Does Acton Work?!

When we first began this radical experiment in education, we had no idea if it would work.

A school with NO TEACHERS?! No grades? No tests? No classrooms?

Sure, the model intrigued me: Socratic guidance, project-based learning, multi-aged studios, hands-on experiential learning, Montessori-inspired principles, self-paced and personalized journeys. These were some of the best practices in education.

But honestly, we had no idea if Acton would work. We were just excited to experiment and see what would happen. Was it courageous? I don't know. It just felt like the right thing to do. Children deserve better.

About two weeks ago, I had the honor of meeting in Sacramento with 25 inspiring fellow Acton owners from across the global network.

You may or may not know this, but Acton owners are some of the most impressive people in the world: entrepreneurs, problem-solvers, servant leaders, educational thinkers, gritty, scrappy, resilient and mission-driven people who truly see children as the geniuses they are and devote themselves to helping them flourish. (More on that in another post perhaps?)

At the conference, Jake Thompson opened with a powerful question: "What’s something on your campus worth celebrating?" When my turn came, I was so excited to share highlights from our campus. But I quickly reminded myself of Jeff Sandefer's words, shared at a similar conference years ago: "We really only have about 20 percent of this model figured out," he said. While we have discovered some really cool things, there's so much more to learn and do, to tap into the infinite potential of children.

Stay humble Vijay.

With that caveat, I began sharing: "It’s our tenth year. We've already had two Launchpad (High School graduates) who are doing amazing things, but we're so excited to celebrate five more graduates this June. I know it's not about college, but they are getting into their top choices and earning tons of scholarship money, even full rides.

But more than that, their real world experiences are unbelievable. Through the Next Great Adventure program, they each have hundreds of apprenticeship hours, they have built deep relationships with mentors, honed real-world superpower skills, conducted powerful interviews, taken college-level courses related to their fields of study, conducted 400+ hours of service, traveled the world, started their own companies, and so much more. They haven’t just found passions; they’ve had the time and freedom to pursue them deeply during these four critical years. They seem more equipped to tackle the real world than just about any young people I have seen at their age.

E.g. One of our Warriors just graduated a few weeks ago, finishing high school in 2.5 years. He discovered a passion for civil engineering, honed 100+ hours of AutoCAD, was accepted into the college of his choice with over 90% of his tuition covered, and currently works (entry level) at a Civil Engineering firm!

"Maybe this crazy model, where the adults don't answer questions, actually works!"

Then Joey Bynum chimed in. (NOTE: Joey is a rockstar. Founder of Acton Academy West in Austin, alongside his wife, they have an outstanding program that's been around for over 11 years!) Joey shared how learners from his campus were getting into Harvard, Dartmouth, and receiving full rides at McCombs. The world is starting to notice Acton. But what stood out even more to him was the life experiences these young people had accumulated and the extraordinary things they were doing in the world. He affirmed simply: "Yes, Acton works."

Then Melissa Wzorek from Acton Academy Palatine near Chicago chimed in.

This year she will have seven high school graduates. Yes, they are getting into the best programs in the world she said. But what struck her most was something deeper.

They have a remarkable clarity of purpose. They know not just where they want to go next but why. It's a profound understanding of who they are, what they want to do, and how to get there.

Ali, from Acton Academy Lahore went next. He shared about a graduate who is making over $150,000 as a computer programmer for an oversees company, who's only 18! Oh, and he doesn't really have a passion for the work, it's just a side gig to his true calling.

This was one of the biggest highlights of the entire conference. We're noticing an undeniable pattern emerge across different Acton campuses from all over the globe: thoughtful, intentional young people who are taking ownership of their lives and pursing their callings.

Last week on our own campus, we hosted an ASLP information session and invited our Launchpadders to sit on a Q & A panel. When parents learned that our Warriors were getting into their top college choices, and that their average SAT scores were over 1500, one parent asked a fair question:

"Okay, but isn’t that because you guys are just really smart? What if one of my kids isn’t that smart?"

One of our Launchpadders replied honestly:

"I actually didn’t do well the first time I took the SAT. I had to study hard and take it over and over again until I got the score I wanted."

He explained that because of his years at our academy, he knows how to learn. He was confident that with enough time and effort, he could figure it out.

The honesty, the humility, the grit... that is Acton.

He went on to share how some of his peers even had higher SAT scores than him, but did not get into the same schools he did. He felt college admissions are not just about scores. They are about your story. And in his opinion, there is no better place to build your story.

True story: one of our graduates even inspired an industrial engineer in his mid-20s, a professional with a lucrative and successful corporate career, to quit his job and start his own Acton Academy back in his hometown in Florida. When I asked him about the decision he said, "I had never met someone with so many life experiences at such a young age."

As I write this, we are currently on our annual farm trip about two hours from the hustle and bustle of Dallas. Our learners spent the last two days doing intense physical work for 4+ hours a day, cooking their own meals, cleaning up, immersing in nature, observing wildlife at the crack of dawn, and building deep connections with one another through sports tournaments and down time.

Matt Clayton, one of the pioneers in the Acton network, rightfully said during one of our discussions: "At the core, humans are looking for purpose and connection," something Acton Academy does incredibly well.

So if high school graduates from Acton are actually finding their callings and changing the world…Does Acton work?

You tell me. Because that is exactly what we are seeing.