Courage to Grow: How Acton Academy Turns Learning Upside Down

By: Laura Sandefer

Narrated by: Laura Sandefer

Length: 3 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's Summary

Courage to Grow tells how a small school in Austin, Texas, sparked a worldwide awakening of families, who believe every child deserves to find a calling that will change the world. 

In an age where Google shares information, Uber shares cars, and Airbnb shares rooms, Acton Academy turns learning upside down by equipping children to share learning with each other, in a close-knit community with extremely high standards of excellence. 

Word of Acton's transformative impact is spreading, family by family. Over 50 Acton Academy affiliates span the globe, with applications pending from more than 6,300 entrepreneurial parents who want to start a learner-driven community. 

Courage to Grow is not a "how to" book, but a fast-paced story of courageous families who found more compelling ways to learn and grow. Along the way, parents and children discovered the questions, tools, and frameworks we all need to forge a stronger character and supercharge human potential. 

Like all good tales, Courage to Grow has a surprise ending, a final lesson you won't want to miss about parenting and the courage required to live life to its fullest.

©2017 Acton Academy (P)2018 Acton Academy

Sparking real learning

I recommend this book to anyone that reflects inwardly about children’s learning and wants their child to thrive in caring and understanding their purpose in life and their ability to shape it regardless of circumstances or because or circumstances. I found it profound and extremely insightful! Hope you’ll read and reflect!

Thank you Sandefers for writing it!

Inspiring!

I love how honest Laura was about their journey. She doesn’t make it out to be all sunshine and rainbows! It was very helpful to hear the struggles one faces when trying to shift over to such a different way of thinking and being. I love how you were able to share your thoughts on not just your journey as an acton founder but as a parent too.

As an educator I know the struggles of the classroom and they’re due to a broken system! So many in that system are trying so hard to bring about change but it needs to be turned upside down. A school like acton is just the answer. Thank you Laura for starting and sharing such an amazing school with the world! My boys attend The Humanist Academy in Irving,Tx and it has been a phenomenal journey. I couldn’t have imagined anything better.

Damn!👊🏼❤️🔥

Well done, Laura!!! Wonderful book…cannot wait to get my girls into this journey! Amazing stories and anecdotes to illustrate the challenges along the way.

Wow✨

There are almost no words that will do this book justice....So beautiful.... so powerful ...I laughed,
I cried, I am mourned, for the child inside of me that didn’t have this opportunity
I am grateful to this family of leaders💫

beautiful endeavors

wow. amazing founding principles: freedom, truth, learning & excellence. ,,, having had been kicked from a masters program for taking a different stance on a corrupt foundational ideology, this type of school will be the saving grace of our country, if not planet. people, thinking for themselves.

Great listen

However, I think a different narrator would have been a little smoother to listen to but still a wonderful read.

wonderful method. wonderful acadamy

love love love this. I pray my children get accepted to this school in our town.

Really Need

Many Congratulations to you all by going through this challenging Journey; still you might be through different sets now

I am surprised to see this kind a initiative taken in western world.

Wish you guys serve more - longer and more people take self inspirations , take challenges and pass through beautiful journey

So inspiring! This is the future!

If you find yourself questioning or downright opposing the current education normal, I plead that you read this book. It’s informative, enlightening, inspiring and will light a fire to take action! So well written, covering their highs and lows of going out on a ledge to turn learning upside down. Just truly loved it.

In don't know why but

The end of the book made me cry with joy and relief. I didn't know it when it happened but, when Charlie left Acton I was so saddened as well. When he came back, I was relieved. I love this educational model. If I knew about this when my girl was younger, this is the route we would have taken. But we homeschool and I'm blessed by that.