“Guys! We’re entering the unknown!” Gesturing to our wall displaying the steps of the Hero’s Journey, these were the first words spoken by a learner after learning that we would be beginning Acton from Home. 

All of us here at Acton are acclimating to new ways of doing things. There have been some technical difficulties, like when video sharing caused our group video chat to completely freeze. But when we got back together in the group, learners had an idea: to post all launch videos beforehand so everyone could watch individually and come prepared to discuss.

When they realized this new way of connecting posed some unique challenges, learners created a new set of Rules of Engagement in order to keep our discussion standards high. At every step of this process, through the learning curve and any hiccups, learners have zealously dived in and pushed our studio forward. 

Learners have even been finding ways to augment some of our studio systems. On Wednesday, learners volunteered to sign up to bring quotations to daily closes. Because of a greater sensitivity to sound and movement during video chatting, learners have created an even higher standard for listening and raising hands before being chosen to share with the group. Consistently, learners are finding ways to focus on what is still the same—our strong community of learners—as opposed to what feels different. 

In this new step of the journey, we have focused on three things: to inspire, equip, and connect the community. As long as we maintain those three cornerstones, we are still the same studio. And we will continue on this journey together, eager and ready for the adventures that lie ahead!