Frequently Asked Questions
What does your Daily Schedule look like?
Drop Off: 8:30 - 8:55am NOTE: Our day starts promptly at 9:00am with our 15-minute Morning Launch. If a learner is late, they must wait until Morning Launch is over to join the rest of the Studio.
Pick Up: 2:00 - 2:15pm
Daily Schedule: Click here to view the daily schedules for our Spark (K-2) and Discovery (3rd-5th) studios.
A Day in the Life: Here's another short video that will help you get an even better idea of what a "Day in the Life" looks like for the typical Acton Academy learner.
When could my child start?
We are wrapping up our enrollment for Fall 2025, and will begin taking applications to begin Spring 2026 shortly.
If you are interested in enrolling your child for Fall 2025, contact us quickly, as spots are almost full!
Where is History in the schedule? P.E.? Extracurriculars like Art, Music, Foreign Languages, etc.?
History (know to our learners as “Civilization”) is explored through longer, more in-depth Socratic discussions twice per week based on a book series called Story of the World. We’ll also have blocks of time set aside specifically for Art twice per week, in addition to integrative Quests that provide lots of opportunities to explore the arts and other extracurricular areas of interest. Learners spend a minimum of 1.5 hours outside engaging in playful physical activity per day.
We also have a no homework policy so that our learners have more time to spend pursuing individual interests, hobbies and passions outside of the Studio.
If you are looking for a large, extensive in-school sports program, language-immersion, or band/orchestra program, we are likely not (and will never be) a good fit for your family!
What are your class sizes? Student-to-teacher ratios?
In our first years, we are intentionally keeping enrollment low. This year, we're looking to limit enrollment to ~12 Learners in our Spark Studio (K-2) and ~8 Learners in our Discovery Studio (3-5th). Eventually, we will grow to up to 36 learners & 2 Guides per Studio, which works out to roughly 18 learners per Guide.
What does the Annual Calendar look like?
Providence Academy operates on a 10 month calendar (early August through late May) and includes 7 Quest Sessions of 5 to 6 weeks. Week-long breaks occur between sessions. For families seeking travel flexibility, we recommend learners participate in at least 5 of the 7 sessions. Here’s a link to our School Calendar as an example.
What is your tuition rate, and are there any other fees or expenses I should know about?
Due to the growth of our school and inflation, annual tuition fees are set each year based on program offerings. Tuition is paid on a monthly basis, and the first month's payment must be paid upon declaration of intent at the final interview.
We are in the process of receiving our accreditation for the Georgia Promise scholarship, which will be available for families to apply for on a need-basis.
Tuition covers classroom instruction and materials, books and digital resources, and all standard field trips and events. Tuition does not cover your child’s laptop or certain special field trips.
Do you still have spots available? What about a Waiting List?
Availability: We have a few spots available, as we’ve limited spots this year, they are filling up quickly. We are currently accepting applications for our Spark Studio (K-2nd) and Discovery Studio (3-5th).
Waiting List: If, after completing the audition process, we all agree that Providence would be a great fit for your family, if we do not yet have a spot available for your learner, we’ll place them on our Waiting List. When a spot does come available, we'll notify you of the opening and invite you to enroll.
If you have a learner younger than 5 years old that you would like to add to the Waiting List, simply complete the Application portion of the audition process, and we can delay the Interview portion until your learner is a little older.
No teachers? No grades? No homework?
How does that work?
TEACHERS Socratic Guides:
It is important to understand that in a learner-driven environment like Providence, there is no direct instruction from our Staff. Here's a great excerpt from the original Acton campus' blog on the role of a Guide for more information.
GRADES Points & Badges:
Rather than grades, Badges represent groups of challenges that a learner completes to demonstrate mastery. Because we utilize the latest, game-based learning platforms, you'll be able to see what specific skills your learner is currently working on or has mastered, along with their progress towards completing their Badge Plan.
HOMEWORK Time to be a kid:
We have a no homework policy. We'd rather our learners have time to relax, recharge, spend quality time with their families, and/or more deeply pursue other passions. Should your learner choose to work on projects outside of the Studio, that would be up to them of course!
How does your “Learning Design” (aka Curriculum) work?
A learner-driven environment means that your child will be free to pursue skill mastery at his/her own pace. Our Guides will not hover or try to keep everyone contained on the same state-prescribed learning track and timeline.
