The middle school years are when children begin to discover who they are and what they're capable of. The Explorer Studio is learner-driven and academically rigorous — a place where 11- to 14-year-olds are challenged to do hard things, and given the freedom and structure to rise to them.
Our Explorers learn at their own pace in a mixed-age studio, setting their own goals and taking real ownership of their education. Mornings are focused work in math, reading, and writing, where each child moves as quickly as they're ready to, many advancing multiple grade levels in a single year. Afternoons are for deeper, hands-on projects in science, engineering, finance, and the humanities, ending with real presentations to real audiences.
Along the way, Explorers learn to speak in public, lead a discussion, work through conflict, and manage projects from start to finish. They take on apprenticeships in the community. They support each other. They figure out what they love, what they're good at, and what kind of person they want to become.
This is a learner-driven school built on the belief that every child has a unique genius, and that with the right environment and the right challenge, they will discover it and use it to change the world.
Each morning begins with Core Skills: 2 hours of uninterrupted, self-directed work in math, reading, writing, and communication.
Learners set their own daily goals and progress through a mix of hardcopy materials and adaptive online programs at their own pace, earning points and badges for excellent work. Beyond the academics, this time builds the life skills that matter most: focus, follow-through, and mastery.
Learners begin taking on real apprenticeships in fields they care about. With no adult intervention, they learn to send cold emails, pitch an idea, run a meeting, and land the role themselves. The result: real skills, real work, and a real foothold in the community.
Communication is a daily practice in Explorer studio. Learners participate in daily Socratic discussions, deliver public presentations, pitch quest exhibitions to the community, and give and receive feedback from peers.
They learn to speak with clarity, write with purpose, and listen with intent, skills that carry into apprenticeships, business pitches, and life beyond Acton.
Every afternoon, Learners immerse themselves in real-world Quests — deep, multi-week projects spanning biology, art, technology, engineering, finance, psychology and more.
They don't study these fields from a textbook; they do the work. Each Quest culminates in a public exhibition, where Explorers present their findings, defend their thinking, and answer hard questions from parents, experts, and community members.
English is our primary language of instruction, and all work is delivered in English. Every learner engages in English writing, speaking, grammar, spelling, and vocabulary.
Native Dutch speakers may opt into our Dutch language track. Learners can also choose to study a second language — Spanish, Papiamentu, Dutch as a foreign language, or another language of interest.
We believe character — not just knowledge — shapes destiny. Woven into everything we do, our learners develop and demonstrate the traits that matter: grit, kindness, leadership, and honesty. These are the qualities they carry as they walk their hero's journey and step bravely into changing the world.
Acton Academy Curaçao
Scharlooweg 81B, Willemstad, Curacao
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