We serve learners ages 4 to 18 across four studios: Spark (ages 4–7), Elementary (8–11), Middle School (12–15), and Launchpad, our high school studio for ages 16–18, which opens in 2027.

We start in early September and finish at the end of May.

Yes, a lot. Core skills are built with Montessori and other hands-on materials, along with interactive learning tools, hands-on projects, and Socratic discussion.

No. Acton isn't affiliated with any religion, and families of many faiths, and of none, are welcome. Learners do study how different beliefs, including Christianity, have shaped history and Western civilization, and they talk about questions of meaning, character, and purpose.

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.

Yes, in some cases. Every child is different, and we look at whether our environment can realistically support each learner well.

Our Guides are not special education specialists, so Acton may not be the right fit for a child who requires intensive, individualized, or specialized support throughout the school day.

We have had learners with dyslexia and other learning differences thrive at Acton, especially when they have the right support outside of school.

If your child learns differently, we encourage you to tell us early in the admissions process. We would rather have an open conversation about their needs and honestly determine whether Acton Pittsburgh is a good fit.

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.

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 those 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 multi-age groups within each studio (Elementary, Middle, and Launchpad (HS)).

At Acton Academy Pittsburgh we believe in learning to be and learning to do and an important part of this is encouraging kids to take responsibility for their own behavior and hold those around them to a high standard. When something isn’t working, we want our students to work together to solve the problem, not look for an adult to solve it for them. This creates a sense of independence and confidence that will serve them well in all areas of life.

At Acton Academy Pittsburgh, we believe in the power of balance. Using the incredible, self-paced eLearning tools now available, we are able to provide the rigor needed for learning math, vocabulary, spelling and grammar in about 90 minutes each day, while freeing up the rest of the day for engaging, project-based learning. The two are highly complementary.