Acton Academy Madison West

Empower Your Child In Their Education

What if children enjoyed school and learned skills they'll need to be successful for the 21st century?
It's happening at Acton Academy Madison West.

Find joy in learning. Begin your family's journey

Children from Fitchburg, Blackhawk and surrounding areas in WI, enjoying education learning with Acton Academy Madison West. Madison West, Blackhawk Wisconsin Children encuouraged to pursue their education with Acton Academy Madison West.
Acton Academy Madison West class in progress to children from Shorewood and surrounding areas. Madison West children enjoying education by Acton Academy.
We Believe

Every Child Is A Genius. Every Child. Every Day.

We believe each child who enters Acton Academy Madison West will find a calling that changes the world. Our heroes are independent learners who find great joy in learning in a tight-knit community that upholds the highest standards of excellence.
Our Promises To Your Child

He Or She Will:

<h4>Begin a hero's journey</h4>

Begin a hero's journey

<h4>Learn to be a curious, independent, lifelong learner</h4>

Learn to be a curious, independent, lifelong learner

<h4>Develop a deep respect for economic, political and religious freedoms</h4>

Develop a deep respect for economic, political and religious freedoms

<h4>Cherish the arts, wonders of the physical world and the mysteries of life on Earth</h4>

Cherish the arts, wonders of the physical world and the mysteries of life on Earth

<h4>Discover his or her most precious gifts and learn to use them to solve difficult problems</h4>

Discover his or her most precious gifts and learn to use them to solve difficult problems

Children from Blackhawk, Fitchburg, Middleton, Shorewood & other areas in Wisconsin learning 21st education at Acton Academy Madison West.

Our Beliefs

 
We believe each child has a gift that can change the world in a profound way.
 
We believe in learning to learn, learning to do, and learning to be.
 
We believe our learning environment is a closely connected community of lifelong learners.
 
We believe in a society in which people live a life of meaning according to their deepest beliefs, cooperating without compulsion, and taking responsibility for the consequences of their actions.
Our Acton Academy Madison West Team
Marisa Palmer, Co-Founder and Head of School

Marisa Palmer, Co-Founder and Head of School

Hello and welcome to Acton Academy Madison West! My husband, Brandon, and I were inspired to embark on the hero's journey of founding an Acton after hearing a podcast interview with another owner. The philosophy and learning design immediately resonated with us. We knew it was what we wanted for our now seven-year old son, and that it would equip him to flourish and succeed in the 21st century, while building character and integrity.

Brandon and I met while working in New York, and both have Midwestern roots. I'm a reformed investment banker and hedge fund analyst who spent the last ten years building education businesses and also teaching. Prior to Acton, I taught finance at UW-Madison and am known as an innovator in the classroom. I attended UW-Madison and played volleyball for the Badgers. Brandon's background is in technology. He was the CIO for a foreign-currency exchange. After starting and running his own business, he now works for Redox in the healthcare tech space. He is Acton's technology guru!

We are thrilled to be on this journey and invite you to join us by becoming part of the Acton Academy Madison West community.

Ellie Heiking, Spark Studio Guide & Director of Engagement

Ellie is a creative and energetic educator, in the field since 2017. As Acton Academy Madison West's Spark Guide, Ellie provides a loving and developmentally sound foundation for a lifetime of learning. Each day she commits to creating and maintaining an environment where Acton heroes grow, thrive and know that their thoughts, feelings and opinions matter. Ellie combines Montessori learning in core skills, with creative projects, play, and Acton systems to create the Spark learning design. She has played a key role in developing Acton Academy Madison West's Spark studio.

Prior to Acton, Ellie led a 4K classroom, led K-2 virtual learning pods, and developed curriculum while working to connect community and school. Ellie graduated with a degree in Communications from UW-Whitewater and is certified by the North American Montessori Center (NAMC).

Ellie Heiking, Spark Studio Guide & Director of Engagement
Lanqi Xu, Discovery Studio Guide

Lanqi Xu, Discovery Studio Guide

Lanqi was born and raised in Dalian, China, and is proficient in both English and Mandarin. Lanqi came to the U.S. for college in 2018 and earned her bachelor's degree in education from UW-Madison. After graduation, Lanqi moved to New York and earned her master’s degree at Teachers College, Columbia University. Before joining Acton Academy Madison West, Lanqi was a 4th grade teacher at Success Academy Charter School in Washington Heights in NYC where she led project-based learning and developed lesson plans to fit diverse children’s needs.

Lanqi is deeply passionate about project-based learning, which empowers learners to conduct research on topics in-line with their interests, collaborate in groups, and present their findings. In terms of educational philosophy, Lanqi firmly believes that every child is a hero on a hero’s journey. She also advocates for a learning journey that fosters happiness and freedom.

Our Location

We are located on the garden level of the storied Westminster Presbyterian Church (we are non-religious) in the Nakoma neighborhood. The school boasts nearly 8,500sf of space including spacious and bright studios, makerspace, and a large Fellowship Hall for indoor physical activity and end-of-session exhibitions.

Outdoors, we will be building a large teaching garden on the grounds. There is a spacious patio where children can enjoy lunch or work in the sun. The school is situated near the wooded Nakoma Park with a playground and rocky creek where children can explore. It is just a short walk from a sledding hill, and to the UW-Arboretum, a perfect place for experiencing and studying the natural world!

We integrate at least an hour of outdoor time each day into our schedule, along with opportunities to read and work on our outdoor patio when weather permits. Whenever possible, we do Phys. Ed. outdoors and love nature walks!

Our Location

A School for the 21st Century

Latest News, videos & updates from Acton Academy

The Hero’s Journey, Rooted in Research

Adapted from a blog post by Laura Sandefer. Nemo. Luke Skywalker. Mulan. Odysseus. Dorothy. The Little Engine that Could. These stories strike a chord of yearning we share –  adventure, identity and meaning in our lives.  They also have a structured rhythm that’s been repeated in stories for thousands of years. Joseph Campbell’s work revealed Read more…

Discovery Studio, Year 2, Session 5, Week 24

The Discovery heroes wrapped up this session’s Detective Science quest with an exhibition of learning where they created a crime scenario and crime scene for exhibition attendees to solve! They set up a jailbreak scenario and parents and friends were asked to figure out whole helped the criminal escape. They used finger prints, footprints, and Read more…

Spark Studio, Year 2, Session 5, Week 24

As winter bids its farewell, we eagerly embrace the warmth and joy of spring here at Spark! The Spark heroes have been buzzing with excitement and curiosity, ready for the adventures that lie ahead. Let’s dive into the highlights of our recent escapades: With the arrival of spring, we eagerly embarked on our Gardening Quest. Read more…