Parent volunteers act as supervisors as do school personnel. The school custodian works with crews of students to maintain the building and students assist the building computer specialist in cleaning and maintaining technology. The librarian uses children to operate the library and even the school principal has a student assigned to her as an assistant. There is no monetary compensation for student workers. Any profits from businesses go to the student body treasury and the student council decides upon expenditures.
Students profit personally, however, by improving their communication and relationship skills.
During these meetings students discuss problems they have encountered on the job and set goals for improving work behaviors. The spillover into classroom behavior is immediate and obvious. Students build positive relationships with adults, learn to communicate more effectively with peers and improve their self esteem as they add to the life of the school. The Meaningful Work Program has expanded to every elementary school in the Central Kitsap School District and has been introduced in schools throughout Washington, Texas, Ohio, Iowa and Oklahoma during the last two years. Part of its appeal is that the program can be as small or large as a building wishes it to be and it can be virtually cost-free.