Crossings Christian School Celebrates MicroSociety Citizenship & Constitution For City of Light  

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Crossings Christian School’s recently implemented Oklahoma City’s first MicroSociety, a widely acclaimed program where children create a mini-society in their school complete that bridges the gap between classroom theory and real-world application. To inaugurate the program at Crossings, retired Federal Judge Don Howland will be on hand Tuesday, October 6, 2009, to swear in student citizens and perform roll call for ratifying the student-created constitution. The celebration will take place at 2:45 p.m. in the Crossings Community Church gymnasium.

 
“The purpose of MicroSociety at Crossings is to provide meaningful learning opportunities that allow students to try their hand at starting and managing businesses, participating in government, and filling in a variety of vocational roles that comprise a society” explained Al King, Crossings’ headmaster.  
 
“The students named their city ‘City of Light’ after considering numerous options. The name reflects what will take place in our MicroSociety – it will be a city will be full of ‘bright ideas' and will be a place where students foster behaviors that emit Christ’s light to the world,” commented Elaine Richards, Crossings’ MicroSociety coordinator.
 
MicroSociety emphasizes instruction and experience in 21st Century Skills: critical thinking, problem solving, initiative, entrepreneurship, effective oral and written communication, agility, adaptability, curiosity and imagination.
 
Students began the year in academy lessons which addressed topics such as writing checks and balancing checkbooks, developing business plans, creating resumes, and interviewing skills. Utilizing consensus, a constitution was written which will be the governing document for the City. Students submitted business proposals for a variety of individual ventures. Following the October 6 ratification of the Constitution, students will be running for offices in the executive and legislative branches, will set income and sales tax rates, set a minimum wage, and perform various other duties to establish the society. Soon after the society is functional, a job fair and interviews will take place where students will be placed in positions throughout the marketplace.
 
For more than 15 years, the MicroSociety program has been creating motivating learning environments that are meaningful and relevant to children. Beyond project based learning or one day simulations, real life business ventures and government agency activities are long-term, authentic, and interconnected. They inspire success. MicroSociety helps children find meaning and purpose in their education and prepare them to be discerning students as they proceed through higher education and ultimately into adulthood as productive, contributing citizens and skilled innovators in a global economy.
 
Crossings Christian School is a fully-accredited PS-10th grade private Christian school that began in 2002. Adding one grade per year, the school has grown to one of the largest private schools in the Oklahoma City area with an enrollment of 608 students and a quickly developing state-of-the art campus located in north Oklahoma City.