Footsteps for the Future
Imagine this…you are a learner (8, 9, or 10) and you prepare for your field trip to the local university’s collection of bugs for Entomology Quest. You visit this local gem of an insect collection with your peers with great enthusiasm and curiosity. There’s magic in the collection yet the true magic unfolded while you explored campus. Hand in hand, you and your friends walked the pathways, ventured into lecture halls, and felt what it would be like if you were a college student. What would life be like in 10 years? Who would you be?
This was the experience of Acton Main learners this past Monday. They met heroes of Entomology and they imagined themselves as future heroes on a college campus. The future, from my perspective as Director and fellow parent, has not seemed so palpable or bright until now. I can honestly say that I have never seen a pathway so clear. Here’s why.
Just days before this field trip, I attended our annual Acton Academy Network Conference in Austin. It was, as always, full of of connection, collaboration, and creativity yet the most powerful part? The LaunchPad (high school) learners.
At Acton, high schoolers aren’t seen as students tagging along—they are leaders, mentors, Guides. They attend the conference as honored voices, and their wisdom often surpasses the adults in the room.
This year, I was honored to continue leading a network-wide initiative to upgrade Quest design. During one breakout session during the conference, three LaunchPad learners—just 14 to 18 years old—joined my group’s conversation. Their presence changed everything.
They were articulate, focused, and deeply insightful. True to Acton’s model of servant leadership, they didn’t just speak up—they guided the conversation. Then they surprised us all by pitching themselves to contribute directly to the initiative. No one had asked them. There was no badge for it. Just heart. They care deeply about this journey—and they want to give back.
I shared this moment with our learners during their field trip reflection. I also told them about Evie, who gave a speech at the conference. Evie, at 14 began traveling solo to Acton schools around the world—Guatemala, Lahore, Kansas, New York, and more. She desired adventure and to travel the world, even when her parents and Guides were unsure. She failed, she struggled—and she grew. Her message to us: Let learners fail. Don’t get in the way of dreams.
When I finished telling Evie’s story, the room fell quiet. Learners sat with wide eyes, and one whispered, “Guys… that could be us.” And he was right. The path is laid, and our heroes are already walking it.
Here at Acton Oshkosh, even the journey from SparkLand to Discovery is becoming more visible. Last night’s Exhibition was a beautiful display of growth. I watched SparkLand learners proudly share lessons learned, while Discovery learners offered heartfelt reflections and writing that revealed real transformation. I saw not just possibility—but progress.
One day, sooner than we think, these same learners will be giving speeches in Austin, Texas, sharing their wisdom with the wider Acton network. I can see it clearly—and I wish I could hand you my crystal lenses so you could see it too.
The icing on the cake came after the Exhibition. During a quiet moment in the car, my daughter said, “Mom, I wonder what rock I’m going to get this year.” (She was referring to our annual tradition of gifting character rocks to honor each learner’s growth.)
She was already thinking ahead—to Session 7 and the closing ceremony. Then, with a spark in her voice, she told me how she had explained the tradition to three new learners this week. She wanted them to feel welcomed, to understand the meaning behind our Acton journey. It was in that moment that I saw it––the same spirit I’d seen in the wise LaunchPad learners in Austin. My daughter was walking her own Hero’s Journey—and she was guiding others along theirs.
As we close Session 6, I leave you with recent words from a fellow Acton leader and friend, Vijay:
“When you choose Acton, you are choosing grit over grades, callings over careers, critically thinking humans over machines, Heroes over victims, and so much more. You are giving children a path towards fulfillment—a way to find a calling and change the world.”
What if Evie’s story—or your child’s—isn’t the exception, but the new norm?
The footsteps for the future are drawn and I’m delighted to walk and wonder as we watch our learners learn to be their future selves.