How is Vail Valley Unbound affiliated with Acton Academy?
VVU is part of the network of over 300 Acton Academies around the world. We follow the same exact Learning Design (curriculum) and learning model that our owners helped create at the original Acton Academy campus.
What grades do you offer?
The Spark Studio (ages 4-6)
Elementary Studio (ages 6-11)
(Coming Soon!) The Middle School Studio (ages 11-14)
What is your calendar and daily schedule?
VVU begins at 9:00 am each day (drop-off starting at 8:30 am) and finishes at 3:30 pm (pick-up until 4:00 pm).
We operate on a traditional school 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.
Is VVU a Montessori school?
We respect and incorporate Maria Montessori’s philosophy but, we are not a Montessori school. We also use the latest interactive technologies, hands on projects and the Socratic Method for discussions.
Is VVU a religious school?
We are open to Believers, Searchers and Non-Believers alike and expose children to the importance of mindful spirituality and stress the historical importance of Christianity to the development of Western Civilization.
Lord John Emerich Edward Dahlberg Acton (1834-1902) was a Victorian scholar of Freedom who saw liberty not as a license, but as the freedom to do what was right. He was suspicious of power for the sake of power, which led to his most famous quote: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” At the Acton Academy, we celebrate his defense of economic, political and religious freedom.
What do you mean by a hero’s journey?
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.
What is an “independent learner”?
Someone who can research questions, follow instructions, solve problems—admit that they don’t know something and figure out a solution when they hit a roadblock without asking an adult for help — participate in discussions, and strive for mastery.
What do you mean by a “running partner”?
Running Partners are classmates who meet together regularly to set goals and hold each other accountable for meeting those goals. Running Partners encourage and inspire each other by asking good questions, listening and providing affirmation.
Will children be grouped into grades?
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. In addition to individualized curriculum, all ages of students work together in groups.
Does VVU serve special needs children?
We are not trained to serve children with serious learning disabilities but have been able to serve young heroes with dyslexia if they receive special training and believe that many minor learning disabilities are commonly misdiagnosed.
What do you mean by “every child can change the world”?
We believe each of our students will find a passion — something they love and have a gift to do. They will use this gift to serve others and fulfill a need they are passionate about in the world. This may be by becoming a shoe-shiner who tells stories and makes people’s day just by doing his job with love and vigor; it may be by becoming a coach who sees the light in a child’s eyes and guides her to pursue a dream; it may be by becoming a father or mother who leads a family on a Hero’s Journey; it may be becoming an entrepreneur or business leader guided by compassion and integrity; or it may be by becoming an artist or writer who brings beauty to people’s lives.
Why do you focus on teaching the “American Experiment”?
We believe in liberty and justice and the ideals of the American revolution as the cornerstones of civilization. In addition to experiential learning, we will study the American documents and the true meaning behind them, as we examine other cultures and forms of government.
Why we guide rather than teach?
This approach empowers learners to take ownership of their education and develop critical thinking skills. They grow the confidence that it takes to discover knowledge on their own. Guides at VVU facilitate learning by providing resources, asking questions, and guiding learners on their educational journey.
Why there is no homework at VVU?
This allows more time for self-directed learning, activities that learners are passionate about, a sense of balance, and exploration. We believe that eliminating assigned homework reduces stress and burnout Instead of receiving traditional grades, students deliver regular exhibitions that showcase their work. In addition, they complete badge books to obtain mastery. This provides tangible evidence of their progress and growth over time.
We provide a self-paced progression that allows each learner to advance through the curriculum at their own speed, mastering each concept before moving on to the next. This ensures that learners fully understand and internalize each concept before progressing. No learner is rushed through a curriculum or arbitrarily delayed.
