Acton Columbus is a learner-driven, private school that believes learning is so much more than memorizing information out of a textbook. We believe it’s important that our Eagles learn to be, learn to learn, and learn to do.

Learning by doing is a powerful way for learners to learn about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).

How did you learn about the importance of triangles in building structures? In an engineering course you took in College? Perhaps you never did. Our Eagles build structures and bridges.

How did you learn about volcanoes? I learned about it from a text book in Earth Science class in High School. Our Eagles erupted a paper mache volcano using baking soda and vinegar.

How did you learn about marketing, economics, and pricing? Most likely from the business classes you took in College. Our Eagles built a candy store and made real money. Later this year, they will build another business and sell their products at a Children’s Business Fair.

How did you learn about photosynthesis and germination when you went to school? Most likely from a textbook. Our Eagles will build a community garden.

Through these ESTEAM (Entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) challenges, our Eagles learn by doing rather than learn by memorizing.

The ESTEAM challenges our Eagles have completed this year include:

• Building different types of paper airplanes to test for distance and flight time

• Designing buildings that can hold cans of beans

• Building a robotic arm

• Designing and managing a candy store

• Building a bridge that can hold a bag of 100 pennies

• Building a long distance and accurate catapult

• Erupting a volcano with baking soda and vinegar

• Making slime!

• Building Marble run

• Building a Ferris wheel

In addition to these challenges, we are currently in the Coding and Robotics quest. The Eagles are learning how to code and will apply that knowledge to robots.