OUR STORY
As parents of four young children, we believe they deserve to find a calling that will shape their lives and change the world. Our role is to inspire and equip them on their Heroes Journey — a journey that we see as the heart of a fulfilling education and a meaningful life.
Our journey with Acton Academy began years ago when we first discovered its revolutionary approach to learning. Ian experienced the transformative power of the Acton method firsthand at Acton School of Business, whose mission is to prepare talented and dedicated students for extraordinary lives as principled entrepreneurs. This experience fueled our vision to create a school that goes beyond traditional education.
When we moved to St. George, UT years ago, we made a commitment: to build an Acton Academy for our children and this community. We believe every child deserves an education that prepares them to meet the challenges of tomorrow with courage, creativity, and character. Acton Academy St. George is that opportunity — a place where young people learn to think independently, embrace challenges, and follow their unique paths.
Just as we began this Hero’s Journey as a family, we invite you to explore Acton Academy St. George and consider joining us in preparing the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and world-changers. Together, we can create a lasting impact and inspire our children to find their own calling and change the world.
Warmly,
Ian and Stephanie Lindsey
Co-Founders, Acton Academy St. George
St. George Campus
Acton Academy St. George, a Montessori inspired Private School in St. George, UT, is located in historic downtown at 163 N 300 W. St. George, UT 84770.
Our Beliefs
There are 300+ Acton Academies around the world, each unique in their own way, founded on the common mission to inspire every person who enters our doors to find a calling and change the world; that learning to do and learning to be far outweigh simply learning to know. Everyone at Acton Academy St. George, believes your child deserves both an education worthy of this calling and to be in an environment that see in them what they may not see in their self, yet.
Our Mission
Our mission is to inspire each person who enters our doors to find a calling and change the world.
Our Educational Philosophy
We believe clear thinking leads to good decisions, good decisions lead to the right habits, the right habits forge character, and character determines destiny.
Our Beliefs
- We believe each person has a gift that can change the world in a profound way.
- We believe in learning to learn, learning to do, and learning to be.
- We believe in a closely connected family of lifelong learners.
- We believe in economic, political, and religious freedom.
Our Promises
We promise through Socratic guiding and experiential learning to encourage each member of our community to:
- Begin a Hero’s Journey;
- Learn to be a curious, independent, life-long learner;
- Develop a deep respect for economic, political, and religious freedom;
- Cherish the arts, the physical world, and the mysteries of life on earth;
- Discover your most precious gifts and learn to use them to solve difficult problems.
OUR TEAM
Mr. Ian
Co-Founder & Chief Encourager
Acton Academy St. George
Ian Lindsey is the Co-founder and Head of School at Acton Academy St. George, a pre-k through high school Montessori inspired private school in St. George, Utah. William Butler Yeats once said that "Education is not so much the filling of a bucket as the lighting of a fire." Acton Academy does just that and has been hailed by a former US Education Secretary as a leading example of education innovation.
Ian’s background includes years in the technology industry creating better practices, increasing sales, managing financials, and leading teams for start-up companies and universities. He has worked with some of the most innovative educators in the world. Ian holds a B.S. in Accounting from Brigham Young University-Idaho and an MBA from Acton School of Business in Austin, TX. While at Acton, his love for education was solidified. Acton MBA’s mission is to prepare talented and dedicated individuals for extraordinary lives as principled entrepreneurs.
Amidst Ian’s education, he was a competitive snowboarder, an accomplished musician, and an avid golf player.
Together, Ian and his wife Stephanie founded Acton Academy St. George to provide the community they love with this magical learning environment. They have a passion for learning, innovation, and believe that one person can change the world. They are the proud parents of four young children.
Mrs. Stephanie
Co-Founder
Acton Academy St. George
Stephanie Lindsey enjoys her dual life as the co-founder of Etch Design Group and a full-time mother of four very active children. Motivated by their love for their children, Stephanie and her husband Ian have founded Acton Academy St. George, a pre-k Montessori, Elementary, and Middle private school in St. George, Utah.
Professionally, Stephanie is an award-winning interior designer and manages a full-service residential and boutique commercial interior design firm with her business partner, Jessica Nelson.
