Acton Academy Columbus aims to transform education by promoting a learner-driven, project-based approach that fosters joy in learning and prepares children for future challenges. The program emphasizes real-life skills, self-paced mastery, and a focus on character development, diverging significantly from traditional education models. With a network of over 200 locations, Acton Academy advocates for a reimagined education system tailored to the needs of 21st-century learners.

1. Ignite a Passion for Learning
www.actonacademycolumbus.com

2. Do you want your
child to find joy
in learning?
We believe each person who
enters Acton Academy will find a
calling that changes the world.

3. Dear Friend,
I love my daughter, as Iʼm sure you love your child.
I want to make sure I give my daughter every opportunity to use her gifts, passion, and talents to
find a calling and change the world.
That is why we started Acton Academy Columbus.
I want my child, as well as yours, to reach their full potential in life.
In todayʼs world, itʼs important that our children “learn to learn”, “learn to do” (project-based
learning), and “learn to be” (character development).
I want my daughter to be prepared for skills of the future. I want her to learn those skills while
finding joy in learning. I want our children to be passionate about learning, to find purpose in
their education, and to build strong moral values and character that lead to lifelong success.
And through all that, I want her to become a lifelong learner.
I fundamentally believe there is a better way to do all that.
If youʼre ready to reimagine education, to explore an alternative, learner-driven approach, I
highly recommend researching Acton Academy.
It is life changing.
I hope to see you on the journey where we can, together, inspire our children to find a calling
and change the world.
Warmest Regards,
Varun Bhatia

4. “If the purpose of education is to score well on a test,
we’ve lost sight of the real reason for learning.”
- Professor Feynman

5. School System
1920 2020
● Rows of desks
● Teacher at the
blackboard
● Memorization and
testing of rules and facts
● Nightly homework
● Report card measures
your success
● One teacher lectures to
many students
● Standardized tests
● School like a factory with
bells, shifts, and
one-size-fits-all
● Rows of desks
● Teacher at the blackboard
● Memorization and testing
of rules and facts
● Nightly homework
● Report card measures
your success
● One teacher lectures to
many students
● Standardized tests
● School like a factory with
bells, shifts, and
one-size-fits-all
Why start a new
school?
It’s time to reimagine
education for the
information age.

6. What if children actually enjoyed
school and learned skills theyʼll
need to be successful for the 21st
century?
Itʼs possible! Itʼs already happening at
our school and hundreds like ours
around the world.
Acton Academy
The Acton Academy
Network is the largest
microschool network in the
US. There are over 200
locations set or being built
around the world.
“Acton Academy is on the vanguard of change in education in our country. After reading [Courage to
Grow], your first two questions will probably be, ‘Why couldn’t my school be like this?’ and ‘How can I
send my kids to Acton?’ This is an important story about learning what matters.”
- Seth Godin, Author of Stop Stealing Dreams

7. If the school system were started
today, how would it be different?
Acton Academy is a studio built for a 21st
century education.
★ Learn real-life skills through projects
★ Self-Paced, Mastery-Based Learning: No
tests, grades, report cards
★ Everyone’s a learner, including guides
★ Cutting-edge adaptive tech for Core Skills;
Professional tools for art, engineering, and
storytelling.
★ School like a journey, with big goals,
mentors, tools, and a destination you care
about
★ Blended Learning
★ Freedom to move around
★ Focus on 4 Cs: Collaboration, Creativity,
Critical Thinking, and Communication Skills

8. What they’re saying

9. Acton Difference
★ Learner-driven community
★ Project based learning
★ Mastery Based: No tests, no
homework, no grades, no lectures
★ Self-Paced core skills
★ Montessori and Reggio Emilia
inspired
★ Growth mindset environment
★ Socratic discussions
★ Multi-age classroom
★ Guides rather than teachers
★ Enrichment program with
community leaders