Not only will your child have the opportunity to expand and deepen their learning experience through mentoring (and being mentored by) a mixed age group of learners, but they are free to pursue mastery at whatever pace makes most sense (with your support and encouragement as parents, of course). WARNING: This can be unnerving for some parents that want to see a smooth, even progression achievement.
Our Learning Design (aka Curriculum) is broken down into a series of Badges that roughly correlate to grade levels. Our Learning Design also includes a focused outline of each 4-6 week session (Quest, Civilization, Communications, and Art).
EXAMPLE DISCOVERY BADGE PLAN
EXAMPLE QUEST JOURNEY MAP
Once a learner has completed all levels of all Badges, they are able to "level up" to the next Studio.
Learners are free to accelerate through the Studio Badge Plan in whatever pace and manner they choose with the end goal always the same: to eventually earn all the Badges in the Studio Badge Plan so they can advance to the next Studio.
What is done to make sure that learners get a balanced academic experience?
After further understanding our Learning Design, many parents wonder what happens when a learner chooses to focus on one area that they really love (say, Reading), to the detriment of other areas (like Math). The truth is, deep, transformative learning tends to be uneven– it's rarely a smooth progression across all areas at the same pace, so as an Acton Parent, you will most certainly face some unnerving moments in this regard.
That being said, there are a few things built into our approach that encourage learners to (eventually) choose to pursue a more well-rounded skill set:
Gamification of Curriculum
Moving along a Badge Plan requires work in all Core Skill subject areas.
Schedule
Focused work sprints are often built into the Daily Schedule from time to time… "DEAR Time" (Drop Everything And Read), or "Math Power Hour" (everyone works on math goals only for 1 hour) are great examples of this.
Peer Accountability
Learners have "running partners" that help keep them accountable for progress towards learning goals and commitments. Learners cannot "level up" to the next Studio without having completed badge requirements in all areas of study.
Growth Mindset
Our young Heroes learn to love challenges. Equipped with frameworks like the Challenge Donut and a Growth Mindset, learners work through the discomfort they may feel when trying to master a new skill that they might otherwise avoid.
Integrative Quests
Often, the motivation for acquiring new skills can come from the desire to tackle learning challenges presented in the Quest format.
Parenting Decisions
It's certainly your prerogative as a parent to set guardrails and boundaries that help motivate your learner to focus on areas they may be avoiding, and we fully support you in this!
How do I know my child is ready for a learner-driven environment like Providence Academy?
What makes Acton Academies unique is the emphasis on self-directed learning. In creating a community of self-directed learners, these are some of the things we “look-for” before inviting young learners to join our community. These are prerequisites that indicate our learning environment may be a good fit for your child.
SPARK STUDIO (Ages 5-8)
Exhibits a positive attitude about learning in general
Participates willingly in classroom activities
Follows simple oral directions
Actively engages in their own learning and is generally curious
Displays the following social and emotional skills most of the time:
Makes friends and plays cooperatively
Shows empathy
Manages strong feelings like frustration and disappointment without becoming aggressive or withdrawn
Separates from parent without distress
Engages in an activity for at least 15 minutes
Possesses basic communication skills
Is physically self-reliant
Is able to care for studio materials and contribute to cleaning the physical space
Reading fluently
Follow basic written and oral instructions
Able to engage and participate in a 15-minute discussion with peers
Can set, remember, and pursue a goal for 30 minutes or more
Works well with peers by respecting their space and goals
Takes responsibility for actions and choices
Can operate a laptop
Finished Spark Badge Plan and is prepared for a more academically-challenging environment
DISCOVERY STUDIO (Ages 8-11)
What happens if a child appears to be "behind" where a student in a traditional school might be expected to be?
This is a question many parents have, especially when it comes to considering a more non-traditional approach, like Providence. The short answer is, nothing.
Now for the longer answer:
First, as a parent, it is your right and responsibility to decide how best to support your learner. This may look like boundaries, incentives for meeting (or not meeting) learning goals, after-school tutoring, or extra-curricular exploration. Again, we respect these choices as parenting decisions and encourage you to forge whatever social contracts you deem appropriate with your learner outside of the Studio.
With Spark Learners (ages 5-8) we have a badge plan full of challenges that will help them be equipped to thrive in the Discovery Studio. Badge Plan categories include Leadership, Communication, Safety, Writing, Reading and Math. At the end of the day, we are also looking for the ability to independently read simple Challenges and focus on a simple goal for at least 30 minutes– typically this occurs at some point after a child turns seven, but it varies.
