How To Get Started

Initial Partnership Building Phase
During this phase, we acquaint school and district leaders with our comprehensive approach to building a new kind of learning environment. We share beliefs and principles and determine the level of alignment between our programs and services, and your needs.

Staff Orientation and Program Planning

A belief in our guiding principles is essential to the success of all MicroSociety programs. We work collaboratively with you on-site, from creation of your plan and time line to implementation.  Once you’ve engaged the services of  MICROSOCIETY Inc., we help facilitate whole staff commitment and a Micro-mindset through professional development via large group and small group workshops and individual technical assistance and coaching.

Organization and Management
Allowing the same individual volunteers to do all the work threatens the climate of an environment and diminishes the potential for creating a cohesive team. During this phase, we help you develop teacher leaders in part by helping them choose their own areas of responsibility. We assist you in developing an effective Leadership Team as well as other MicroSociety Alignment Teams.

Academy and Implementation
During the Academy Phase, students begin to learn what it means to be productive citizens of a society – their freedoms and responsibilities–using MicroSociety lesson plans and holding their first town meeting. This classroom work lasts six to twelve weeks.

At the conclusion of the student orientation to citizenship in a school-wide economy, the Implementation Phase begins with the creation of student run business ventures and government agencies. These centers of applied learning provide the motivation for students to make school relevant to their lives and motivate them to want to succeed.  As constructive communication and effective group processes are established, the thinking skills necessary for mastery and retention of classroom content are developed and practiced daily. Internalizing the content and applicability of the basics occurs naturally.

Continuous and Systematic Professional Development and Leadership Coaching
All MICROSOCIETY, Inc. National Certified Trainers are highly respected senior educators and administrators who integrate their academic expertise with their extensive experience in MicroSociety programming.

Family and Community Engagement Phase
Meaningful family and community engagement is the hallmark of successful MicroSociety programs. By helping teachers accelerate real world connections and requiring minimal supervision, these Stakeholders discover they have valuable skills, talents, and experiences to share. The resulting feeling of fulfillment causes them to become advocates for the school and district and loyal partners of teachers and children.  By sharing their “real world” expertise with the children, these partners recognize the profound impact of the program and their relationship to it. .

Reflection and Celebration
Reflecting on progress made, holding "conversations" openly and candidly about attitude and challenges toward the work, and committing to needed modifications for the future are essential, non-negotiables commitments of time and resources for your MICROSOCIETY learning community to succeed. All stakeholders: teacher facilitators, administrators, students and parents must have time to listen and be heard by each other.

Networking
 MICROSOCIETY Inc. offers member schools, after school sites and district/organization staff to interact on substantive issues, gain support from like-minded peers, share best practices and brainstorm new strategies, include Regional Forums, Leadership Academies and the Annual National Conference. The organization’s newsletter and this web site also provide constant updates of the latest and greatest tips and tools from headquarters and success stories from our member sites. Member contributions or success stories and good news help us help you spread the word.

Assessment and Evaluation
Trainers provide ongoing assessment and evaluation through a variety of instruments and strategies. Periodic review sessions are held throughout the year for program reflection and adjustments and a year-end review session is held which establishes continuity from one year to the next. MICROSOCIETY Inc.’s trainers meet with the Program Team at the home office to evaluate site progress and collaborate around improvement strategies six to eight times per year. In addition, our Trainers provide Interim Progress Reports after each training visit and continually monitor and assess implementation progress.

Sustainability and Ongoing Support
To jump start and sustain stakeholder engagement, the year typically begins with a parent/partner orientation. A progress update is followed later in the year with additional activities when parents, partners and district /organization officials observe students “on the job." MICROSOCIETY trainers and other MICROSOCIETY staff are available to help  secure and maintain the support of the district and business community. This investment is essential to support the growth, maturity, and development of students and their ventures and agencies as well as to ensure long term program sustainability. If you would like us to visit you and help ellicit the support of your business community, check out our calendar to see when we will be traveling near you! Or call us at (215) 922-4006.