Change the world
Become a Guide at Vail Valley Unbound.
Guides are our most important hires because we only accept those who believe they are on a Hero’s journey and who we believe have the DRIVE, PERSEVERANCE and TALENT to someday run their own Acton Academy. Vail Valley Unbound is currently interviewing for one guide for the 2025-26 school year.
VVU Is Hiring!
Do you want to change the world? Do you crave working hard with a small, mission-driven, world-class team of entrepreneurs changing the vision of school?Position: Spark Guide
Start Date: August 2025
Vail Valley Unbound is a K-3 (growing to K-5) private non-profit school located in Eagle, Colorado that provides a truly unique and revolutionary educational model and is affiliated with the Acton Academy Network.
The Montessori method and principles are central to our philosophy and practice. We emphasize Socratic guidance over traditional teaching, mixed-age classrooms with a self-paced curriculum instead of grade levels, and life-oriented quests that culminate in a public exhibition of learning, rather than test scores and report cards. Within the boundaries of safe guardrails, students are empowered to take the driver’s seat in their learning within an environment that is truly theirs. Moreover, our goal is to support each student on their Hero’s Journey as they seek to find their calling and change the world.
We are seeking a full-time Socratic Montessori Guide who is passionate about guiding children on their independent journey of lifelong learning and who possesses a deep love and commitment to Maria Montessori’s methodology and materials. Montessori certification is not required, but it is preferred (AMI or AMS).
Guides are expected to prepare the learning environment, lead discussions, inspire our heroes to explore, be curious, and take ownership of their learning, and monitor student progress on our self-paced Montessori curriculum.
Our guides serve as pillars of our learning environment and receive competitive pay, commensurate with experience.
Job Type: Full-time
Preferred experience:
- Montessori Teaching: 2 years
Preferred license or certification:
- Montessori certification (preferably AMI or AMS)
Salary & Benefits:
- Starting at $50,000, negotiable based on experience and licensing
- 75% reimbursement on insurance
- Up to 6% 401k match
Position: Lower Elementary Guide
Start Date: August 2025
Vail Valley Unbound is a K-3 (growing to K-5) private non-profit school located in Eagle, Colorado that provides a truly unique and revolutionary educational model and is affiliated with the Acton Academy Network.
An Elementary Studio Guide acts as if each young hero truly is a genius who will change the world, and begins to transfer responsibility to learners as soon as possible. Guides offer learners fair choices and consequences, with no nudges, nagging, commands disguised as questions or other passive-aggressive tactics adults often use to coerce children into the “right choice.”
Early in the life of the studio, a Guide models the skills of a master game maker through a:
- Compelling launch that puts the learners in the shoes of a protagonist who faces an important dilemma to show why the challenge matters
- World-class example and rubric to measure success
- Recipe, process, or algorithm to address the dilemma
- “Rules of the game” with clear roles and rewards, so learners soon become game makers too
In a mature studio, there is often little for a Guide to do because learners deliver launches, execute multi-week challenges, and practice self-governance with little adult intervention.
Our guides serve as pillars of our learning environment and receive competitive pay, commensurate with experience.
Job Type: Full-time
Relevant experience may include:
- Business owner, coach, camp counselor, educator, kids ski/snowboard instructor, position with similar age children, homeschool parent
Salary & Benefits:
- Starting at $50,000, negotiable based on experience and licensing
- 75% reimbursement on insurance
- Up to 6% 401k match
Start your journey to equip and inspire young heroes
01
Apprentice Guide
Work hard on basic skills and your own hero’s journey.
02
Guide
Demonstrate mastery of the basic Acton Academy process and show a deep respect for the genius within Eagles, parents and other guides.
03
Lead Guide
Have the confidence to lead a studio and design powerful curriculum
04
Acton Academy Owner
You’re fully prepared to launch your own Acton Academy
Your promises to us
- I will encourage every child, parent and Guide to discover a “calling” that will change the world.
- I will show up prepared, on time, every time during our eleven month calendar.
- Stress “learning to do” and “learning to be” over “learning to know”.
- Never answer a question in the studio.
- Plan to be at Acton Academy for a minimum of two years and provide twelve months of notice so I can help find and train my replacement.
Our promises to you
- We will support your personal Hero’s Journey.
- We will offer pre-start challenges to prepare you for your first day in the studio.
- We will provide you weekly feedback from children and parents plus a full review every three months.
- We will offer a path for advancing to become a Lead Guide and Acton Academy Owner.
Join Us for a Shadow Morning!
A Shadow Morning at Vail Valley Unbound is more than just a visit — it’s the beginning of an adventure. We invite you to step into our world, where learning is joyful, children are empowered, and every day is an opportunity to grow.