Evergreen: An Acton Academy’s mission is to inspire each child and parent who enters our doors to find a calling that will change the world.
Do you still believe in heroes? Do you believe that character still matters? Do you believe that learning to be and learning to do are more important than textbooks alone? If your answer is “yes” then perhaps Evergreen an Acton Academy is for you and your family! Acton Academies are self-paced learning environments that incorporate real world quests and apprenticeships. A learner driven community that promotes serious commitments; genuine relationships, and authentic accountability. Founded in Austin Texas, the Acton model of education is exploding across the country, Canada, and Central America.
Children are born with unique talents and abilities. Often as adults we feel that we must shape children by putting them into an educational environment that uses tests, grades, and standard curriculum to produce an educated child. In my opinion, children’s passions, interests, and morale are often extinguished by this type of educational model. I admit that as a parent, I have often bought into this philosophy. As parents, it is easy to parent from a place of fear – fear of failure, fear of being a bad parent or being judged by others, fear of our children not going to college, fear of our children being unhappy, or fear of our children not having a good job. When we let limiting fears go and recognizes that children are highly capable, magic happens! Acton Academy recognizes that when children are celebrated for their diverse learning styles instead of forced into a one size fits all program, children are free to soar.
One big takeaway from seeing Acton Academy in action is summarized by Zig Ziglar’s famous quote “failure is an event, not a person.” Sometimes at Acton the children’s projects fail and when that happens they learn that it’s ok to fail, it’s what you do with the failure that matters. The children learn to regroup and try again. Everything the children do is brought back to their hero’s journey and how their unique gifts and talents can change the world. I wish that I had been encouraged to think about my gifts and abilities at the age of 7 instead of being 35 and often questioning what my strengths are. I am eager to walk beside my children as we all explore our own personal hero’s journey.
The families at Acton Academy draft a family mission statement that recognizes that as children and parents alike we are on a hero’s journey to change the world. Acton families recognize that educating in the Acton model is completely new and innovative and as such they are committed to the process. I encourage you to review our web site, ask lots of questions, and read the book A Thomas Jefferson Education. If you feel that your family is excited to join this life changing movement, I encourage you to fill out the online application or request a free info kit.
