Frequently Asked Questions

No, we're a unique peer to peer, project based school. Learners spend most of their school days at our Fort Myers farm campus, with its outdoor and agricultural environment. Acton Academy Estero also uses our Integrity Church campus in Bonita Springs on some Fridays and for certain activities.

Acton Academy Estero is part of the network of over 300 Acton Academies worldwide. We follow the same exact Learning Design (curriculum) and learning model that our owners helped create at the original Acton Academy campus.

We currently offer the The Spark Studio (ages 5-7), the The Elementary Studio (ages 7-11), the The Middle School Studio (ages 11-14), and the The Launchpad Studio (ages 14-18).

Yes. Acton Academy Estero is part of Regen Ministries, a 508(c)(1)(a) faith based organization. We are a church founded on three principles. First, we use regenerative agriculture principles to grow food with integrity on our farm and we teach these principles to young people, the next generation of farmers. Second, we are on a mission of educational renewal. Third, we are a church on a mission of revival, aimed at returning our culture to one that reflects the Judeo-Christian tradition on which the founding fathers pledged their lives.

Acton Academy Estero offers a unique school year structure, consisting of seven sessions that each last between three to six weeks. Each session culminates in an Exhibition, after which students enjoy a week-long break. Additionally, learners receive a summer break of approximately six weeks, allowing ample time to refresh and prepare for the upcoming year.

Tuition for the 2026-27 school year is $14,800 per learner, plus a non-refundable $550 enrollment fee. The total is split into 11 monthly payments. We offer a 10% discount for each additional learner from the same family. Many of our families also use Florida scholarship funding toward tuition — get in touch and we'll walk you through the current options.

Many of our families use Florida scholarship funding to cover a significant portion of their educational costs. Eligibility, reimbursement, and the funding that can be used at AAE vary by scholarship program, and the programs themselves change from year to year. Get in touch and we'll help you understand which current options may apply to your family.

We respect and incorporate Maria Montessori's philosophy but we are not a Montessori school. We also use the latest interactive technologies, hands on projects and the Socratic Method for discussions.

We are open to Believers, Searchers and Non-Believers alike and expose children to the importance of mindful spirituality and stress the historical and moral importance of Christianity to the development of Western Civilization and our country. In keeping with the hero's journey, we study heroes of the Bible, how they overcame challenges, and the lessons they left which young people can apply to their own lives. No dogma or rigid doctrine is taught, and we encourage children's curiosity with faith and spirituality through questioning and seeking their own answers. As strong Believers ourselves, we will model Christian behavior in and outside of the Studios and will guide from a Biblical worldview. However, we leave the decision to become followers of Christ to the learners.

Lord John Emerich Edward Dahlberg Acton (1834-1902) was a Victorian scholar of Freedom who saw liberty not as a license, but as the freedom to do what was right. He was suspicious of power for the sake of power, which led to his most famous quote: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." At Acton Academy Estero, we celebrate his defense of economic, political and religious freedom.

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.

Someone who can research questions, follow instructions, solve problems, admit that they don't know something and figure out a solution when they hit a roadblock without asking an adult for help, participate in discussions, and strive for mastery.

Running Partners are classmates who meet together regularly to set goals and hold each other accountable for meeting those goals. Running Partners encourage and inspire each other by asking good questions, listening and providing affirmation.

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 take seriously our commitment to understanding whether AAE can serve each learner well. As a small school, we do not have the specialized staffing or resources to support every learning need. We have successfully served learners with a variety of learning differences, but fit depends on the individual learner, the level of support they need, and their ability to participate successfully in a learner-driven studio. We discuss this openly with families during the admissions process.

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.

Learners study the founding documents and ideas behind the American experiment, including liberty, justice, individual rights, self-government, and civic responsibility. They also examine other cultures and forms of government, ask difficult questions, and learn to evaluate ideas and evidence through Socratic discussion.