Our Story

We are the Harsin Family. We love Lincoln and its amazing entrepreneurial spirit. Like many of you, we are learning to parent our four children, Haddie, Sawyer, Milo, and Cohen the only way we know how, by doing, by failing, and course correcting as needed.

As our oldest prepared to enter Kindergarten, we weighed all of our options (public schools, private schools, homeschooling, and even moving to a smaller community). Our family, like yours, simply wanted a joyful, curious childhood to be fostered for our children through learning. Once we found Acton we knew that it could be everything we were looking for...and MORE! Together, with parents, we work together to make Acton the perfect blend of individuality, curiosity, and community.

The day we found Acton we knew we had to bring this amazing private school option to Lincoln, not only for our family, but for other like-minded-families struggling find the right fit for their children. We can't wait to embark on this journey and hope you and your family feel called to join.

Founders Zach & Heidi Harsin and their four kids.

Our Acton Lincoln, NE Campus

Located at 8400 Cody Drive, Lincoln, NE 68512

Our Team

There are 300+ Acton Academies in 23 countries around the world! Each as unique as the last, but founded on the common belief that your child is a genius destined to change the world and that learning to do and learning to be far outweigh simply learning to know. Our team believes your child deserves an education worthy of this calling.

Jana Pappas

Co-Founder and Director

Jana Pappas considers herself an inspired leader and entrepreneur, called to the world of teaching from a young age. Jana received her Liberal Studies Bachelor Degree in 1998, then her teaching credential and Masters in Education in 2000. She has been teaching ever since: from a classroom teacher, leader of teacher education courses, tutoring students with language processing differences, homeschooling, and now Acton Academy in Concord.

Jana believes in student-led education, real-life experiences, guiding students to find a fire within them, and to follow their curiosity wherever it may lead. She is an accredited teacher in multi-sensory education, inquiry learning, all learning modalities, and the foundation of critical thinking - Socratic Teaching. Jana is beyond excited to join in the Education Revolution and offer an Acton Academy in her community.

Jana has lived all over California, from San Diego to Chico, but has settled in the East Bay Area Area with her husband, Jason and children, Samantha 17, Allison 15, and Cameron 12.

Jason Pappas

Co-Founder

Jason Pappas is an honest, hardworking business and family man.

Jason has a long career in Marketing, currently working for a large Agency in the San Francisco Bay area. Jason attended Diablo Valley College receiving his AA in Business Management, then going on to Cal State Chico to earn his Bachelors Degree in Business & Marketing.

Jason’s strong background in business management and marketing allows him to support Jana and their new journey to bring the Acton Model to the East Bay. Jason is excited for the journey to change how young people grow and become strong adults.

Our Advisors

Aaron Johnson

Miss Abby grew up on the East Coast where she found her calling for outdoor and experiential education. After graduating from Ithaca College she spent two years working at an outdoor school where she facilitated teamwork initiatives, taught outdoor skills, and lead adventure trips. She recently completed her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education and plans to continue on her own journey as a lifelong learner.

Her passion for hands-on learning and cultivating independence led her to Acton.

Mr. Luke | Head Socratic Guide

Mr. Luke spent close to a decade teaching middle school before being introduced to the Acton approach to learning. Frustrated and fed up with the traditional model, he was immediately drawn to the idea of building an educational system from the ground up, based on the extraordinary dignity and potential of each child. As he learned more about Acton's learner-driven model, built around the hero's journey, it became clear that he had found something truly wonderful and world changing.

Mr. Luke and his wife have four children and they are thrilled to also be on the Acton parent journey. He is an avid reader and enjoys few things more than talking about great books. He loves the outdoors - camping, hiking, & exploring. He enjoys traveling and is always looking forward to the next family adventure.

Miss Elisabeth | Socratic Guide

Miss Elisabeth was born and raised in Ghent, Belgium where she attended Freinet Method schools until she was 17. With a father instructing pedagogy at the college of Ghent and a mother spending her career at the core of local method schooling, Elisabeth followed their footsteps and graduated from the University of Ghent with a degree in Elementary and Special Education. From there she continued her schooling in International Development.

Miss Elisabeth worked as a teacher in several alternative settings where she had the liberty of implementing new teaching strategies and methods. In 2016 she moved to the U.S. to be with her husband and worked at a charter school in Texas, as a behavior technician in Lincoln, and at the same time started a small illustration business.

When Miss Elisabeth read about the Acton Academy she found exactly what she was looking for--a school with a focus on student-led learning and problem solving. She is very excited to become part of the Acton community!

Miss Brittany | Spark studio Guide

Miss Brittany has a degree in Elementary and Special Education from UNL, but has been drawn to alternative schools, particularly Montessori, since the beginning of her collegiate career.

After taking a gap year post-graduation and working at a Montessori program out in Denver, Miss Brittany came back to the Good Life where she stumbled upon Acton Academy. The more she learned about it, the more her heart was drawn to its beauty.

As the Spark Guide, she’s excited to walk alongside each learner on their own journey. In her free time, you may find her in nature, having heart-to-hearts with loved ones, road-tripping to Colorado, or dabbling in the arts.

Miss Anna | Spark Studio Guide

Miss Anna has a degree in Inclusive Early Childhood Education. Before finding Acton, she realized that her philosophy of education was evolving and her desires for learning no longer matched the traditional setting. Contemplating leaving teaching all together, she stumbled on Acton and discovered a world that matched her passions perfectly.

Miss Anna loves to bring the 'fun' and believes in being your true authentic self! Something I’m most excited to bring to the community is my love for being your true authentic self! She loves the arts, cross stitching, doing macramé or building a new piece of furniture!

Jeff Sandefer

Co-Founder - Acton Academy

Jeff Sandefer lives a dual life as an entrepreneur and a Socratic Guide. As an entrepreneur, he founded his first company at age 16 and went on to found or co-found seven successful businesses. As a Socratic teacher at the University of Texas, Jeff’s students five times voted him the school’s Outstanding Teacher and Businessweek named him one of the top Entrepreneurship professors in America.

Jeff went on to co-found the Acton School of Business, an MBA program perennially ranked by the Princeton Review among the best in the nation. In 2012 The Economist honored him as one of the top fifteen Business School professors in the world.

Jeff is a graduate of the Harvard Business School, where he served for over twenty years on the school’s governing committees. He was a longtime director of the Philanthropy Roundtable and National Review magazine and one of the youngest members ever elected to the Texas Business Hall of Fame.

Laura Sandefer

Co-Founder - Acton Academy

Laura lived on both US coasts and in between as a child, then settled into Vanderbilt University for her undergraduate studies in the College of Arts and Science. After being awarded the highly competitive Walter Wattles Fellowship at Lloyd’s of London, Laura worked in the aviation insurance industry in New York City.

Deciding to follow her calling into the world of education, Laura returned to Nashville and earned her Master of Education at Peabody College. This led her to her work at the Oklahoma Arts Institute, creating fine arts education programs for teachers and talented high school students.

Laura married Jeff Sandefer and is the happy mother of Sam and Charlie and step-mother to Taite. It is the inspiration of these children that led Laura and Jeff to co-found Acton Academy.

Her greatest hero is her mother who was a Master Teacher. Her wisest mentor is her father who sent her off to college with two words of advice: "Be curious."

Accreditation

Acton Academy Lincoln is an independent private school in Lincoln Nebraska. We are accredited by the The International Association of Learner Driven Schools. IALDS is an accrediting entity and organization that is focused on the learner-driven communities.