Courage To Grow

Acton Academy: The one-room schoolhouse for the twenty-first century Seeking a 21st century education for their children, Laura and Jeff Sandefer jumped off the track of conventional school and created a new model for learning. They created Acton Academy as a better school where learning is made practical and meaningful and where students begin a lifelong Hero's Journey to discover their true potential. Using the Socratic method, elements of the Montessori approach and state-of-the-art online instruction, Acton guides students toward independence and self-motivation, helping them find the courage to grow into the person they were meant to be. Soon, other parents wanted to start their own Acton Academies, and less than a decade from the seven founding students' first Socratic discussion, Acton has spread around the world. ​Courage to Grow is the Sandefer family's personal quest for their own children's education and happiness. Their story also contains a path for other parents who want to give their children the freedom to take ownership of their own education and to start their own school. The treasure at the end is much larger than Laura ever expected--a quickly growing network of dedicated, curious young people and parents who are not afraid to set them free.

Here is Barbara Crafton at her best—funny, warm, direct, honest, and vulnerable—on aging. “I think growing older is both funny and sad, but mostly it just makes me grateful to be alive and able to reflect. I have been an Episcopal priest for 33 years and have had extensive experience in ministering with the elderly. Now, I am growing old myself. I hate it when people are ashamed of being old. We should be proud!” she proclaims. Join her in this celebration of life!

A creative journal designed by psychotherapist, Sue Patton Thoele, this book combines inspiration, courage and constancy with an interactive growth experience. The author mixes quotes from her books with lessons and exercises to guide the private words and thoughts of readers.

The Courage to Grow: Leading with Intentionality shows educational leaders how to design and carry out a leadership professional development plan. It is a guide that allows leaders to construct their own learning to measure knowledge, assess growth, and improve performance. This training manual is for the teacher leader, beginning principal, practicing principal, assistant principal, department chair, district office administrator, aspiring leadership candidate, and professor of principal preparation. Chapters begin with a section called Learning with Intentionality, as defined as an intense energy or desire to grow exponentially, followed by a personal application of Caring with Intentionality. Chapters 2 – 7 include a leadership self-assessment utilizing the ISLLC Standards and conclude with growth activities. Depending on their leadership roles, the readers can select activities best suited to grow performance from present realities to ideal conditions for learning. The reader is then encouraged to design a personal Action Plan that takes into account knowledge from each chapter, strategies for growing performance with intentionality, and self-assessment results. Finally, each chapter includes websites, resources, and activities to improve leadership.

Gail Miller writes about the lessons she learned first as the wife of Larry Miller and then as his widow, taking over his role as president of the LHM Companies, which include several car dealerships, a movie theater chain, and the Utah Jazz.

I wrote The Courage to Come Back book to offer some hope and inspiration to other brain injury survivors and also to their family members and to also let the general public know about the benefits of hyperbaric chambers.I also hope that by sharing my story with others, it will give them the fire within to keeping fighting for every inch and every step in their journey of rehab and recovery.I hope that my story inspires people to be the best that they can be to other individuals and that they appreciate fully what others have done.As a result of my injury, I am in a very good position to share my experience with others, as many doors have closed behind me and now I must open up new ones, create new friendships, and other contacts.I have created The Michael Coss Brain Injury Foundation to assist children undergo HBOT therapy as I was given a second chance at life and now it is my turn to give back to others.As a result of my injury, I feel that I am a better person, stronger, and better equipped to deal with life's curve balls and my experience with a TBI, I see as nothing but a speed bump along the road.My book was written to pass along key learning's as to what it is like to have sustained a brain injury to other brain injury affected individuals and their families. It will also give hope and inspiration as the road back is a long, frustrating journey, with many speed bumps along the long winded road. And lastly, it is to educate the benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy to the general public and to spread the word on The Michael Coss Brain Injury Foundation.The journey back is a long frustrating journey for TBI affected individuals and their loved ones. If I can simply take their mind off their current situation for a short brief moment and interject a little distraction, maybe even perhaps a little bit of humor then I will be content giving back to society with my key learning's and story.Unfortunately, there is no magic solution or a pill that one can swallow to ease the pain and discomfort caused by brain injuries. Affected individuals must surround themselves with a positive loving atmosphere that will allow affected individuals to continue to grow, be independent as best they can, and will return to a more normal way of life.I am very fortunate that my parents decided to relocate to Vancouver from Quebec City, leaving family members, and friends behind as they felt that I would need all the support that parents and loved ones could offer me.Thank you Mom and Dad for re-locating to Vancouver to offer my family and I, the very best of support, both physically and emotionally, I am forever grateful and indebted to the both of you for offering me a second chance at life.Your son, Michael