Reading Grit by Angela Duckworth was a game changer in my life. In the learning environment I grew up in, the adults leading us often praised those who finished quickly, those for whom things came naturally and effortlessly. But when I understood that what mattered wasn’t doing it fast, but perseverance, the ability to get back up after difficulty and keep trying, that was my wake-up call.

In Acton, one of the most important responsibilities of a Guide is to lift a Learner’s eyes to the horizon, so they can imagine what’s possible and find their path with a clear vision of what they dream of, and the effort required to make it real.

At Tinkuy, we’re carefully preparing the ground to open our Launchpad Studio for High School in a couple of years. It may still feel far away, and we’ve been walking toward it for almost a decade. Our first Launchpadders will arrive after growing with us for 7 to 10 years. That’s the kind of foundation we can build on.

Who is Bernardo? Some of you who still haven’t met him might be wondering.
Bernardo is Tinkuy’s dog. Although, sometimes, the Pumas say he is one more Puma and even debate about which studio he would belong to.

Over the past year, new families have joined the community, and I think it’s important to share a little about Bernardo and how he  arrived at Tinkuy.

I couldn't help noticing the stark contrast between the world our children are growing up in and the one I knew. In Lima in the 1990s, when people around me finished high school, if they were lucky, they got to choose from the top local options: “la PUCP”, “la Pacífico” or “la de Lima”; San Marcos or Cayetano; maybe UNI or “la Richi”. For us, studying abroad for undergrad was simply unimaginable.

For our children, “abroad” is an option, not a fantasy.

Last Tuesday, the Spark Studio engaged in a dialogue about body care. The objective was simple yet meaningful: to help children recognize their own body sovereignty, and express, in a concrete way, what types of contact feel comfortable, uncomfortable, or context-dependent.

Through a dynamic activity using colored paper, valuable reflections emerged from the children. And their families, who joined us to observe during a Parents Coffee, got to see the process first hand.

What began as a simple idea—painting a mural on campus—quickly became something more meaningful at Tinkuy Marka Academy. As the Pumas from the Spark and Discovery studios discussed the project, differences of opinion emerged. Rather than avoiding the disagreement, the tribe chose to hold a debate.

A few weeks ago, Inés and Gianni (guides of Ascend and Discovery, respectively) traveled with the Pumas who attended the international Acton network gathering in El Salvador. Some Mapaches (parents of the Pumas) took turns accompanying the Discovery Tribe while they were away.

Our task was clear: simply be present, without intervening, unless there was an imminent safety risk.

In this blog we share three parent perspectives of what we observed.

This year in Ascend we are testing a new format for the weekly 360. One single question. The new format asks them to connect the score to what happened, and to name the impact on themselves and others. It also gives them shared language for what we actually care about: honoring promises, protecting teamwork, and keeping the Studio healthy.

With the arrival of 2026, my fourth year at Tinkuy began, and with it, a new challenge: guiding the Explorer tribe while Yass was on maternity leave.

We are starting the year and, with it, new adventures in the Spark Tribe. We have new members, and that makes us very happy. This blog will focus on this reconfiguration of the tribe, the mixed-age structure of the group, the adaptation process, and how these young Heroes gradually get to know and recognize one another along their journey.

As we begin a new year at Tinkuy, I return to something simple and powerful: the words we choose can strenghten us or wear us down. A cooked rice experiment in Discovery reminded us that the body listens, that complaining carries weight, and that loving words can protect, heal, and strengthen our bonds, especially when it’s time to repair.

This year feels like A New Hope: the beginning of a new chapter in an old story, where more and more heroes from near and far, eager to claim their freedom, choose to join a growing disruptive community to build a new path.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always felt that I did not fit into society and that the way I saw the world was different from other children, but I didn’t know how to understand or express these feelings.

Buenos días a todos, gracias por estar aquí en este día muy significativo. Este día estoy muy orgulloso de mí mismo y también estoy muy orgulloso de todos los graduados de 2025.

A continuación, les voy a hablar de cómo fue mi ruta de héroe en todo este tiempo en Tinkuy.

This has been Tinkuy’s most peaceful, learner-driven year yet. No dramatic exits. No dragged-on conflicts. Difficulties, yes. Challenges, sure. But above all, joyful, focused growth and a strong culture of trust and respect. Our families have stepped in as true partners, and our guides have leaned courageously into the Acton philosophy: trusting children, letting them own their learning.