Acton Academy Verona,

20 Hill St, Verona, NJ 07044, United States

"Great place!"

"Enrolling at Acton Academy Verona as a high schooler was one of the most daunting things I've done in my entire life, but it proved to be the best decision I ever made. Prior to coming here, I lacked motivation and work ethic, but now, I am independent, organized, and able to find motivation within myself to work for as long and hard as I need. Acton has a revolutionary structure of curriculum that allows each student to explore their interests and passion and turn it into actionable change. At all times, students exhibit critical thinking, explore deep themes and rich history, and learn the practical skills they need to succeed in the real world. Acton Academy promises parents that their children will "begin a meaningful hero's journey," "be curious, independent, and a lifelong learner," and "discover his or her's most precious gift and learn to use them to solve difficult problems in the world." With utmost gratitude, I can say that Acton does this and more."

"My older daughter has been at the school for two years, and my younger daughter has been at the school for about three weeks. I cannot say enough praises about the school. As an educator myself, with a masters degree in education, I can see the school follows all the principles of proper learning and gives students ownership of their education. It truly fosters a love of learning, and my older daughter (a second grader) comes home and always wants to do more work and I have to actually stop her and tell her to play. She looks forward to school every week. It is so important for children to enjoy learning, because life is about constantly learning, either on the job, or in new ventures. I absolutely love the owners of the school also, because they really live the philosophy of Acton. They’re very good people who care deeply about the students. Being here has helped me and my husband grow as parents as well, and we love the environment. The kids really act as one community and take care of each other. My older child is on the sensitive side, and I know that she won’t have to worry about bullying or mean kids, because that’s not the culture of the school. Because the kids are taught to be independent, they are incredibly mature for their age. They take care of each other, they lean on each other, and they push each other. It’s truly incredible. My younger daughter just started three weeks ago, and she has advanced more in those three weeks than I know she would at her old daycare. And that’s because she can go at her own pace, which happens to be fairly quick when it comes to reading. That’s the beauty of individualized education."

"Acton Academy is a mixed-age, collaborative, project-based, learner-driven environment. We could not be more grateful that we found this school two and a half years ago through friends who were sending their kids there. Our two very different children have both benefited tremendously - becoming more thoughtful, confident, independent and proactive. We have also learned a lot as parents and find that our family overall has benefited. The Acton Academy Verona community is warm, welcoming and supportive. Because the program empowers kids to take responsibility for their own learning (within a framework that encourages and supports them), it can be, at first, challenging (especially for parents) but, like many worthwhile endeavors, sticking with it builds skills, abilities and confidence that are impossible without this effort."