With Discovery Learners (ages 7-11) state-prescribed math and language arts benchmarks come into play, where they begin working in the latest game-based learning platforms like Khan Academy, IXL, etc. These platforms are designed to help pinpoint mastery in specific skills and reveal skills they still need to practice. Because they serve so many learners in the public school system, they are also designed with state standards in mind. This means that it's relatively easy to "map" where they are at to a typical "grade level".
At our school, there is no real emphasis on matching grade level to age. What we want to see is…
1) What are your learning goals?
2) Are you working hard?
3) Are you making progress towards your goals?
When looking through this lens at Providence, "behind" means you aren't on track with your individual goals... and therefore need to put in more effort or need extra help.
What is a “Studio”?
Think of a Studio as the classroom of a one-room schoolhouse. We like to think of it as a learning "habitat" for learners of multiple ages and skill levels where they can work for a focused period of individual flow or purposeful collaboration.
At Providence, so far we have built 2 such “habitats”: our Spark Studio (Lower Elementary, ages 5-8) and our Discovery Studio (Upper Elementary, ages 8-11). Eventually, as our oldest learners age out, the plan is to launch a middle school and a high school studio as well!
What are “Core Skills”?
“Core Skills” refers to the foundational skills of Reading, Writing and Math. Our Daily Schedule sets aside time to curate SMART Goals, focusing on tackling challenges and earning Badges in each of these areas.
At Providence Academy we rely on the latest, game-based learning platforms to empower our learners on their self-paced journey to mastery.
What is a “Quest”?
Quests are a 4 to 6 week series of challenges bound by a compelling narrative and designed to deliver 21st century skills. Elementary Quests typically focus on broad explorations of science and curiosity. This is an exciting opportunity for learners to utilize the Core Skills they are mastering to solve real-world problems and bring new ideas to life!
What is a “Launch”?
A Launch is a 15-minute Socratic discussion designed to help inspire, equip and focus Eagles for a work sprint – a focused period of individual flow or purposeful collaboration.
During a typical day in an Acton Academy, these will occur twice (Morning Launch, Afternoon Launch) with a similar Closing Discussion at the end of the day that invites reflection on the day and renewed purpose and commitment for the next.
After the Studio culture and systems are more established in the beginning months, it will not be uncommon to see many of these discussions prepared, delivered and facilitated by the learners themselves.
Every child is a "genius"? That's nice. But seriously?
We’re dead serious about this, but understand that further explanation is helpful. First, the true definition of the word “genius”: exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natural ability.
Does this mean sky-high IQ? No. (Which by the way is a largely incomplete and unhelpful measurement anyways!) Is this really just code for “everyone deserves a trophy for being a unique and beautiful snowflake”? Nope. Uniqueness, while potentially valuable, does not replace mastery, excellence, competence or character.
Believing that every child is a genius simply means that we believe each person who walks through our doors has a special gift (or two!) that can change the world in a profound way. Our main goal is to help equip them to discover and cultivate their gifts.
What about special needs learners and/or learning differences?
Providence's flexible approach to learning can be a great fit for kids who need something different than the traditional school environment. Students who have trouble sitting still through a standard school day can sometimes flourish in our classroom, providing space for breaks, flexible seating, and room for individual self-regulation.
However, schools that have adopted this learning model have noticed areas that provide challenges for the special needs student. Because this educational model is designed with a curriculum that relies on independent learning and dynamic group projects along with an environment that can be very stimulating, students that struggle with cooperation, self-regulation, and sensory issues may have special challenges in our classroom. We are simply not equipped to serve children with all learning disabilities in our Studios.
How do you handle bullying?
Each Studio is built on a foundational Studio Contract, created and agreed to by the learners. We also have a "Strike" System that functions as safety guardrails that keep everyone safe. The learners are empowered by these guardrails, contracts, and conflict resolution frameworks to set healthy boundaries and use their voice to be heard. Our goal is to not intervene/handle bullying as adults as much as it is to equip the learners to navigate interpersonal relationships successfully on their own (with both a kind heart and tough mind).
At Providence Academy, choosing to keep the Contract promises is interpreted as a choice to stay and choosing to break Contract promises is interpreted as a choice to leave - either way, we will respect the learner's choice.
Additional Questions?
Don’t hesitate to reach out! We’d love to schedule a time to chat, or simply answer your questions via email.