“The function of education…is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
True education is happening all over in our schools. Today, I get to share with you one example of how our teachers are tapping into the creativity of our students and helping them to explore their own ideas and put them to good use. In the very same project, our teachers are encouraging the students to work together with each other, helping to develop student character as well – patience, determination, teamwork, compromise, and respect for their peers.
What is Kid Town?
Kid Town is a project that was created completely by the third grade teachers at River Birch Elementary. I, for one, am so grateful to know that our kids have teachers who go out of their way to provide authentic learning experiences for them. The care and patience that these teachers are putting into their work as educators will absolutely make a difference in the lives of their students. The following is how they described the project:
“Kid Town is a simulation experience in which children role play becoming an entrepreneur. Small groups of business partners establish ‘simulated’ businesses in which they produce and sell goods or services to customers for cash. Kid Town is based on the belief that children learn best when actively engaged in authentic, meaningful experiences. Students have more ownership of their learning when experiences connect to and build upon each other.
Businesses begin with a small loan request from parents. Once business partnerships are formed, students work together to come up with a business name, slogan, t-shirt design, and a banner to advertise their business. They work together to determine a fair price for their good or service. Partnerships also explore advertising techniques in order to target their prospective customers, our River Birch learning community. Students work together to create commercials that are recorded and then aired through our school media system.
Each student is ‘paid’ for their shift in the form of a credit towards his/her overnight zoo trip coming later this spring. Because students were well-aware they would be getting paid, they worked hard to attract business, used unique advertising techniques, and were passionate about the goods or services they offered.”
The shoppers at Kid Town were students from all the other grade levels at River Birch. Each child could come in and participate in the various businesses that the third graders had set up together with their friends. With actual customer care to manage, the third graders got to discover first-hand the best ways to work with customers.
What are the benefits of this project?
With the proceeds earned from the shops designed for Kid Town, the students were able to off-set the cost of their very recent over-night field trip to the Zoo. That field trip could easily be an entire story itself as our River Birch third graders had the opportunity to experience zoo animal care and understanding in a unique and immersive way. The students have returned enthusiastic about their new knowledge and are assimilating what they learned at the zoo in conjunction with their daily science studies. Thanks to Kid Town, the cost of The Zoo field trip was offset by more than half.
Deeper than math facts; deeper than nouns and verbs; deeper than spelling words – our kids are learning to work together to be productive citizens of our community. They are learning concepts bigger than traditional education can provide.
So – what did the kids actually take away from this project? Here are just a few of the things that some of the students had to say about participating in Kid Town this year:
Anthony – “I learned how to share responsibilities by being nice and helpful.”
Avery – “I liked handling the money and counting it when they paid.”
Brooklyn – “The most important thing about Kid Town is working together to get through things.”
My heart jumps for joy knowing that kids are getting the chance to have this kind of low-risk, real-life experience at school. Read those quotes again. Every child enjoys Kid Town each year, and you still see concepts in their thoughts like “responsibilities,” and “working together,” in their minds. What?! Our students are actually out there learning to work together, and they like it!? I need to take a page out of this book and come up with ideas for my house so my own children will say things like this!
I know math and reading are important, and I know homework is important, but most of all, I’m glad to know that our teachers are partnered with us in helping our kids grow and develop into positive, productive people who will know how to think critically about making our community a better place.