Are you frustrated with the old, traditional education model that teaches students to spit out facts and pass standardized tests?

Discover how Acton Academies are turning education upside down, encouraging students to uncover their own Hero’s Journey in life.

We’re a Part of the Acton Academy Network

The Acton Academy network is a rapidly growing network of entrepreneurial parents bound by the principles of freedom, responsibility, hard work, and an ultimate belief in the human genius within each child. The first Acton Academy was launched in the U.S. in 2009, serves grades K-12, and has graduated several senior high school classes. As of 2022, there are 300+ approved affiliates on 6 continents worldwide.

Acton Academy Taipei is honored to be a part of the Acton Academy network. We launched in 2018 and currently serve grades 1 to 9, with plans to add more grades each year to eventually serve grades 1 to 12. Our learner-driven education model is inspired by and built on decades of combined experience and insight from the network.

Acton academy has been Featured in:

Is your child’s education setting them up for success?

Young people need to learn the right things to help them fulfill their dreams. At Acton Academy Taipei, our mission is to empower students to live meaningful lives by providing an environment where they discover their unique strengths, learn real-world skills, and grow in good character.

Children get one shot at their education, so they need to learn what matters most.

3 ways Learning is different at Acton Taipei

IT’s STudent Centered

**We empower kids to own their learning.** No homework here. Instead, we help students set goals, manage their time, and work at their own pace on core subjects, while engaging in hands-on projects in science, art, and technology. This is authentic learning, not focused on passing tests or memorizing facts.

Focused on the real world

**We believe students learn best by doing.** Whether it’s launching a startup business, playing an instrument, or programming a robot in their summer apprenticeship, our students are building real world skills everyday, paving the way for them to succeed in the future.

Guided, Not Taught

**Learning should reflect the unique personality and interests of the learner.** Instead of boring lectures, our Guides lead small groups, helping students set goals and discover their own learning path. With small groups, caring adults, and lots of freedom, kids are empowered to learn.

Schedule a tour

Why we started a School

Hi! I’m Dr. Jenny Wang. I am a mother of three children, wife to Stuart, and co-founder of Acton Academy Taipei. I’m wondering if we might have a few things in common. If you’re like me, you:

Tried international schools, local Montessori schools, or even homeschooling, but still felt like there had to be more to education.
Believe your child deserves a relevant, engaging education free of the outdated confines of the traditional school, including hours of homework and endless fill-in-the-blank tests.
Hope your child can learn real-world skills through hands-on projects.
Would love for your child to be in a small school where they are known by name and given personalized learning plans.
Desire your child to be in a school where being kind, developing meaningful friendships, and learning to be a person of integrity is deeply valued.
Want your child to find their life’s calling and be inspired to be a world changer.

Even though I never expected to launch a school, it has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I am very grateful that in 2016 I googled, “how to start your own school” and found the Acton Academy network.

If you want to see Acton in action, please schedule a tour. We look forward to meeting you!

Find out more about our story here.

Schedule a tour

What We Focus On

It’s about People

The quality of your relationships determines the quality of your life. So we focus on inspiring students to develop real friendships, a sense of personal accountability, and standing strong in their convictions even as you respect others around you.

Character is Destiny

Character really matters. The right skillset combined with character is a recipe for long-term success. Skills without character are a recipe for disaster. That’s why we believe in developing meaningful skills and character.

Solve Big Problems

Don’t think small. There are countless big problems in the world, and we need people of vision and courage willing to tackle them. We encourage big dreams and big vision and foster the skills to accomplish those dreams.

Get Back uP

Be gritty. Everybody fails sometimes, but the determined person who gets back up and tries again (and again) is the person who succeeds in their ambitions. It’s OK to fail. Get back up and try again.

We have what it takes

We’re better together. We appreciate the perspective of others and realize that we are stronger as a team and community. We encourage students to lead by listening and by loving their neighbors so that they can work together to solve big problems that matter.

