Start Strong for Young Changemakers Lizz Smoak

Take a peek at Acton Academy and you may wonder if you’ve stepped into a mythical world where students are heroes, learning is a quest, and adults are guides for the journey.

Acton Academy was founded by Laura Sandefer and her husband Jeff Sandefer, the founder of the Acton School of Business as a school deeply rooted in an overarching theme of a Hero’s Journey. The school focuses students around a search for their life’s “calling, teaching content through game-based tools, Socratic discussion and face-to-face projects the school calls “quests.”

Laura and Jeff show us how to guide our children through these times with an open mind and a Socratic outlook.

17-year-old Avi Schiffmann knew about Covid-19 before the rest of the country. He created a website to track the cases globally and wound up being one of the internet's top visited sites with millions of hits per day. He did it alone -- self-taught, self-motivated.

Learn how a budding 13-year-old fashion designer seen with the likes of Kimora Lee Simmons and Kelly Clarkson is pivoting and using her skill of observation to find solutions and opportunities in her community.

Whether your child is just showing signs of an entrepreneurial spirit or they're a high-performing kid with a growing following — I am here to congratulate you for wanting to start early and start strong!

The lessons you’ll learn here will serve your child for the rest of their lives and will help you as parents of a budding kid-brand, keep the important things in the forefront — the quality of their childhood, the balance within your family and your bond with your child.