The founder and head of school for Greenfields Academy is Rob Huge. Rob has 17 years of experience in opening and growing educational centers. He has run everything from test preparation centers to groups of regionally accredited colleges. After a six-month adventure in homeschooling his family in Central America, he was convinced there was a better way to prepare children for their futures. He is excited to bring Acton Academy’s proven methods to the families of Chicago. Rob and his wife Christine are the proud parents of four kids including two founding Greenfields students.
Our elementary school founding guide is Josh Johnson. He is a lifelong learner who joins us with deep knowledge and experience in progressive early childhood development. He is also a product of alternative education. He spent two years of high school and earned both of his college degrees in programs based on independent and collaborative study, community engagement and project-based real world learning. Josh is passionate about filling the education gap between high-quality preschools that support independent, creative and passionate learners and an adult world starving for innovative thinkers and leaders.
Aimee Skinner plays the role of education consultant for Greenfields. She brings with her not only a master’s degree in education, but valuable experience as a director of a cooperative preschool, a high school teacher and the mother of twins. Aimee has been instrumental in helping bring Greenfields to life and is excited about the possibilities offered by the student-driven curriculum. She looks forward to helping our community become everything it can be!
Advisory Board
Michael Herman – Michael is an avid life skills generalist and an internationally recognized community practices specialist. His traditional educational trajectory culminated in an MBA at the University of Chicago, but his last 25 years of self-directed professional practice is grounded in the learning he did as both a student and instructor in multiple Outward Bound USA programs. As our expert on community building, Michael brings deep experience and an active fascination with all means of exploration, organization, movement and storytelling, with practical support for emergent self-organization and spirited community learning.
It truly takes a village to start a school and we would like to thank Carolyn Nordstrom, Pete Brown, Mark Rizzo, Leslee Cohen, Michelle Sakayan, Irv Gilner, Cameron Smith, Pari Schacht, Alan Berger, Laura Pinsof and countless others who have inspired us, coached us, given their time, effort and/or money to get Greenfields off the ground.
Greenfields Academy 