Begin your audition

Do a deep dive about Tinkuy Marka Academy and Acton Academy, and answer the following four questions honestly (you can do it in Spanish).

Research

Start here:

Explore Tinkuy Marka Academy's website (www.tinkuymarkaacademy.com). Soak up the resources on our inspiration page, especially the Disruptive Education. video.

Watch Jeff Sandefer's talk at the 2015 SXSWEdu
Read Unschooling Rules by Clark Aldrich

Dive deeper:

Read Courage to Grow (or "Valor para Crecer").

These blogs explore many of Tinkuy and Acton's ideas and experiences:

Blog de Tinkuy Marka, escrito por guías, Pumas, papás, mamás e Inés Kudó
Acton Academy Austin parents blog, escrito por Laura Sandefer
Acton Academy Austin Middle school blog, escrito principalmente por Jeff Sandefer

Get more:

You may also be interested in these books and TED talks:

Ken Robinson’s TED talk
Sugata Mitra’s TED talk
Sal Khan’s TED talk
Charla de Charlie tipo TEDx sobre Crear el Futuro
The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How, by Daniel Coyle
NurtureShock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman (resumen detallado de Shen-Li, Acton Kuala Lumpur)
A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille (https://www.tjed.org)
One World Schoolhouse by Salman Khan

the four Questions

1. What has your child(ren)'s educational experience been like so far? What has the experience been like for you as a parent?

Tell us about your background, your family and your child(ren)'s background. Share with us your own Hero's Journey. Describe your child(ren)'s current and previous learning environment. How much of their educational upbringing has been traditional or non-traditional? What are some of your child(ren)'s interests and hobbies? What is your own Hero's Journey as a parent?

2. What do you think should be the role of adults in the education of your child(ren)?

What are the major accomplishments you have seen your child achieve with hard work? In what areas do you think he/she struggles more or struggles more than his/her peers? What role should adults play in your child's education? Be specific about your experiences: what did you like most about one of your child's recent caregivers or role models, including you and your spouse? What did you like least?

3. Imagining that all change requires us to adapt: What are the three most important parenting challenges you foresee in your (their) future if you join Tinkuy? Why is Tinkuy so important to you in shaping your child's future?

What are the main lessons you have learned from reading the book “Courage to Grow” and from your research? Has your research changed any of your views about childhood, education, schooling, or life? In what ways? What situations that occurred in Acton's early years (as recounted by Laura in her book) do you think would have been transformative for you and your family if you had lived through them? What do you think would be the hardest for your child(ren) to endure and why? And for you as a parent?

4. Read carefully the model commitment you would sign if your family were part of Tinkuy. Here are four scenarios you might encounter as a Tinkuy mom/dad that might tempt you to break this contract. Read each one and share which one you think would be most difficult for you.

Scenario #1: Your Puma failed to meet his math and writing goals. Your Puma did not achieve his math and writing goals and was asked to miss a day of field trip and stay in Tinkuy to complete Core Skills. He is very upset, cries and wants you to give him permission to go anyway.

Scenario #2: Your Puma had a major conflict with a classmate during break today and came home and told you about it. You think your child may have been bullied and would like to discuss it with the other parent without the children being present.

Scenario n. 3: Your Puma has read a book for his badge but it was too easy. He did not ask the Badge Book Committee and sent his Book Review, which was very short and simple for his age. His friends approved it and he got his badge. The next session, the Auditing Committee reviewed his work and revoked his badge. He lost 30 gems, and his friends who approved the badge also lost 30. You and your son knew the rules and the consequences, but now that he is crying because he has to do it all over again, you feel that it may have been too severe a consequence and you want to discuss it with your son's Guide.

Scenario n. 4: Your Puma has been participating in the Quest but the day before the Exhibition he realizes he has no product to present. He stays late making a poster. The Exhibition committee does not accept his poster because the deadline has passed. You feel the committee was rigid because he submitted it early in the morning and there was time to include it.

Explain why you chose this scenario.

