Do you ever wonder if it’s worth the extra effort to be a parent at an Acton Academy?  If so, check out the post below from Laura’s Parent Blog:

On Being the Best Travel Companions

By Laura Sandefer

I am fortunate to be in Park City, Utah with the Launchpad Eagles hiking, alpine sliding, playing games, cooking, debating life’s big questions and sleeping on floors, or air mattresses. (They are kind enough to give us old folks the beds.) The ages of travelers range from 14 to 19 years old.

The Eagles planned and paid for every detail of this trip – with no adult intervention or follow-up.

I had my doubts. As we pulled up to the airport at 7 am on Tuesday, I anticipated at least one airplane ticket not being secured.  Yet within an hour, we were casually waiting at the same gate for the same flight.

As we landed, I wondered if they really had rented a van in advance. Sure enough – an Eagle pulled out the confirmation number and handed it to me. The reserved vehicle was exactly where they told me it would be.

And you should see the daily itinerary! Up at 7:00 am. Breakfast cooked and cleaned up by 8:00 am. Hiking trails pinpointed and selected. Restaurants researched and reserved.

While I’m here as a chaperone, the truth is, I am merely a fly on the wall. They don’t need me in the least and at the same time, they are not avoiding me. They kindly include even adults in their midst.

The chaperones keep looking at each other and shaking our heads in disbelief. These young people are the most capable, responsible, spontaneous, fun, engaging and fully alive humans I have had the honor of being around.

Not often do you see graduates return to hang out with incoming freshman simply for the pure joy of it. Not often do you see the inclusion of the youngest or less athletic or less vocal in a high school group. Not often can you trust completely that no one will try to find loopholes in an agreement or avoid adult eye contact. Not often do you see young people spontaneously pull out cards or improv games rather than cell phones when the inevitable delay happens on a trip. Not often do you hear so much laughter coming from deep down inside. Not sarcastic or dark humor aimed at demeaning someone. Simply joyous laughter.

Trustworthiness. Compassion. Kindness. Playfulness. Joy. This is is what I am drinking in on this trip.

These Eagles have learned over time at Acton what it means to show up with authenticity and courage, ready for adventure, ready to help each other. They have learned how to be trusting and trustworthy. They have learned to be problem-solvers and leaders. To top it all off, they have a politeness that is natural – even jolting – toward each person we encounter.

Can you imagine being the waitress who sees 20 teenagers storming into your section and sitting down for dinner? I saw the look of dread in her eyes but had no worries because I had heard the Eagles on the sidewalk before entering. One said to the group, “When you give me your money, include tip and tax. Don’t skimp. We’re not dividing this bill.”

The deepest compliment is from someone like that waitress who says, “Wow. That’s an amazing group of kids. Such a pleasure to serve them. Thank you.”

Giving young people freedom and responsibility all along the way in their learning journey can look messy and feel terrible as a parent. We cringe when we see our young children make choices that carry negative consequences. But when we give them this freedom early and allow for ambiguity, we really are equipping them to be able to make big plans in their futures and carry them through with maturity. They begin to trust themselves. They are fine out in the world on their own. And they are a blast to be with.

Young people with a deep reservoir of confidence paired with humility – this is the sight I’m beholding today in Utah. And this is what makes for a great group of travel companions.

The Middle School Studio spring ranch trip always is an important time for celebration.  This year was no exception.

Eagles started with a spirited team competition on the obstacle course, then competitive paintball target practice and a kayak race on the lake.

Around the fire pit, each of our departing Eagles received a ceremonial gift and our best wishes, followed by selected readings by Eagles, sharing deep and insightful thoughts about the importance of living every moment with gusto.

At dawn, we gathered to watch the sunrise, celebrating the start of a new day, the heroic Hill Country pioneers who settled Texas, and the blessings of living in the freest nation on earth.

Nine years in the making.  Countless hours of work by Eagles, Guides and owners.  The time had come to launch our first Launchpadders into the real world:

Ellie has been accepted into the University of San Francisco on a full Merit scholarship, but would be deferring a year to travel the world helping to launch more Acton Academies.

Sarah is a National Merit Scholar who will be attending the University of Texas at Dallas Honors College in Engineering and Mathematics on a full Merit scholarship.

Sager, fully prepared and qualified for a competitive university, is going directly into  high tech, with a “stars and steppingstones” plan for success and fulfillment as a video game producer.

But those brief descriptions in no way capture the depth of their characters nor the world changing potential we had gathered to celebrate.

We started the morning with words of assurance from Laura Sandefer.

• Their wings are strong.
• Their minds are tough.
• Their hearts are warm and open.
• They are ready.

Next we heard from each graduate, of lessons learned, lives transformed and grateful hearts.  Then time for diplomas and three individual awards, named after our Launchpad pioneers, to be given each year in their honor.

Playwright and entrepreneur Steven offered  words that will echo for weeks to come,  reminding us that real heroes focus on relationships and how we serve those around us by listening and being present.

Then it was time for our three heroes to cross the threshold into the real world, and new adventures.  Gone, but never to be forgotten.

