Apprenticeships are in full swing.   Almost every Middle School Eagle has secured an apprenticeship or is well on the way to doing so.

What are our Eagles doing?

Helping save pets at an animal hospital; making sushi at a restaurant; decorating cakes at a bakery.  Going door to door for a political campaign and analyzing the results.  Working for a small business owner and for a clothing store that provides an outlet for the poorest villages in Africa.  Apprenticing for one of the top fashion designers in the world in Los Angeles.   And many more adventures.

What have the Eagles learned from their apprenticeship searches? Being brave enough to hit “send” on an email asking to be given a chance to prove yourself.  Negotiating for a role and fair pay.  Showing up the first day and not knowing anyone.  Scrubbing bathroom floors when necessary, and caring enough to do it right.  Realizing that working from 8 AM until 5 PM makes for a very long day, unless you are doing something you love.

All of these lessons are becoming part of the DNA of our Eagles, who long before college will  know the importance of work hard as part of delivering far value, in return for lessons that will move them along on a Hero’s Journey.

What will be the first question we’ll be asked when Acton Academy resumes in September?  This one: “When can we start working on our apprenticeships again?”