How a 17-year-old’s consulting tour is turning conventional school leadership on its head.
In the sun-soaked and patchy green courtyard of Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale, a new game unfolds. A group of elementary and middle school learners, along with their adult guides, are intently focused on one 17-year-old visitor, River Tompkins. The teenager exudes the poise of a seasoned leader as he introduces “Dragon Egg,” a teamwork-focused twist on “red light, green light” where players attempt to snatch an egg without being caught moving by the “dragon.”
This isn’t just playtime; it’s a way of modeling leadership, building connections, and showcasing the joy of learning. The instructor is River, a “LaunchPadder” from Acton Academy West Austin—equivalent to a high school senior in a traditional school. He’s on a consulting tour of South Florida Acton campuses, sharing insights gleaned from his decade in Acton’s learner-driven educational model.
The Acton Difference: Learning by Doing
In a world where education often requires sitting behind desks and preparing for standardized testing, the Acton Academy Network is focused on “planting the seeds of a civil society” in each of its over 300 campuses worldwide. The approach puts learners in the driver’s seat, fostering real-world problem-solving skills and self-directed learning. River’s tour exemplifies this difference.
Martina Slaven, co-founder at Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale, observes, “Where traditional consultants might be hired to deliver a report or an assessment, River’s contribution is more about modeling systems for our learners and sharing hard-won experiences from his own Hero’s Journey. Simple games like ‘Dragon Egg’ build connections and set a foundation that learners will remember for years.”
This hands-on approach extends far beyond games. At Acton West Austin, River and his peers manage real budgets during their Council and Town Hall processes. They plan and execute international trips, like a recent two-week journey to Romania. These experiences provide practical lessons in financial literacy, project management, and global citizenship.
Frank Farro of Acton Academy North Broward observes, “I’ve had the pleasure of meeting nearly two dozen Acton ‘LaunchPadders.’ To a person, they consistently listen with intensity, collaborate with harmony, and execute dependably. As a 30-year executive at companies like Disney, Bank of America, and Virgin, I find that LaunchPadders raise the bar on what I expect from my teams and myself.”
Beyond Academics: Cultivating Life Skills and Future Leaders
Acton’s model accelerates academic learning, allowing scholars like River to complete their traditional high school requirements in the first couple of years. Learners meet traditional high school requirements through a self-paced, mastery-based approach. Instead of following a rigid curriculum, they set personalized goals and demonstrate competency in core subjects through real-world projects, peer reviews, and external assessments. With this focus on mastery, many complete their academic requirements within the first 2–3 years, leaving them free to pursue apprenticeships and entrepreneurial projects through the “Next Great Adventure” (NGA) program, all while ensuring that they meet or exceed traditional academic standards.
River’s own journey illustrates this perfectly. At 17, he’s a published author, YouTube channel creator, and has completed an apprenticeship with a Supreme Court Justice. Later this year, he’ll spend six weeks guiding at another Acton Academy in Brazil. All of these experiences have sparked his interest in pursuing a degree in business and finance as he follows his calling to make a lasting impact on the world.
Luis Sarmiento, Head Guide from the Miami Nature School, another Florida Acton Academy affiliate, shared his reflection on River’s visit: “It’s one thing to practice, study and apply the Acton model. It’s another to see a person who’s lived it, breathed it, and now exudes it effortlessly. His leadership and confidence immediately impacted the learners, both in that meeting and even now as they carry on their own path of leadership.”
This isn’t just about academic achievement—although that’s a component. It’s about developing a fundamentally different approach to learning and life. Acton learners aren’t just absorbing information; they’re strategizing their life beyond education, anticipating future moves, and constantly adapting their approach. River reflects on his own Hero’s Journey, sharing: “This tour has affected me in a way that surpasses traditional schooling. I’ve greatly improved upon skills such as giving actionable feedback, networking, leading, and public speaking all the while building up consulting experience.”
As education systems worldwide grapple with preparing students for an uncertain future, Acton’s learner-driven model offers a compelling alternative. By empowering young people to lead, problem-solve, and innovate from an early age, it creates a new generation of leaders ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.
At Acton, the sight of a 17-year-old confidently leading both children and adults through shared learning experiences isn’t unusual—it’s intentional. From the earliest ages, learners are encouraged to take on leadership roles, with older learners regularly guiding younger ones. This peer-to-peer mentorship is a cornerstone of the Acton model, creating a continuous cycle of modeling, learning, and growth. River’s tour is simply an extension of this philosophy, taking it beyond campus and state boundaries.
As River packs up to continue his tour, the studios at Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale are still buzzing with energy. In this moment, it’s clear: At Acton, education isn’t something that happens to you—it’s something you create. And sometimes, that creation starts with a simple game of Dragon Egg.
Are you intrigued by the possibilities of learner-driven education? Perhaps you’re wondering how unconventional educational approaches might benefit your own children or community.
Are you ready to dive deeper into reimagining education? Join our free webinar, “Exploring Alternative Educational Pathways,” this Monday, September 23, at 7 PM EDT. We’ll guide you through innovative models and connect you with forward-thinking educators and parents.
