Parent Meeting: the Future, the Past and Mission-Critical Present
At Ascent Academy’s third parent meeting, families imagined their child at 23, looked back for wisdom, and returned to the question of calling.
What We Miss When We Step In Too Quickly
When adults catch a glimpse of a hard moment between learners, they often miss the culture around it. What Ascent’s guides learned by listening first.
Growth Lives in the Feedback Loops
Projects, time outside, Socratic discussion: none of it is unique. What makes Ascent Academy different is the reflection and feedback wrapped around it.
Parent Meetings: They’re not what you think
Parents ask how to volunteer at Ascent. The answer is usually no, and the real ask is harder: trust the process and let your child own it.
They Get It.
A parent overhears two Ascent learners in the carpool line explaining why guides never just give the answer. A short lesson in listening more.
Boredom is a Powerful Motivator... Especially These Days
Every lull gets filled and every friction softened. Ascent Academy on why leaving room for boredom is where a child’s imagination and direction show up.
The School That Taught Me to Love Learning
An Ascent Academy co-founder on the alternative school that shaped her, and the decades-old parent handout that still hangs on her fridge.
Colonial Ascent: Experiencing the Revolution
For several days Ascent’s studios became British colonies under King George. Inside Colonial Ascent, the history simulation where learners choose.
Report Cards and the Stories We Tell
A 4th grade report card, read aloud decades later, raises the question: what should a school actually tell parents about their child? Ascent’s answer.
Why Hitting Every Goal Isn’t the Win You Think It Is
An Ascent learner says achieving every goal felt like failing, because the goals were too easy. How children learn to set SMART goals that stretch them.
Following Curiosity: What Lizards Teach Us About Freedom
A guide scrapped the planned launch when learners got fascinated by campus lizards. What followed was a discussion about freedom, risk, and purpose.
With Freedom Comes Responsibility
Ascent learners debate the freedoms they have, from choosing seats to setting goals, and discover that each one only works with responsibility attached.
What does it mean to finish strong?
Stories from the last week of school at Ascent Academy: learners finishing badges, cheering each other on, and coaching next year’s studio culture.
What Challenge Do You Need?
The Hero’s Journey tends to hand you the exact challenge you need. How Ascent Academy’s learner-driven environment does the same for learners and parents.
A Peek Inside Socratic Discussions Last Week
What a Socratic discussion at Ascent Academy looks like: 15 minutes, a circle, forced-choice questions, and learners taking a stand and defending it.
Getting Into Flow: What It Means That Our Children Are Mastering This Skill
Starting at age 4, Ascent learners practice getting into flow: hard, meaningful work stretched to the limit. Why it matters for finding their gifts.
What does work look like at Ascent?
A letter to Ascent Academy families on what hard work looks like in a learner-driven school, and why the results are not always visible day to day.
Finding Balance in a Self-Paced Process
Autonomy needs accountability and flexibility needs structure. How Ascent Academy balances the ingredients of healthy self-paced learning.
Ditch “What Did You Do Today?”: 10 Qs to Ask Your Child!
Tired of one-word answers after school? Ten questions from Ascent Academy parents that get children talking about their day, their quests, and friends.
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