Learn About Forge, Oregon’s First Acton Academy
Dear Friend,
In over 15 years of business, I’ve seen that the most successful people aren't just "good at school"—they are the ones with an obvious passion for discovery and a relentless growth-mindset.
I started Forge because I wanted my children to view life as an exciting adventure, not a series of checkboxes. We are looking for families who want their children to be thoughtful, curious, and self-motivated—heroes who see "improving the world" as a way of life, not a hobby.
If you’re feeling a tug at your heart for a more meaningful, challenging path, I invite you to investigate our mission. This journey is life-changing.
All my best,
Brittani Johnson
The Founding Tribe
From Intentional Parents to Socratic Guides
Our journey began at home and in our businesses. We transitioned from intentional parents and homeschool pod leaders to Socratic Guides because we saw that our children needed a true adventure, not just a classroom.
We founded Forge to bring the values of entrepreneurship and self-motivation into our children’s daily lives. Our mission is to raise a generation of young people who are competent, adventurous, and view life as a calling.
We invite you to join a community where every child is respected as a genius capable of finding their calling and changing the world along the way.
Is Your Family Ready?
Growth Over Grades
Are you ready to trade 'As' for the challenge of real mastery?
Adventure Over Compliance
Do you want your child to take responsibility for their own education?
Character Over Testing
Do you believe that a road of trials with real-world failure is better feedback than multiple choice tests?
Courage Over Conformity
Do you believe courage will be an important virtue in a world where AI propagates only what's popular?
Flow & Joy
My Gifts
Opportunities
& Injustices
My
Calling
Our mission at Acton Academy is to inspire each person who enters our doors to find a calling that will change the world.
We invite each learner to find the intersection of their unique gifts, the activities or passions that bring them joy and invite flow (a state of complete immersion in an activity), and an irresistible opportunity or great injustice in the world. This we refer to as a "calling" or a call to adventure that begins a more significant hero's journey that we believe will change the world.
What Makes Forge Unique
| Traditional vs. | Forge | Why it Works |
|---|---|---|
GRADESarbitrary standards, can foster a fear of failure & lead to social labeling | BADGESa collection of challenges that, once complete, demonstrate real skills and progress towards mastery | Your child will be celebrated as she works towards goals & accomplishes them. Her confidence will grow! |
TESTStest scores become the only indicators of 'success'; training to test becomes the focus which narrows and de-values learning | MASTERYindicates depth of work and effort in a subject area; working on something and receiving feedback and reflection until it compares to the work of a 'master' | Your child will examine world-class examples and work to master a breadth and depth of knowledge. Working for mastery is real-world success! |
CLASSROOMsingle-age groups put together regardless of skills and interests; increases comparison and competition; artificial environment | STUDIOmulti-age groups increase opportunity for cross-pollination of ideas, leadership, and collaboration; creators work and play in studios | In addition to other social & developmental benefits, the community environment develops your child into a servant leader. |
TEACHERSteach <em>what</em> to learn, not <em>how</em> to learn; creates passive learners who are reluctant to think independently | SOCRATIC GUIDESinvite learners to discover answers to big questions which leads to deeper understanding of topics and themselves | Focus on HOW to learn not WHAT to learn. Engaging challenges invite your child to discover knowledge for himself & develop a life-long love for learning. |
Synchronized Lessonsstudents in a classroom learn topics at a specific pace as dictated by a textbook and whether your child is ready to move on or not | INDIVIDUALIZED GOALS FOR EVERY LEARNERlearners set individualized plans so they are appropriately challenged in every subject, regardless of what other learners in the studio are working on | Your child is appropriately challenged at HIS level in every subject. EXAMPLE: He can move ahead in math & stay on pace with the studio to master reading & writing. |
K-12 Journey
Spark
Find deep joy in learning and become part of a tribe.
Explorers
Develop a deep love of learning and civility in relationships with others.
Navigators
Work hard, pursue passions, develop real-world skills, and adventure into the real world.
Launchpad
Discover your next great adventure on your Hero's Journey so you launch into the world with a vision.
Measuring Progress
Since we aim to inspire each child to find a calling that will change the world, traditional measurements like grades and tests aren’t very helpful. Instead, we equip learners with tools and reflection opportunities to track their own growth in mastery, effort, and character. This is accomplished through Experience Points (XP), Levels, and Badges.
Sparks Studio
Lower Elementary, ages 5 to 7
Inspired by Montessori principles, young learners explore their world through hands-on projects and play-based learning.
Explorers Studio
Upper Elementary, ages 8-11
We channel the boundless energy of Explorers into purposeful learning. Here, heroes take ownership of their education, weighing character equally with academics as they learn to lead within a community.
Navigators Studio
Middle School, ages 12-14
In Navigators the rigor cranks up. Lots of writing, lots of reading, lots of games, lots of fun. Heroes begin to dial in a calling starting businesses and finding apprenticeships.
Doing the Work
What do quests and core skills actually look like? We've got some samples:
Sparks Samples
EXPLORERS Samples
But What's it Really Like Day to Day?
We welcome you to view this private peek inside our studio.
These are not promo videos, but genuine year-end videos we use to celebrate with parents and learners at our yearly closing ceremony.
Sparks 2024-2025
Explorers+ 2024-2025
Education Options Comparison
*Rated as generally observed, or by design
How Do I Enroll?
TAKE THE NEXT STEP!
Your journey starts here. Tell us a little bit about where you're at and where you're headed.
- Step 1: Click the Button Below
- Step 2: Schedule a Call for Q & A
- Step 3: Take a Tour (Optional)
- Step 4: Submit Your Application