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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It is about wanting. It is about desire.

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

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

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

Why do you want to be smart?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

​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.
​