A MicroSociety A MicroSociety is a miniature society within the school where academic skills are integrated with real life experiences. Students collaborate with parents, teachers and business people to create a miniature society which includes a government, bank, post office, tax bureau, law enforcement agency and 25 business ventures. All students in grades K-5 are trained in business skills and ethics, community services, careers and currency before they actually have hands on experiences at their Micro jobs. Students then apply for a job, are interviewed and hired. They report to their Micro jobs each Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from 2-3 p.m. The CEOs of the businesses are teachers, psychologists, paraprofessionals, the school nurse and administrators.
Students also have to pay twenty percent of their wages in taxes.
Vance Village has four Market Days per year. All businesses in the village put their products up for sale and staff and students shop. The money made at Market Day pays for materials needed at the village warehouse and pays workers' wages. In addition to the MicroSociety model, Vance Village has incorporated the Comer model, based on the principles of child growth and development and the improvement of interpersonal relationships between adults and adults and children. All policies are developed by the School Planning and Management Team and must always be in the best interest of children, both academically and socially.