She graduated from the Interior Designers Institute in Newport Beach, CA with her Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design. Stephanie has worked with contractors, designers, and architects throughout the country, developing a unique and versatile portfolio of projects. She believes in client satisfaction, honesty, and integrity in all that she does. Stephanie is a Registered Interior Designer (RID) and is certified by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ).
Stephanie and her family live in St. George, UT. Her hobbies include painting, kayaking, and chasing her children.
Mrs. Shannon
Adventure (Middle School) Guide
Acton Academy St. George
Shannon is a dedicated mother of three who cherishes quality time with her family, whether they’re enjoying the great outdoors, playing games, or watching movies together. Having lived in St. George for the past seven years, Shannon has deeply rooted herself in the community.
Her academic journey includes studying music at CEU, UVU, and BYU. As a skilled pianist and flutist, Shannon has been teaching piano for 30 years. Shannon is also a composer with her own album of piano compositions, recorded on a Fazioli piano.
In addition to her musical endeavors, Shannon has a strong passion for health and fitness. A two-time NPC overall champion bodybuilder, she often coaches and trains others.
Shannon’s life is guided by a powerful quote from her brother, who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms: “Great things do not happen because it’s your destiny. Your destiny happens because you do great things.”
Mrs. Tia
Discovery (Upper Elementary) Guide
Acton Academy St. George
Mrs. Tami
Curiosity (Lower Elementary) Guide
Acton Academy St. George
Tami Sillitoe is the Lead Guide in our Spark Studio, a Pre-k through 1st grade studio of mixed age learners. She has lived here in St. George for 10 years with her husband and three children. She has always enjoyed watching the world expand for young learners as they gain new knowledge. When her children were younger, she created a preschool music class out of her home and also participated in a co-op preschool with several families. As her children grew older, she took the opportunity to sub in the schools and work as a kindergarten aide. Tami went back for a Masters degree in Elementary Education and spent the last few years teaching kindergarten in the local charter schools. She loves that Acton gives students ownership in their education and inspires curiosity!
Mrs. Marissa
Part-time Curiosity (Lower Elementary) Guide
Acton Academy St. George
Marissa Oleson is a part-time guide at Acton St. George in our Spark Studio. Marissa and her husband, Cameron who is a firefighter/paramedic, and their 3 kids, moved to St. George a number of years ago. Marissa has been a librarian for over 20 years and loves opening the world to young heroes through stories and experiences. Prior to join Acton St. George, she had the librarian and "genius hour teacher" at a local charter school. That role gave her the opportunity to create mini STEM lessons and projects from various books for the young people who came through the library and school. She loves giving children the opportunity to work together to solve problems and experiment and seeing them find the joy that comes from learning.
Ms. Emma
Spark (Montessori) Guide
Acton Academy St. George
Emma knows the Acton journey from the inside. She is a graduate of Acton Leadership Academy in The Woodlands, Texas, part of the global Acton Academy network, and she stayed on to Guide there after graduation.
She then served an 18-month mission for her church in Las Vegas, Nevada, before returning to Acton Leadership Academy to Guide again. Emma has since moved to St. George, where she now serves as our Spark Guide.
For Emma, this work is personal. Her own experience as an Acton Hero changed her life, and she Guides so that other young Heroes searching for their calling can have that same experience. She believes deeply in the mission of Acton, and the Heroes in Spark get to learn from someone who has walked the path they’re just starting.
Mrs. Kelsie
Spark & Curiosity Guide
Acton Academy St. George
Kelsie knew from a young age that she wanted to work with children and be a positive, loving influence in their lives. That calling took shape early: at 13, she began working with deaf children and learned American Sign Language, an experience that sparked her lifelong love for supporting Learners of all needs and abilities.
She later moved to Southern Utah to attend Dixie State, where she studied elementary education with an emphasis in special education. Kelsie brings 7 years of experience in special education and 5 years as a preschool teacher. Her favorite part of the work is watching young people discover their strengths, build confidence, and get genuinely excited about learning.
Kelsie is a wife and a mom of three wonderful children. Outside the studio, you’ll find her walking her dogs, hiking with her family, relaxing in a hammock, swimming, on the golf course or basketball court, or playing pickleball. If it’s active and outdoors, she’s in.
She’s thrilled to work with the Heroes at Acton, learn alongside them, and begin the Hero’s Journey that awaits.