10. What does learning at Acton Academy mean?
● Independent and team projects
● Research projects
● Peer-to-Peer learning
● Self-paced learning
● Growth mindset environment
● Self-governance
● Eagle contract
● Emotion regulation
● Calming room
● STEM projects
● Week long projects
● 4-to-6 week long quests
● Real-life skills
● Entrepreneurship / Building a business
● Exhibitions / Event planning

11. Peer-to-Peer Learning Studio Ownership
Setting own SMART goals Self-Governance /
Contract
Self-Paced Core Skills
Discussion Lead
What is a learner-driven environment?
Learners have agency of their own education
“Agency may be
the one most
important factor
in human
happiness and
well-being”
William Stixrud, Ned Johnson,
Authors of The Self-Driven
Child: The Science and sense
of giving your kids more
control over their lives
https://www.kqed.org/mindshif
t/50562/the-key-to-raising-a-h
appy-child

12. “The way kids
learn to make
good decisions is
by making
decisions, not
following
directions”
Aflie Kohn, Author of
Unconditional Parenting
Day in the Life
Opening /
Daily Goals
Self-Paced Core Skills
/ DEAR
Studio Maintenance
Socratic Discussion
Quest / Projects Outdoor / Free Time

13. STEM Projects Coding / Robotics
Entrepreneurship
Real-World Challenges
Help our Eagles develop their Executive Functioning Skills
Engineering Challenges
Computer Skills Studio Ownership

14. Volcano Ferris Wheel Zip Line
Slime Tower
STEM Projects
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math
Spaghetti Tower
“Children come
into the world
exquisitely
designed, and
strongly
motivated to
educate
themselves.
They don’t need
to be forced to
learn; in fact,
coercion
undermines their
natural desire to
learn.”
Peter Gray, Author of Free to
Learn

15. String Art Woodworking Basket weaving
Wumpum Belt Christmas Play
Art / Music / Drama
Do the Git Up
“Heroes do
hard things”
Acton Academy
Columbus mantra

16. Yoga Dance
Music Sports
Enrichment Program / Other
Working with community leaders to learn real life skills
Martial Arts
Movie night
“When students are
engaged and
motivated and feel
minimal stress,
information flows
freely through the
affective filter in the
amygdala and they
achieve higher levels
of cognition, make
connections, and
experience “aha”
moments. Such
learning comes not
from quiet classrooms
and directed lectures,
but from classrooms
with an atmosphere of
exuberant discovery”
- Alfie Kohn

17. Exhibitions
Heroes showcase what they’ve been working on
“We're training kids to
do what computers
do, which is spit back
facts. And computers
are always going to
be better than human
beings at that. But
what they're not going
to be better at is
being social,
navigating
relationships, being
citizens in a
community. So we
need to change the
whole definition of
what success in
school, and out of
school, means.”
- Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Author of
Becoming Brilliant

18. The joy of learning in a tight knit group
“I was so impressed
with [Acton
Academy] that I
persuaded my
husband to move
from Honolulu,
Hawaii, to the heart
of Central Texas so
our five young
children could
enroll.”
Heather Staker, co-author of
Blended: Using Disruptive
Innovation to Improve Schools

19. “If the purpose of
education is to
score well on a
test, we’ve lost
sight of the real
reason for
learning.”
Professor Feynman
The joy of learning in a tight knit group

20. Work together to build a
restaurant
Design a city
“When you take the free will out of education, that turns it into schooling.”
- John Taylor Gatto, Author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Education
Other Entrepreneurship / team projects
Using agile project management and teamwork skills to complete projects
Build a store, sell products,
make real money

