By Laura Sandefer November 2, 2019 “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

by Laura Sandefer February 16, 2021 With deep respect for the work of Dr. Maria Montessori, we layer onto our design of the Acton learner-driven community element: freedom with responsibility.  In its

by Laura Sandefer January 31, 2021 With over 200 Acton Academies and 600 Acton Children’s Business Fairs around the world it’s easy to get overwhelmed in trying to figure out the

By Laura Sandefer June 28, 2021 Like location is to real estate, mindset is to learning. A fixed mindset is a dead-end to lifelong learning. A growth mindset is its rocket fuel. I

By Laura Sandefer March 14, 2018 We can boil the Acton Academy systems to just two choices that ensure a happy, fruitful learning journey: Be kind. Do some work every day. Simple,

By Laura Sandefer February 22, 2021 When Jeff and I started Acton Academy, we wondered how we could prove learning beyond simply giving a test, the antithesis of a learner-driven experience. In

By Laura Sandefer April 22, 2016 Our souls, that treasured light within each of us, reveal who we were born to be. Each soul is shy and tender; therefore, easily crushed.

By Laura Sandefer December 16, 2021 Acton turns the traditional method of teaching writing upside down. In our studios, the love of writing comes first. Then comes the appreciation for grammar. As

By Laura Sandefer February 8, 2021 The element that promises an Acton learner-driven experience will thrive is also the simplest of all: the mixed-age environment. Children are teachers and learners. They learn