Where Leaders are Forged, Not Taught

Launchpad Studio (Ages 14-18)
Launchpad Studio (Ages 14-18)

Where Leaders are Forged, not Taught

A unique independent high school experience.  This program is extremely self-driven and not for everyone.  If you have a hero who can be responsible for their own education and would find value in a joining a tribe of life-long learners on a search for their calling, this might be for you.  

Contact us for more info.

Launchpad Studio (Ages 14-18)

Where Leaders are Forged

A unique independent high school experience.  This program is extremely self-driven and not for everyone.  If you have a hero who can be responsible for their own education and would find value in a joining a tribe of life-long learners on a search for their calling, this might be for you.  

Contact us for more info.

  • Thinking through history

    Imagine if your history classes weren't watching a slideshow lecture, but rather putting yourself in the shoes of a hero of old in a historical dilemma and arguing the point for what you would do. That's Civilization in Navigators.

  • Writing is Thinking

    If writing in a traditional class is regurgitating facts in a boring format. Writing at Acton is about thinking deeply and communicating it. No arbitrary grades, peer review on every every work in the search for excellence.

  • Real Projects

    So how are learners graded? Just like they will be for the rest of their life... by their results. Real projects come in the form of businesses, performances, and exhibits.

  • It's About the Tribe

    What can make learning so enjoyable your young hero actually wants to come to school? It's friends of course, and at Forge they are questing with their tribe all day long, not just in the margins. And even better, each year there are quests about building community and forming real friendships.

Daily Schedule

Forge is all about learning self governance.  Just like the real world, learners mostly manage their own schedule in large blocks of time with deadlines.  The morning is generally spent on individual learning while the afternoons are spent questing on projects and electives.  

Core Skills

(9am to Lunch)

Every day is launched with a Socratic discussion. What better way to get the brain moving than a healthy debate about an important topic.  Then it’s off to the races for BYO Math curriculum (most of our leaners use Khan academy), Typing, Reading, Prepping for Civilization Debates, and working on your writing projects.  

Afternoon Questing

(Lunch to 3:15pm)

Quests are massive 4 to 6 week projects followed by an exhibition of work completed or learning.  Projects can vary from building a business, designing a city electrical grid, or making a friendship plan for life.  A couple days a week are spent on personal quests from programming to drama to carpentry to 3d modeling.  

FAQ

It’s at Camp Tilikum, in the remodeled woodshed attached to the schoolhouse.

For 2024-2025 tuition is a $600 registration + $4400/yr per learner paid monthly with a 10% reduction for the second learner and 20% for the third.

We are accepting ages 12 (or perhaps even younger) to 14.  Because of the intense amount of self-direction required, consider carefully whether your learner is capable and eager to take on the rigor and challenge of this type of learning.  

While we expose children to the importance of mindful spirituality and stress the historical importance of Christianity to the development of Western Civilization, we do not promote any one religion.

The 2023-2024 year started September 6th, 2023 and end June 14th.  Breaks throughout the year are determined by our quest/project schedule which last about 4 to 6 weeks of hard work followed by 1 week off.  2024-2025 calendar is not yet published.

We can accommodate up to 15 learners.

Matt Johnson, school founder is the guide for the navigators.  An accomplished entrepreneur with a passion for a better future for schools.

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.

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.  We have 2 age groups, K-2nd and 3rd-6th.

We are not trained to serve children with serious learning disabilities but have been able to serve young heroes with dyslexia if they receive special training and believe that many minor learning disabilities are commonly misdiagnosed.

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.

Yes, Forge is IALDS accredited.  More information is available here.  https://ialds.org/