21. ● Entrepreneurship Quest- equips Heroes with skills, tools, and
frameworks needed to start a business. They create a business to
present at a Children’s Business Fair.
● Acton Athens Quest- Using their imaginations, Heroes enter into Acton
Athens as their chosen avatars (Greek mythological characters), and
explore the city by completing challenges in different areas.
● Coding and Robotics Quest- Heroes embark on a journey to learn the
basics of coding. After which, they build and code robots.
● Around the World Quest- Heroes visit all the different continents around
the world - learn about geography, cuisines, architecture, music through
projects
● Community Garden Quest- Heroes become gardeners, and they take
on the title of “scientist” as they explore plant science, including cellular
biology, photosynthesis, decomposition, capillary action, germination, and
pollination. They also plan, build, and raise a garden.
● Game Design Quest: Eagles become game designers. They explore
probability and game design while playing and analyzing games of luck,
strategy, and skill. The quest culminates with learners each designing an
offline game and an online game to present at a public Game Expo.
● Growing Curiosity: Heroes are challenged to embrace their curiosity
and dive deeply into a variety of potential interests, challenging
themselves to be open-minded each week to the possibility of
discovering a new passion, gift, or talent.
“Schools need to anchor more on student
agency and a peer-to-peer model where
adults are NOT the center of student
learning.”
- Sal Khan, Founder of Khan Academy
Sample Quests
Quests
4-to-6 week projects combining numerous challenges,
discussions, and mini-projects

22. At a Learner-Driven school, the focus is
on the learner.
The classroom can be quite noisy and
busy with learners working on their
projects and constantly collaborating
with each other.
There is a lot of peer-to-peer learning
happening and you will often see
learners moving around.
In a teacher-led model, classrooms
tend to be quiet with students sitting in
rows of desks, listening to instruction.

23. In a self-paced model, learners master
topics at their own pace.
The learning is highly personalized and
focused on mastery rather than a
traditional grades / tests model.
Rather than grades, learners and
Guides work together to reflect on each
student’s learning journey on academic
skills and non-academic skills.

24. Do they enjoy helping others out and
wish they had more ownership /
agency over their own learning? Are
they motivated to self-learn (but
perhaps don’t enjoy being lectured /
schooled)
It’s possible that a Learner-Driven
model of education may be a better
fit for your child.
In a Teacher-Led model, the
instructor is often at the front of the
classroom and will lecture about
what is important.

25. Our Principles of Education
1. Learners must learn to learn, learn to do, and learn to be
2. Learning is improved in a learner-driven environment
3. Fundamentals are critical
4. The 4 Cs of education are essential for a 21st century education
5. Learners should be given the opportunity to pursue their own interests
6. It is critical that schools nurture a Growth Mindset in learners
7. Every child is a genius
8. Failure is key to success
9. Learning is a reward. Schooling is not.
10. Students are individuals who are at different stages and learn at their own pace.
11. The ability to move around freely fosters creativity
12. Collaborative engagement and teamwork is critical for learning
13. Information is a commodity. Applying knowledge is essential.
14. Multi-age classrooms are optimal for learning and fostering a growth mindset
15. Blended learning is highly effective
16. Self-learning and peer-to-peer learning are essential in today’s collaborative world
17. Education should focus on long term benefits, not short term results
https://actonacademycolumbus.com/blog/principles-of-education
“I’ve visited and studied hundreds of innovative models of schooling over the past decade, and Acton continues to be
one of the most promising models…. Acton is a truly inspiring and exceptional school.”
- Bernard Bull, Author of Etale – Education, Innovation, Experimentation

26. “Every few weeks we have the pleasure of hosting
new Acton Academy owners for orientation.
At the end of our latest session, as we circled up
for lessons learned, a longtime educator and new
Acton owner said: ‘It’s as if all my life I’ve been
observing caged tigers, believing I understood
them; today for the first time I saw the magnificent
creatures living free. Free tigers are not the same
as caged tigers and I will never forget the
difference.
Free tigers are not the same as caged tigers.”
-Jeff Sandefer, Acton Academy Founder
Freedom = Joy
of Learning

27. Is your family ready to join the learner-driven
education revolution?
Click here to
Schedule a Tour
Let’s reimagine education and
ignite the passion for learning
Click here to
Begin your Application

28. www.actonacademycolumbus.com
Ignite a Passion for Learning
Find a Calling
Change the World