“School of Experience” – Microeconomy in the Adolescent Classroom

“The beginning of knowledge begins in wonder.” – Aristotle

The early adolescent (12-15) is now at the point in their Montessori journey of trying to figure out where they fit into their own social world, which we, as adults, try to facilitate in a variety of ways. “The adolescent environment is an environment where we can experience community, affirmation, love and support, a safe and enlightening place where we can test, discover, experience, share, and celebrate.” (p. 9 The NAMTA Journal)

Our MAP students will have opportunities through our “School of Experience” program to engage in real-life economic activities as an introduction to economics. This work serves as a first step towards economic independence and allows them to measure the worth of their activity against an external standard within their society. Objectives we hope for MAP students throughout this program include:

• Respect and value the gift of their time
• Self-expression and inner affirmation
• Valorization of self
• Authenticity in community
• Real-world experiential learning with experts
• Hands-on experience
• Flexible problem solving
• Differing levels of leadership
• Community contribution
• Production and exchange
• Legacy of work

At the end of their time in MAP, the students should have had opportunities to explore different areas of interest and intrigue. Students will have begun connecting answers to the formative questions of adolescence- “Who am I, and what is my role in society? How can I serve?” The “School of Experience” is working to promote personal agency through exploration of interest and need, while learning to value their and others’ work in the community. This serves adolescents in their need for the “valorization of self”, which, more simply put, is the process of becoming a strong and worthy person.