Acton Academy is named after Lord John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton — known as Lord Acton — a historian, moral philosopher, and champion of individual liberty.

Lord Acton devoted his life to studying how freedom and virtue shape great societies. His writings emphasize that true freedom requires character, self-discipline, and moral responsibility — principles at the center of our learner-driven approach.

The Acton name stands for:

• liberty with integrity
• freedom earned through responsibility
• skepticism of centralized authority
• courage to stand by one’s principles
  

Montessori is different because children learn through independence, choice, and hands-on exploration.

In a traditional kinder, adults direct the day; in Montessori, carefully prepared environments allow children to move, explore, and master skills at their own pace. Learners develop concentration, coordination, kindness, and responsibility through meaningful work — not busywork.

Our Montessori preschool is led by an AMI-certified Director and uses authentic materials and methods that support each child’s natural development.

Acton is different because learners take ownership of their education.

Instead of memorizing and performing for adults, they work toward real mastery, set their own goals, solve meaningful problems, and collaborate in mixed-age studios. Through Socratic discussions, real-world projects, and apprenticeships, young people develop independence, courage, responsibility, and criterio propio — qualities traditional school does not cultivate.

Acton prepares learners not just for tests, but for life.

Acton is not only for learners with “altas capacidades.” We serve families who value character, independence, and real growth. Learners succeed here when they are willing to try hard things, take ownership of their goals and contribute positively to the community. Learners flourish when given freedom, responsibility and high standards.

Acton Academy El Salvador is accredited in the USA by IALDS. We also work with an umbrella organization called West River Academy. We issue official transcripts that can be used in El Salvador to complete the process of homologation or of equivalence, so that our graduates have the official documentation to enter higher education in El Salvador and other countries.

Yes. Acton graduates around the world have been accepted and received large scholarships from schools such as Vanderbilt, Hillsdale College, Georgia Tech, University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M Business Honors Program, Rice University, University of Chicago (Presidential Scholarship), School of Mines Engineering, Embry Riddle Aeronautical Engineering, Notre Dame, Penn State, Ross School of Business at Michigan and Cornell University.

Others have leveraged amazing internships at places like SpaceX into full paying jobs, created portfolios that landed them their dream jobs working in creative industries or have started their own thriving businesses.

Acton Academy El Salvador will have our first graduate in June 2026 and we can't wait to announce where he goes!

Children Who Thrive

• Demonstrate curiosity, initiative, and independence
• Want real challenges and expect real consequences
• Prefer hands-on work, projects, and problem-solving
• Have high agency and enthusiasm
• Crave autonomy and want to actively direct their own learning
• Feel bored and desperate being passive

Families Who Thrive

• Believe children develop strength through responsibility and challenge
• Value grit, curiosity, and a growth mindset
• Believe that children are anti-fragile
• Prefer natural consequences over adult micromanagement
• Appreciate clear boundaries and high expectations
• Are more interested in character and real responsibility than in status and belonging
• Appreciate that there is an increasingly wide range of post secondary opportunities
• Have an heroic mindset

Acton is not the best fit for families who:

• Prefer highly structured, adult-led instruction with standard outcomes
• Need daily updates, constant communication, or heavy teacher intervention
• Expect traditional grading, pacing, or top-down curriculum
• Want adults to solve conflicts or motivate their children
• Are uncomfortable with autonomy, risk-taking, or natural consequences
• Seek loopholes, exceptions or special treatment
• Need one-on-one instruction, extra help or behavior management
• Have a victim mindset

There is a wonderful video called "A Day in the Life at Acton Academy." We invite you to watch it!

Our curriculum combines authentic Montessori foundations with a full U.S.-accredited academic program.

Preschool (14 months–6 years): We use the authentic Montessori curriculum based on NAMC and AMI-aligned materials, led by certified Montessori guides.

Kindergarten–2nd Grade: We continue with pure Montessori for reading, writing, and math to ensure strong mastery of foundational skills.

Grades K–12: Acton Academy El Salvador is a certified American school, accredited in the United States, offering a full U.S. academic curriculum delivered through a mastery-based, learner-driven model

This approach ensures learners develop independence and strong academic foundations while meeting rigorous international standards.

The Acton Academy Network has more than 300 schools in 20 countries and is constantly growing. You can find a map of our locations at www.actonacademy.org

Yes. All of our guides are certified.

Our leadership team and guides bring deep training in Montessori, early childhood education, and Acton’s learner-driven model.

Shannon Falkenstein (Director) holds a Master’s in Education, is a certified Montessori guide, and is a Master Acton Socratic Guide.

Carmen (Montessori Director) holds a degree in Early Childhood Education, is a certified Montessori guide, and is an AMI-certified Montessori Administrator.

All Acton Guides hold university degrees and complete Acton Academy’s rigorous Guide Certification program.

All Montessori Guides are certified through the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional de Honduras.

We invest heavily in training because the role of a guide—Socratic, learner-driven, and deeply intentional—is central to the Acton experience.

Yes — we provide grades, transcripts, and academic documentation, but we use a mastery-based system instead of traditional report cards.

Learners progress only when they can demonstrate complete mastery of a skill. For example, moving from 3rd-grade to 4th-grade math requires a full “100” — not partial understanding.

Their progress is recorded through Mastery Badges, portfolios, and transparent data dashboards, all of which form part of their official transcript.

We do not offer specialized services for children with special needs.

Acton is a highly independent, fast-moving, learner-driven environment, and we are not equipped to provide the level of individualized support that many learners with special needs require.

We want every child to thrive, and in some cases, a more specialized setting is a better fit.

Yes we do!