MiniSociety

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Mini-Society

• Parent Informational Meeting
• February 17, 2005
• Mr. Jeffrey Nolt

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Tonights Agenda

• Welcome
• Scarcity Activity
• Overview of Mini-Society
• What is it?
• Why this approach?
• Educational Theories
• How parents can help

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Mini-Society What is it?
Mini-Society is an experience-based instructional
system targeted primarily for teaching
entrepreneurship, economics, and citizenship
concepts to students ages 8 to 12.
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Mini-Society What is it?
Mini-Society was developed by Dr. Marilyn
Kourilsky. It has been refined over three
decades, and it is in use by teachers and
students in over 43 states. Mini-Society is
endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education.
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Mini-Society What is it?
In the Mini-Society, students develop an economic
society under the guidance of their teacher.
Children identify business opportunities and
initiate entrepreneurship ventures to provide
goods and services to their fellow citizens.
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Mini-Society What is it?
Mini-Society is based on the belief that
experience is the best teacher. Instructors are
trained to recognize teachable moments and
debrief students on economic concepts theyve
encountered in their society.
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Mini-Society What is it?
Mini-Society is NOT a simulation it is a real
experience for students. Thus, students are
highly motivated to learn concrete economic
concepts that affect them today, not abstract
ideas that theyll need to know sometime in the
future.
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Mini-Society What is it?
When in full swing, students will begin financial
exchanges, form business partnerships, and
encounter the dilemmas confronting members of any
economic system.
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Why this approach?

• Personal as opposed to vicarious involvement.
• Active as opposed to passive roles.
• Opportunity for decision making, the consequences
  of which students will bear.

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What educational theories shape the program?

• Merlin Wittrock Generative Learning Theory
• John Dewey Experience Based Learning and
  Post-Experience Debriefing
• Jean Piaget Theory of Cognitive Development
• Benjamin Bloom Blooms Taxonomy of Learning

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How can parents help?
1. Encourage entrepreneurship in your
child. Help her or him find creative and
innovative ways to make products or services with
little or no money.
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How can parents help?
2. Insist on fair compensation for materials you
provide . . . and your work. If you help your
child produce goods, negotiate a labor contract.
This may be difficult for you, and your child may
protest. However, you are not a sweatshop worker!
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How can parents help?
2. Compensation . . . continued. If you give
your child free labor, they cannot accurately
calculate their profit margin. (Profit Income
- labor materials overhead capital)
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How can parents help?

• 2. Compensation . . . continued.
• How can you be fairly compensated?
• Bartering services
• Allowances
• Mini-Bucks or Silver Dollars

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How can parents help?

• 3. Spend no more than 10 over the course of
  Mini-Society on materials for your child.
• This is critical! As much as possible, we want
  students to be creative in using low- or no-cost
  materials.

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How can parents help?

• 4. Donate materials to our societies warehouses.
• You can donate supplies for students to buy at
  school (see handout).
• Your child may negotiate a transportation fee
  for carrying the supplies to school, but she or
  he doesnt automatically get them.

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How can parents help?

• 5. Come visit our societies during Market Day.
• What better way to support your child (and spend
  the Mini-Bucks or Silver Dollars you might earn
  helping your child) than to come and shop at our
  stores on a Market Day!
• Ill announce the dates/times of Market Days in
  advance.

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What are your questions?