FAQS

Each family is unique, though there are some similarities we've seen between the families who are happiest and most successful in this model. Check out the list here.

We encourage families to be intentional about their decision to apply to Acton Academy Redding! Please read our site and other materials, watch videos, and participate in a couple of our events.

Acton Academy Redding offers 4 studios:

Spark - ages 5 to approximately 7 years old

Adventure - Ages 8 to 11 years old

Discovery - Ages 12 to 14 years old

Launchpad - Ages 14 to 18 years old 

*Studio placement depends on social-emotional and academic readiness. Age is not the primary determining factor.

Acton Academy Redding begins at 8:30 am each day (drop-off starting at 8:00 am) and finishes at 3:00 pm. Fun Fridays end at 12:30pm.

We operate on a 9-10 month calendar, but our flexible program allows families to travel together during the year, without sacrificing any learning.

The school calendar is based on a series of 5- to 6-week project sprints called "Quests", each with a theme – like Rockets, Robots, Medical Biology, or Detective Chemistry. Each Quest is a grand adventure, culminating in a high-stakes public Exhibition for family and friends.

Six 5- to 6-week sessions, followed by 1 to 2 weeks off to refuel and for holidays, make up the school year.

We also offer a part-time option for our youngest learners (5-year-olds): Tuesday through Thursday from 8:30a-3:00p.

We believe that each of us has a special calling in life, and a series of trials and tests that must be faced with integrity and purpose in order to live a satisfying and fulfilled life. Our mission is to prepare your child for his or her special journey.

This is based on Joseph Campbell's work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949). It has since been termed the 'monomyth' and is the framework used for every epic movie you've ever seen. It is a theory of the journey of the archetypal hero and covers many aspects of the human experience.

At Acton Academy Redding we believe in learning to be and learning to do and an important part of this is encouraging kids to take responsibility for their own behavior and hold those around them to a high standard. When something isn’t working, we want our students to work together to solve the problem, not look for an adult to solve it for them. This creates a sense of independence and confidence that will serve them well in all areas of life.

We see a learner-driven environment provide opportunities and challenges for children to navigate on a daily basis that clearly develops real-life skills. These skills include: conflict resolution, clear communication, taking initiative, leading a group, regulating emotions, creative problem-solving, and more. 

We believe that children learn best when working with children younger and older than themselves rather than split up into groups based solely on age (or grade level). In addition to some individualized curriculum, all ages of students work together in groups in the studio. This is based on the work of John Dewey and Maria Montessori.

Kids who love to learn, are curious, self-motivated, and respectful. Our environment is an accelerator for the independent learner who can tackle hard questions, is willing to engage with unfamiliar challenges, can follow instructions, and solve problems.

We take our commitment seriously when we promise to deliver a transformative education experience for young people at Acton Academy Redding. Since we are a small school, we make sure that we have the resources necessary to keep this promise for each family that joins us. Currently, we have had success with young people who experience ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, and some minor forms of autism. We are not currently equipped to serve young people with other specific learning needs.

We respect and incorporate Maria Montessori’s philosophy but, we are not a Montessori school. Our Spark studio for our youngest learners looks similar to a Montessori school with many of the same works. We also use the latest interactive technologies, hands on projects and the Socratic Method for discussions.

At Acton Academy, we believe in the power of balance. Using the incredible, self-paced eLearning tools now available, we are able to provide the rigor needed for learning math, vocabulary, spelling and grammar in about 90 minutes each day, while freeing up the rest of the day for engaging, project-based learning. The two are highly complementary. 

Our Discovery and Launchpad learners (middle to high school) spend more time on laptops than the Adventure learners (elementary).

We don't use the word "discipline," rather we emphasize choice and consequences. Each studio spends several weeks in the beginning of the year discussing and deciding on a studio contract (how they agree to behave in the studio and with one another) and consequences for breaking the contract. It is these sort of systems that hold learners accountable and teaches them how to take ownership of their own words and actions.

There are also specific behaviors that are not tolerated at all and are immediately handled by guides, such as, bullying, inappropriate language/joking, breaking tech guardrails, and a few others.

We have seen these systems of accountability work in almost every case. Once children realize they are in charge of their own experience, and ultimately whether they continue at Acton, they seem to change almost overnight.

We offer needs-based partial scholarships for families that are a great fit for the Acton model. The scholarship application will be made available after the interview when a family is invited to enroll in Acton.

Families that qualify will be given a choice of discounted tuition or further discounted tuition in exchange for services (e.g. school projects, organizing field trips, gardening).

Acton is accredited by the International Association of Learner Driven Schools (IALDS). 

We are not currently WASC-accredited, which is the primary governing accrediting commission for schools and colleges. This means we are not strictly bound to California's K12 curriculum. Acton's high-schoolers will, however, graduate with a college-ready transcript.

Almost! As of July 2024, we have applied for 501(c)(3) status in California.