Wonderwood Village: An Acton Academy

We have 2 learning communities that we call Pods, we currently have 2 Pods and will continue to grow as our learners age up, all the way through their High School graduation:

Currently we are operating The Seed Pod for ages 3-7 & The Magnolia Pod for ages 6-12. We will not enroll new learners over the age of 9, without special consideration and a long Discovery period before commitment.

We are located in Grassy Cove, Tennessee, a beautiful community in Crossville, TN. Located on the Southern Cumberland Plateau, Grassy Cove, TN was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1973. It is arguably the largest sinkhole in North America, so large in fact it can be seen from outer space! We are fortunate to be in this bountiful agricultural area that is home to a number of rare species of plants and animals. Endless opportunities for exploration ahead with beautiful open fields, numerous caves, mountain bluffs, and creeks. The natural and recorded history are of deep importance and hold a core part in our program.

The main site is on private property with 50+ beautiful acres. Serious applicants will be invited to the campus, upon request, for tours of the studio space.

Wonderwood Village is part of the network of over 300 Acton Academies around the world. We follow the same Learning Design (curriculum) and learning model as the original Acton Academy campus.

Children learn best when working with those 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. Mixed aged classrooms help to foster independence and support social and emotional growth.

The curriculum at Acton Academy is designed to inspire a love of learning, cultivate critical thinking, and equip learners with the skills they need to thrive in an ever-changing world. Grounded in research and innovative methodologies, our curriculum goes beyond traditional education to empower learners to become lifelong learners and leaders in their own right. 

1. First, Make it Fun!

Job number one is to make it fun to be part of the community.  If the heroes want to belong to the tribe, they will accept hard work and the Hero’s Journey as the price of membership, deeply imbedding the core belief that Grit matters more than IQ for heroes in the long run.

Plus, motivated heroes work at 10X the rate of average learners.

2. Focus on Core Skills

Reading, writing (communication) and math are fundamental tools for decision making and critical thinking.

Reading: First, make reading fun and enjoyable (see point number one above.)  We provide reading time daily and allow the learners to read anything they want.  Once children love to read, we can offer more challenging ideas, authors and genres.

Hint: We never mention the word “classic.”  Sadly, many children define “classic” as “a boring book that grown-ups make you read.”  Instead, we offer Great Books. In the upper pods, the heroes will pitch Great Books to read that will be approved by their fellow travelers as a book that will add value to a hero’s journey.

Writing (Communication):​ In our pods we make writing fun by starting with journaling and lighthearted creative writing.  We start early with Socratic discussions.  We always apply writing as a means of meaningful communication or for a specific reason, usually as part of an exhibition, so that quality matters to the heroes. Over time, we offer more difficult challenges and genres.  The pods use peer critiques to boost motivation; Heroes will write and revise a great deal if they can share with friends.

Handwriting and spelling will come over time, but we give the learners incentives to improve these early on Grammar is different. Too much early emphasis on grammar can kill the joy of getting thoughts and emotions on paper. If young people care about writing and communicating, better grammar will come.

Math:  Khan Academy and other game-based adaptive programs like Dreambox make math curriculum a breeze, so we can focus on motivation and including math in real world projects.

Civilization:  We use articles, videos and ethical dilemmas that put the learners in the shoes of a heroic decision maker, require them to take a firm stand and debate the alternatives in a Socratic Discussion.

Learners are competitive by nature.  Ask them to track and post the results for the Core Skills activities above, and deep learning will happen.

3. Quests for 21st Century Skills

With confidence that the Core Skills are being mastered, we add Quests to master 21st Century skills and subjects like science.  A Quest is nothing more than a series of hands-on, real-world projects that contain a narrative and a public exhibition at the end of a timeframe (usually 6 weeks). Quests that have been covered in the past include: Gardening, Coding & Robotics, Greek Influence on American Democracy, US Citizenship and the Naturalization Process, Architecture, Marine Science, and Detective Science.

Each fall we start with a Build the Tribe Quest that allows the new pods to build their learner-designed Hero’s Contract (rules that guide them through the year). We start with simple Quests first then add more complex Quests through the year.  By Summer session, late in the school year, we hand the Quest creation to our heroes in upper pods to design a curiosity topic to teach to younger learners in the pod in a truly learner-led, hands-on experience.

4. Real World Apprenticeships

As soon as possible, older heroes begin real world apprenticeships – sometimes as early as ten years old.  This includes each learner considering his or her individual gifts and talents; activities that bring joy or “flow,” and the irresistible opportunities or terrible injustices that inspire a young hero.

We challenge learners to identify and pitch apprenticeship opportunities themselves, with as little help as possible from adults.  There’s nothing quite as freeing as knowing you can identify and land your next adventure in life, all by yourself.

Learner-Driven Learning Communities offer a rich tapestry of collaborative discovery with serious rigor, as young heroes negotiate collaborating and learning with Running Partners and in small groups.  But “self organized” doesn’t mean chaos; in fact, it usually requires a rigorous set of rules and natural consequences.  Embracing the principles above allows the chaos at Acton Academy to (usually) have an upward trajectory, and to self-correct when it doesn’t.

