AWE Academy

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Executive functioning skills like focus and resilience are a top goal at our school - for a reason. These are strongly linked to success, and even more so than grades.

Here’s how we build focus:
1. We involve students in making the rules, so they feel ownership over their own learning.
2. We involve students in setting their own daily and weekly goals, and give them encouragement and a bit of a push when needed. This builds a sense of responsibility.
3. Daily, we ask questions like, what worked today, how was your focus, what would improve it?
4. We give students freedom to work in ways that are comfortable for them - on the floor, in the tent, at a table.
5. We make learning hands-on and fun, so students are naturally engaged!

It’s hard to believe, given all the news about the drop in focus and resilience. But we are experiencing the opposite here at AWE! Want to see for yourself? Call or DM us to book a tour!

Executive functioning skills like focus and resilience are a top goal at our school - for a reason. These are strongly linked to success, and even more so than grades.

Here’s how we build focus:
1. We involve students in making the rules, so they feel ownership over their own learning.
2. We involve students in setting their own daily and weekly goals, and give them encouragement and a bit of a push when needed. This builds a sense of responsibility.
3. Daily, we ask questions like, what worked today, how was your focus, what would improve it?
4. We give students freedom to work in ways that are comfortable for them - on the floor, in the tent, on a proper desk.
5. We make learning hands-on and fun, so students are naturally engaged!

It’s hard to believe, given all the news about the drop in focus and resilience. But we are experiencing the opposite here at AWE! Want to see for yourself? Call or DM us to book a tour!

Have you watched your child light up with curiosity, only to see that spark fade the longer they stay in traditional school? It’s not their fault. The system wasn’t built to nurture a love of learning.

Here’s what’s happening in most schools:

❌ External rewards replace internal motivation. Research shows that grades and gold stars actually reduce a child’s natural desire to learn (Deci & Ryan, 2000).
❌ Rigid curriculum kills curiosity. When kids are forced to move at the same pace as everyone else, they lose the joy of exploration (Robinson, 2015).
❌ Fear of failure shuts down engagement. Kids who are constantly tested learn to avoid mistakes instead of embracing challenges (Dweck, 2006).

Now, imagine a learning environment designed to ignite passion, not extinguish it. That’s AWE Academy.

✅ Self-paced learning fuels excitement. Kids set their own goals, diving deep into subjects they love. No more being rushed, or held back.
✅ Real-world challenges make learning meaningful. Instead of memorizing facts, students tackle hands-on projects that prepare them for life.
✅ Failure is part of the journey. Here, mistakes aren’t punished but rather celebrated as steps toward mastery.

If your child is losing their love of learning, it’s not too late to change that!

A Quest at AWE Academy is a hands-on, project-based learning experience built around a theme or storyline. Instead of traditional lessons, learners spend several weeks tackling real challenges, building things, solving problems, and collaborating with peers. Quest work is done in the afternoon, while the mornings are reserved for individualized focus on the core skills of math, reading, and writing.

Typically, a Quest runs about 4–6 weeks and is structured as a series of challenges tied to a narrative (for example: launching a business, exploring space, marine biology or solving a scientific mystery). The goal isn’t just academics, but developing real-world skills like critical thinking, teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving, and culminating in a public exhibition or presentation of what learners created in front of a room full of parents (thus, practicing public speaking and presenting skills). Another goal of the Quest is to help learners identify the topic areas that get them excited, so they can begin to get clarity on what may interest them career-wise. The schedule of Quests rotates every 4 years, so a typical Elementary studio (ES) student will do every Quest one time during their 4 years in ES. Does this sound like more fun and engaging than memorizing facts for an exam or doing hours of homework every day? We sure think so, and our students seem to agree! And not just that, but when learning is more hands-on and fun, students are more likely to even remember what they learn. This is the best kind of win-win!

At AWE Academy, we built something different. Here, your child is seen as a whole person, not just a grade. They’re guided to lead, solve real problems, and develop a deep love of learning.

We believe the world needs curious minds, kind hearts, bold thinkers.

Our families chose something different because:
~ They value character and academics
~ They want independence, not constant supervision
~ They believe in purpose over pressure
~ They see education as more than worksheets and test prep
~ They value a tight-knit community of families with shared values.