. This Quest will challenge them to be curious and innovative, to work effectively as a team, and to master the basic principles of energy, work and electricity through hands on experimentation.
​

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. 
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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.
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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.

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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.
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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.
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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:
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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.”
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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.