Curious to learn more?

Discover Lincoln's Fastest Growing Private School Alternative

As fellow parents, we fully understand how hard it is to find the right school for your family. From public school to home school and everything in between there are plenty of options in Lincoln, NE. We invite you to dig deeper and do a little research about our school on your own!

Have the ideas of alternative education piqued your interest?

If so, we recommend reading Courage to Grow: How Acton Academy Turns Learning Upside Down, by Laura Sandefer, Acton's Co-Founder. This fast, engaging read is the best account our learner-driven studios.

Watch this Short Award-Winning Documentary on Acton

Are you frustrated with the old, traditional educational model that teaches students to spit out facts and pass state mandated tests?

Discover Lincoln's Fastest Growing Private School Alternative

As an independent school, we place great value on preparing our students not only for High School (coming soon!) but also for a world beyond school. We believe in the education of the whole person - inside and outside of the studio - and encourage students to develop intellectually as well as into citizens of good character.

Quests help students learn about potential careers they might be interested in as well as develop lasting skills such as the ability to work as a team, develop creative solutions, and to set and crush goals.

Students from all backgrounds thrive at Acton Academy Lincoln: Whether your family comes to us from a Montessori school, after homeschooling, public school, private Christian school, or charter school, we believe a like-minded tribe aligned around a common purpose is powerful. Learning happens all the time, and staff, parents, and children each have a powerful part to play. All parts of our learning community are engaged for support, to share perspective, and bring value.

Acton Founder Jeff Sandefer with Dr. Jordan Peterson

Frequently Asked Questions

We don't blame you! We had tons of questions ourselves when we first found this unique homeschool meets Montessori, meets start-up blend of a school! We've listed many of our FAQs below, but probably haven't covered everything. A great place to start is requesting an information kit and then scheduling a tour!

What grades do you offer?

We currently offer grades PK-12. Learners must be 4.5 years of age or older to begin in our Spark Studio.

How long are you in session each year and what is the school calendar?

We operate on an 10 month calendar. Learners will partake in 5-6 week sprints, each built around the theme of a separate quest. Each sprint is followed by a week off. This flexible program allows families to travel together during the year without significant disruption.

What is your tuition?

Acton Academy Lincoln is an alternative private school which operates on a non-traditional schedule. The 10 month school year is broken up into "sessions" that are typically 4-6 weeks with a 1-week break in between. There is a 10 week break in the summer.​

2025-26 Tuition - $9450 per child​

Tuition is adjusted annually for inflation.

Tuition can be paid in 10 or 12 month installments. These plans are $945/ month and $791/ month respectively.​ There is a $500 enrollment fee per family.

What does this cover?

Tuition + Family Enrollment Fee covers all materials, field trips, etc. There or NO additional fees or charges throughout the year. 

Tuition Assistance - We have two ways to receive assistance:

1. Apply for assistance through NextGen Nebraska.​

2. We offer limited number of 25% and 50% need-based scholarships each year, as well as needs based sibling discounts starting with the second child enrolled.

Our goal is to find like-minded families who deeply align with our vision and purpose. We rarely say no to committed families.

Is Acton A Montessori School?

We respect and incorporate Maria Montessori’s philosophy, yet we are not a pure Montessori school. Our Spark Studio is Montessori based, but also uses hands on projects and the Socratic Method for discussions. Our Elementary and Middle School studios utilize the latest in game-based technology to build on this Montessori foundation to build a strong learner-driven, individualized education.

Is Acton a Religious School?

We are open to Believers, Searchers and Non-Believers alike and expose children to the importance of mindful spirituality and stress the historical importance of Christianity to the development of Western Civilization but we are not a religious school.

What do You Mean by a "Hero's Journey"?

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.

What is an Independent learner?

Someone who can research questions, follow instructions, solve problems — admit that they don’t know something and figure out a solution when they hit a roadblock without asking an adult for help — participate in discussions, and strive for mastery.

What resources do you have for kids with special learning needs?

We take our commitment seriously when we say we are a school for anyone, but we won't be for everyone. Since we are a small school, we do our best to have the resources necessary to keep this promise for each family that joins us, however we are not trained to serve children with serious learning disabilities. Currently we have had success with young people who experience ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, and some minor forms of autism. We are not currently equipped to serve young people with other specific learning needs.

What do you mean by "every Child can change the world"?

We believe each of our students will find a passion — something they love and have a gift to do. They will use this gift to serve others and fulfill a need they are passionate about in the world. This may be by becoming a shoe-shiner who tells stories and makes people’s day just by doing his job with love and vigor; it may be by becoming a coach who sees the light in a child’s eyes and guides her to pursue a dream; it may be by becoming a father or mother who leads a family on a Hero’s Journey; it may be becoming an entrepreneur or business leader guided by compassion and integrity; or it may be by becoming an artist or writer who brings beauty to people’s lives.

What type of learner thrives at Acton Lincoln?

Children who love to learn, are curious, self-motivated, and respectful. Our environment is an accelerator for the independent learner who can tackle challenging questions, follow instructions, and solve problems.

Why do you focus on teaching the "American Experiment"?

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.

Will children be group together by age?

We believe that children learn best when working with children 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.

What is a "Learner Driven Classroom"?

At Acton Lincoln, the students run the studio (classroom) by agreeing together what their rules are for behavior and treatment of one another. These are called their “Studio Covenants” and “Rules of Engagement”. In the elementary studio especially, they are provided with appropriate guidance throughout this process. These rules and covenants are prominently displayed in the studio and revisited. Often, these are revised by the students as they work through challenges and discover better ways of interacting with one another.Students also budget their time and choose their areas of focus for the day and adjust these based on their performance. We believe strongly that students achieve more when they have control of their learning.

Why A Learner Driven Classroom?

At Acton Lincoln we believe in learning to be and learning to do! An important part of this is encouraging kids 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.

Is Acton Academy Lincoln accredited?

The school is accredited through the International Association of Learner Driven Schools and is viewed as an exempt school by the State of Nebraska.

How do you use technology in the classroom without students having too much screen time?

At Acton Lincoln, we believe in the power of balance. Using the incredible, self-paced eLearning tools now available, we are able to provide the rigor needed for learning math, vocabulary, spelling and grammar in about 90 minutes each day, while freeing up the rest of the day for engaging, project-based learning. The two are highly complementary.

What about sports & other activities in High School?

Thanks to LB705 (signed into law in June, 2023) our high schoolers can now participate in extracurriculars by taking  1 class a semester at their public school district. This includes all NSAA Sports and any other extracurricular activities offered by your home school district. We also have a number of families who organize club teams for our younger learners in various sports and leagues around town.

What is The Daily Schedule & Do you offer part time?

Our day is broken into large work blocks as well as 60-90 minutes for lunch and free time. The schedule will vary slightly day to day and studio to studio, but we start our day at 8:30 am and pick up is at 3:15 pm.​We do offer a part-time option for ages 4.5-6. This is either (4) half days or (4) full days.

Still have questions?

Begin your Family's Journey

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8400 Cody Drive Lincoln, NE 68512

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