Was it worth it?  Every single minute.  For the honor or serving Ellie, Sager and Sarah, with deep gratitude for all they gave in building Acton Academy, and with eager anticipation for all the good they will do while changing the world.

We are not big fans of standardized tests at Acton Academy.

Standardized tests fail to measure what we care the most about: grit, perseverance, warmheartedness, tough-mindedness and the attributes of self-management and self-governance that make our studios hum with energy and learning.

Even worse, some schools “teach to the test” in ways that encourage memorization and regurgitation and kill curiosity and a love of learning.

Did I mention we are not big fans of standardized tests at Acton Academy?

Nevertheless, we do give one standardized test each year, the widely accepted Iowa Test series, and we aren’t above celebrating the results:

In the Elementary Studio, curiosity and good citizenship matter more than traditional academic advancement, yet ES Eagles still advance 1.0 to 1.7 grade levels each year.

In the Middle School studio, learning intensity increases, and MS Eagles advance between 1.5 and 3.0 grade levels per year.

After a few years, the cumulative impact is apparent.  ES Eagles are 1.7 to 2.5 grade levels ahead, on average, while MS and LP Eagles are 3.0 to 5.0 grade levels above average.

Even more telling, between 38% and 60% of Middle Schoolers have already placed completely out of high school, depending on the subject.  Most Launchpadders have placed out of high school in all subjects.

Yes, the standards for most national tests are low.  Plus, our data is limited to a few dozen Eagles in each studio, so from a national perspective, it’s anecdotal.   Nonetheless, our results in the upper studios are understated, because many of the older Eagles maxed out long ago, and stopped taking the test.

While we aren’t fans of standardized tests, it’s still reassuring to see how well a learner driven community can perform, even when there’s no teaching to the test, because there’s far more important learning afoot.

There’s nothing bigger in Texas than high school football.  After all, who wouldn’t want to move from Westlake High quarterback to NFL superstar, like Drew Brees?

Except Westlake High School has 2655 students.  If you are the 26th best football player, or slightly below the top 1%, you’ll be sitting in the stands with everyone else.

At Acton Academy, if you are on a middle school or Launchpad team, you’ll get to play.    A lot.  Usually against people about your level.

Except if you are exceptional.  Then you play club sports or in the big leagues.  Like our graduating Launchpadder who is going to the US Rowing National Championships.

And guess what: she never even mentioned to anyone she qualified for nationals!

What would it be if elementary aged Eagles could participate in the Launchpad Foreign Language Quest – including taking part in after school activities?  Better to let you read the  answer from an Eagle:

In typical schools, students are divided into one grade rooms where most of their friends and acquaintances are with people who are the same age. They have limited time to interact with people who are not being taught the same material.

One of the things I  love about Acton as an Eagle is that I am given a chance to build  relationships with people who are both younger and older than me. Opportunities to be with people I look up to are made possible and I get to learn lessons way beyond the level I would be learning at my old school. 

Surrounded by Launchpadders can be both an inspiring and intimidating — all at once. On the first day, speaking up and talking to new people was not easy, but as the days went on, I started to warm up to the LP Eagles, knowing that this was who I would spend half of my days with now. The shift from ES to LP was understandably hard, but my brain eventually adjusted to the workload and I quickly got to make some new friends. 

The Foreign Language Quest, in general, is fun and a great escape from the loud ES studio, but the standards are much higher, so I get more work done. In summary, it is an all-around great experience full of laughter, stress, challenge, fun, and new friendships.

Does our new Launchpad Foreign Language Quest work?  Check out the blog post below from one of the participants and judge for yourself:

The Benefits of Spanish Immersion

Learning a language can seem impossible. In the past, I have tried to use programs like Rosetta Stone to learn Spanish, but it never really stuck with me. I could remember ‘Hola,’ but that was about it.

In the past three weeks, that has all changed. In a short time, I have gone from embarrassing sign-language conversations with concierges about getting extra shampoo to having a two hour conversation in Spanish. On Thursday, I was even able to summarize the first two seasons of Breaking Bad for my (very patient) girlfriend in broken Spanish.

How could I make such a leap? There is one reason: immersion. It is very difficult to get a grip on the language if you are not experiencing it. You won’t have perfect grammar or vocabulary to start, but you will start to get a hold on it much faster than trying to learn in a classroom.

The beauty of immersion today is that you don’t have to travel to immerse yourself. Thousands of Spanish songs and podcasts are at your fingertips, and Netflix now offers many of their popular shows and movies with Spanish audio. You can easily surround yourself with content in that language, and you’ll be surprised with how fast you catch on to the language.

It is also important to communicate with native speakers, most of whom are friendly and constructive when you make mistakes. If you can get through one or two embarrassing conversations, you start to improve. Speaking in that language starts to become fun!

Another great tool, which I have written about before, is Duolingo. Since August, I have used Duolingo to build vocabulary. When I started to get serious about speaking in that language, I realized how valuable that vocabulary practice has been.

Learning a language is actually fun and easy if you can immerse yourself in that language. Find a native speaker, watch your favorite show in your target language, and practice vocabulary on Duolingo. Quickly you will be able to hold conversation in that language!