Mini & Middle REAL

BUILDING COMMUNITY

The Learning Center! Charter School Year 2008-2009

The 5^th-8^th Middle REAL program is one component of the North Carolina REAL program that is “dedicated to helping bring entrepreneurship and small business creation” to our state. Additionally our school has a Mini REAL program that serves grades K-4. The Mini and Middle REAL programs work together to hold two annual Mini Malls, an event that has students writing business plans, conducting marketing surveys, thinking about effective advertising in order to create a marketplace for other students to earn TLC! bucks, to make decisions about how and where to spend their hard earned money, to develop savings accounts and learn other aspects of banking. The “Building Community” track that we have designed at The Learning Center! supports the goals set by the national REAL organization to teach students at a young age the many concepts behind the entrepreneurs and creators of small businesses that make our communities into healthy, economically sound places to live.  In “Building Community”  students are divided into four, mixed-age groups that reflect the diversity of community life.  Students participate in classes that focus on some aspect of the community life. Classes will include the following:

·         Community Problem Solving – Students will focus on the basic rules of safety at home, in the community and on the internet. Students will create dramatizations of problematic situations then model effective solutions. Students will compete for “best” solutions much like real-life contractors. Instructor: Joy Lautzenheiser

·         Community Environmental Design – Students are involved in the design and construction of a miniature “green” community and the design and creation of a Japanese garden.  Instructor: Bre’anne Killen

·         The Global Community – Students learn internet safety as they develop an awareness of the world that is accessible with the click of a mouse. Student research will support other Middle REAL classes and Friday activities. Instructor: Christine Horne

·         Community Wellness –With a focus on overall health of humans and the good earth, students will experiment with good-tasting, nutritious, “kid-friendly” snack recipes. These recipes will then be distributed to grades K-4 for classroom use. Instructor: Emily Willey

Additionally, student-elected Town Council members hire a Town Manager. Together these young leaders conduct Town Hall meetings, select and invite four area guests in over the course of a school year to share some aspect of community life.