DNI/CE

Finances

The optional setup fee for 2025 is S/7,200 and for 2026 is S/7,500. This fee covers the cost of access to the resources and onboarding services and systems of each studio for Pumas and families for the time they are at Tinkuy. This fee is non-refundable under any circumstances, and is considered a one-time, non-transferable payment. Payment of this fee is entirely optional. Those who choose not to pay it, finance the cost of their onboarding and access to all systems and resources, through a monthly surcharge equivalent to approximately 20% of the regular fee, for the time they are in Tinkuy without having paid the installation fee. This additional charge does not constitute an installment payment of the optional installation fee. If a family later decides to pay the installation fee, the discount of the additional charge for Onboarding will be effective from the calendar month following the payment of the installation fee.

Considering the financing options and current service fees, and estimating that each year pensions go up between 3 and 5% to adjust for inflation and cost of living, which option would best suit your family?

We are able and willing to pay the setup fee and basic monthly fee from the beginning.

We can pay the 20% higher monthly payment, and we are NOT interested in paying the optional setup fee in the future.

At this time we are unable/unwilling to pay the setup fee but we are able to pay the 20% higher monthly fee. We would be interested in paying the setup fee and reducing the monthly payment in the near future if we see that Tinkuy works for our family.

I certify that I have completed this step as thoroughly and honestly as possible.

If you have not yet read Laura Sandefer's book, kindly read it and check your answers, and then submit the questionnaire. If you think there are other resources that would help you answer more clearly, now is the time to review them and edit your answers. If there is something you have not told us that is relevant to this process, consider sharing it. If you have already done all that, check yes and submit your answers.

Yes

Compromiso de Papás y Mamás

Como madres/padres de familia de Tinkuy Marka Academy:

Aspiramos a que nuestro(s) Puma(s) descubra(n) un propósito que transforme el mundo. Le(s) apoyaremos con amor en lugar de intervenir para ahorrarles la batalla o arreglar sus problemas, y siempre consultaremos la Nota para Mamás y Papás en Ruta de Héroes antes de reaccionar. Permitiremos que se equivoque(n) y fracase(n) temprano, barato y bastante mientras van ganando las competencias para aprender toda la vida.
Aceptamos el entorno de aprendizaje autodirigido en el que los Pumas gestionan los Studios a través de la delegación de ciertos derechos y responsabilidades por parte de Tinkuy y su familia. Respetaremos el Studio como el espacio de los Pumas. Sabemos que la cultura del Studio colapsará cada cierto tiempo y tendrá que ser reconstruida, y que es fallando temprano, barato y bastante que la resliencia se forja en el carácter y crea una cultura “anti-frágil” que crece cada vez más fuerte.
Compartimos los valores de Integridad, Comunidad y Excelencia. Nos esforzaremos día a día por priorizar nuestros valores sobre nuestros instintos, especialmente cuando es difícil. Elegiremos coraje antes que comodidad; lo correcto antes que lo divertido, rápido o fácil. Nos apoyaremos y cuidaremos unes a otres, construyendo un propósito compartido y una identidad colectiva que enriquece la vida. Buscaremos inquebrantablemente la belleza y la maestría para transformar sueños en realidad y crear algo extraordinario.
Celebraremos el progreso de nuestro(s) Puma(s). Acordaremos en familia un plan de aprendizaje y tomaremos medidas en casa si es necesario para eliminar distracciones como videojuegos, televisión y redes sociales; reducir la resistencia; superar sentimientos de victimización; y erradicar las conductas y actitudes agresivas y pasivo-agresivas para que nuestro(s) Puma(s) puedan integrarse sanamente a su tribu y lograr sus metas.
En nuestro propio Hero’s Journey como papá/mamá:

Seremos lifelong learners, y cada une tendrá un proyecto de aprendizaje activo (un libro, un proyecto de mejora personal) en todo momento para conversarlo con nuestre(s) hije(s).
Al menos une de nosotres participará en un mínimo de dos de las tres reuniones de papás y mamás cada año o al menos en dos cafés de papás y mamás.
Enseñaremos a nuestro(s) Puma(s) responsabilidad y honestidad cumpliendo nosotres primero con nuestros propios compromisos de traer a nuestre(s) hije(s) a Tinkuy Marka antes de la hora de ingreso siempre y pagar a tiempo y en su totalidad los costos de los servicios que recibimos de Tinkuy Marka Academy.