See what parents just like you are saying about Acton Academy Taipei

Testimonials

“She grew into such an independent, self-motivated individual over the course of being at Acton. Not only does she enjoy every minute she spent at Acton, she is also eager and excited to learn about the concept of learning. Acton taught her to become a mastery-oriented person, to focus on ways to overcome failure and not be afraid of it. We are grateful to have found Acton.”

- Grace

“Acton’s student-directed learning approach combined with plenty of time to eat, play, and create, was so excellent. My husband and I saw our son thrive in ways we’d never seen. Instead of being tired and grumpy after school (like he always was after K-3 in the U.S.), he was energized, enthused, and talkative. He was consistently excited about different projects he was working on. […] I highly recommend Acton Academy Taipei!”

- Sharon

“Our family had a great experience […] We loved the overall program, particularly the teachers, Acton families/community, and enthusiasm for independent learning. It was amazing to watch our first grader navigate the different programs and his assignments independently, and then continue to do so more confidently through the semester. We highly recommend Acton Academy Taipei.”

- Pamela

“We were lucky to have found Acton for my daughter. […] The best is that she loves going to school everyday since joining Acton. She has become independent in learning and truly enjoys education because of Acton. We are glad we found the perfect school for us in Taiwan!”

- Alicia

“Project-based learning (quests) are a major part of the curriculum — they all had interesting themes and our kids had a lot of fun working on them. The guides were supportive and caring, studio space was clean, bright, and comfortable […] We would recommend Acton Academy Taipei to anyone seeking a non-traditional education.”

- Hubert

“We saw the teaching method have quite an impact on the development of our children, in particular their level of independence. The teachers (“guides”) are fantastic, very nurturing at the lower level and very challenging at the upper level. We really loved how they manage the older kids, treating them almost like adults instead of teaching down to them.”

- James

Schedule a Tour

Our promise to you

your child will:

Begin a Hero’s Journey.
Learn to be a curious, independent, lifelong learner.
Develop a deep respect for economic, political and religious freedoms.
Cherish the arts, wonders of the physical world and the mysteries of life on Earth.
Discover their most precious gifts and learn to use them to solve difficult problems.

Learning at Acton Academy Taipei

By undertaking learn to do, learn to learn, and learn to be challenges, our students absorb amazing amounts of knowledge, but in context, and in a way they can use and won’t easily forget.

LEarn to Do

Conquer real-world challenges that matter to students, such as:

Diagnose patients in the Medical Biology Quest
Deliver a speech in the shoes of Winston Churchill
Design a floor plan for a new school in the Architecture Quest
Cook a balanced, nutritious meal that caters to different tastes, while staying within a budget
Write a screenplay, shoot video, add special effects, and submit film to a film festival

Learn to Learn

Develop the heroic habits of lifelong learners, such as:

Curiosity to dig into new subjects and compelling questions
Perseverance through “stuck spots” with growth mindset in self-paced math
Rigor to analyze questions and facts with clarity
Resourcefulness to find the tools, mentors, and peers to help you learn best

Learn to BE

Practice warm-hearted and tough-minded character traits while searching for a calling on a Hero’s Journey to change the world:

Servant Leader Badges celebrate character milestones from Elementary to High School
Socratic Discussions hone critical thinking and speaking skills
Relational contracts and real-world consequences transform difficult decisions into virtuous habits.

Active Learning

We believe there are 3 critical C’s that help learners build the knowledge, character, and skills they need to be their best, and we structure everything to maximize them.

Core Skills

Core skills means mastering foundational subjects, like reading and math, at your own pace. Instead of emphasizing standardized testing or grades, we focus on cultivating a love of learning through hands-on subject work (including using adaptive software) and small group work. It’s learning how to learn, a vital lifelong skill.

Collaboration

Collaboration means developing socially and emotionally, through work and play, within age groups and across ages. Students are empowered to solve problems, set goals, share ideas in group settings, work as a team, meet individual and group deadlines, and both serve and lead. Learners set themselves up for successful collaboration in the future.

Creating

Creating means taking the time to make stuff with our hands. We focus on projects leading to tangible results, without worrying about perfection. Building something is a journey of discovery, where you can learn as much from your failures as you can from successes. It’s process over results, as students learn to build things that matter to them.