Adapted from The Eagles of Acton Blog.
 

We operate on an 11 month calendar, July-May, but our flexible program allows families to travel together throughout the year, without sacrificing any learning. Find our calendar here. We operate for 180 days per academic year with both full and part-time options. Although we do not follow the Public School Calendar, we will following the closings due to extreme weather or poor road conditions, and will close on our own if we feel weather conditions are poor for our Forest setting. We will close up to 13 days before makeup days are scheduled.

While we expose children to the importance of mindful spirituality, we do not promote any one religion. We support freedom of religion and discuss many customs that are celebrated and recognized throughout the world. We discuss what is factual, what is fictional, what is pretend, and what is belief and/or faith?

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.

Here is a quick reference on the Hero’s Journey.

We have seen young heroes with various special needs succeed in this environment, however we are not trained to offer the resources for those needing additional support. This is determined on a case by case situation, with many conversations between guide, owner, learner, and the family before moving forward.

A Hero’s Calling = Individual Passion + A Need in the World
We believe that each of our heroes will find a calling by discovering their passions and gifts, then finding a way to use them to serve others and fulfill a need.

At Wonderwood Village we believe in learning to be and learning to do. An important part of this is encouraging young people 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 value freedom and flexibility. Families will not be penalized for travel or days off to pursue family and personal endeavors. However, being part of the tribe is an integral part of the Acton model, so learners are encouraged to attend when they are in town. Part time students attend 3 days a week (usually Tuesday, Thursday, Friday – but this is flexible if this doesn’t work for your family). If a day is missed, your part-time days can be made up later or swapped for a different day that week.

WWV holds two accreditations. Forest School Teacher Institute Accreditation, and International Association of Learner Driven Schools Accreditation. We are currently in the accreditation process for Middle States Association Accreditation.

A child’s ability to set and track goals in order to evaluate progress is essential to success in a learner-driven, individualized program. Children need a lot of practice setting specific, measurable goals that are challenging but realistic.

Learners will set goals, track progress, and establish a rhythm of meeting with their Guide to hold themselves accountable. In addition, they will develop an agreement with the guide, their running partner, and their tribe to set boundaries for acceptable behavior and rules for engagement in the pod.

We believe that learning to set goals and challenging yourself are critical skills for the real world.

Learners are guided through their learning and the daily schedule with the help of their guide and the tribe. They may choose not to do their own core learning, but while other motivated learners choose to set and meet tough goals, we often see more hesitant learners jump on board themselves.

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. 

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. 

All organized learning programs in Tennessee must fall into one of four categories: public school, private school, church school, or home school. In order for Wonderwood Village, An Acton Academy to apply the unique Acton learning design (curriculum) that is fully learner-driven, we must fall under the umbrella of home school tutorial. Other categories of Tennessee schools are compelled by TN state standards and timelines.

In order to be in compliance with TN Compulsory Attendance laws, all Wonderwood Village, An Acton Academy students must be registered as homeschooled. All homeschool children must either be: 

1) registered as independent with the local school district,

2) enrolled in an umbrella school,

3) enrolled in an accredited online school.

More details can be found on these links:

Tennessee Department of Education Homeschool Registration

Middle Tennessee Home Education Association

It is the Parent’s/Guardians responsibility to report attendance to your Central Office or Umbrella School each semester. Your learner will also be compiling a portfolio and tracking skills progress through Acton software “Journey Tracker” which will be helpful not only for record keeping but also for applying for internships, apprenticeships, or if a family transfers to another school.

As part of the enrollment process at Wonderwood Village, we require proof of registration through the method of your choice, as listed above. *Our own children are registered as homeschoolers enrolled in the Umbrella; The Farm School, a Satellite/Umbrella program. If you need help navigating this process, please let us know and we are happy to provide direction.

At Wonderwood Village, a safe and welcoming community is very important to us — we strive to create a joyful place for people of all races, ethnicities, national origins, abilities, ages, religions, sexual orientations, and genders.

 Step 1: Research

• First, please thoroughly review our website and FAQ (on this page). Next, you are encouraged to read Courage to Grow by Laura Sandefer or Unschooling Rules by Clark Aldrich. Courage to Grow gives you a page-turning deep dive into how Acton came about and what life in an Acton academy looks like. Unschooling Rules is a quick and easy read that discusses many of the philosophical and learning design principles followed by all Acton Academies across the world. If you want to learn more from a parent’s perspective, check out Acton Academy co-founder Laura Sandefer’s blog for Acton Academy parents. Videos on our page will also familiarize you with the Acton methodology.

Step 2: Audition

1. Begin your Audition Process here.
2. Once your Step One of the Audition Process has been accepted, you may schedule a tour of the property.
3. If you feel Acton is the right fit for your family, you can continue on with Step Two of the Audition Process (will be emailed to you after Tour).
4. The final step is to schedule two consecutive Discovery Days for your learner(s). We will spend two days observing and getting to know your learner(s) and share our thought with you both after Discovery Days.
5. Once all steps are complete, we can have a meeting to discuss moving forward with enrollment.

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 Acton Academy, we celebrate his defense of economic, political and religious freedom.