What Is It?

MicroSociety is an educational approach in which a portion of the school day becomes a student-run miniature society, enhancing academics with real life application and problem solving. The society sets a foundation for leadership, entrepreneurship, and creativity and provides a context to motivate students to improve their academics in order to succeed.

Proven Model

MSI has a 25-year track record supporting 120 sites annually across the United States and sites in 5 countries and has proven successful with every segment of the population, impacting the lives of 300,000 children and youth.

The Micro Model

Schools and Diversity

Our students come from many diverse backgrounds with 33% being Hispanic, 31% African American, 29% Caucasian and 7% representing other ethnic groups.

60% of our schools are non-charter, non-magnet, and non-private schools located in 66% urban, 19% rural, and 15% suburban geographic regions.

62% of students served are in elementary schools and 38% are secondary. On average, 72% of all MicroSociety sites are implementing the whole school model and 28% are implementing the after-school curriculum.

Dive Into a School

Results

Growth in the number of students from minority backgrounds is putting enormous pressure on our schools to improve achievement while accelerating cultural cohesion. In this context, nothing speeds language learning like necessity and immersion in the activities of daily life. MicroSociety learners outscore their peers in comparison studies.

See the Results

Featured School of the Month

Eagle Charter School

EAGLE Charter is a state-sponsored K-5 elementary school in Salem, Oregon with a 145 students across six grades and the Board has every intention of staying small.  Voted Best of Mid-Valley for local charter schools, leadership and staff see no reason to change and although the lottery application process is open to all residents of Oregon and the school boasts quite a waiting list, entrance is limited to 24 students for the incoming Kindergarten class and few openings in other grades. This is good news for Eagle Charter families. Staying small provides their children a strong sense of community and indeed, the entire point of this particular school is to bring a sense of family to its learning environment. That means being clever, focused and efficient with limited resources. Located on the campus of the Oregon School for the Deaf allows the school to share security, food services and the beautiful grounds of a larger educational environment.

Learn More

Featured School of the Month

Jaida's Adventures

Episode 1: Youth Activist Danielle Geathers

Youth Activists

Chris Bozzone

Director of School Partnerships and Community Relations

cbozzone@microsociety.org
(215) 922-4006 ext. 100

Carolynn King-Richmond

President and CEO

cking@microsociety.org
(215) 922-4006

Pam Coad

Vice President, Program

pcoad@microsociety.org
(215) 407-5437

Suzanne Downing

Regional Director

sdowning@microsociety.org
(215)-922-4006

Tamara Holloway

Social Media Liaison

socialmedia@microsociety.org
(215)-922-4006

Katie Kaleita

Media Guru

kidsincharge@microsociety.org
(215)-922-4006

Robyn Pancoast

Communications Guru

rpancoast@microsociety.org
(215)-922-4006

Veronica Keenan

Program Assistant and Office Manager

vkeenan@microsociety.org
(215) 922-4006 ext. 150

Francie Summers

Regional Director

fsummers@microsociety.org
(215) 922-4006

Milt Williams

Executive Director, Canada

microsociety.canada@gmail.com

Sandi Williams

Chief of Operations and Strategic Partnerships

swilliams@microsociety.org
(215) 922-4006 ext. 160

Donna Wilson

Senior Adviser, Teaching & Learning

dwilson@microsociety.org
(215) 290-5437

Laura Mejia

Executive Director, South America

microsociety@sjc.edu.co

Marcos Navos

Technology Specialist

mrnavasuc@gmail.com

"Micro was huge for me and that the job is the definition of 'you get out what you put in.' I know that was the case for me, and its certainly had a lasting impact on my life"

Danny Durazo-Former Intern

“MicroSociety – An antedote for school boredom”

Barrons 1100 Words You Need To Know – 40th Anniversary, Fifth Edition

"With MicroSociety, no child is left behind. We have learned that the hearing and deaf worlds don’t have to clash. With Micro, we in the deaf community are connected to the hearing world through our experiences and our jobs.”

Milagros, Middle School, Bruce Street School for the Deaf, NJ

“Micro helps you relate to your school work.  For example, when I was V.P. of Marketing, I had to fill out a monthly marketing sheet that required math, reading, and writing.  They were all combined and helped me appreciate my skills.”

Toni, 5th grade, El Paso, Texas

“In high school, everyone sees a big difference between the kids who went through Sageland Elementary School and those who didn’t.  MicroSociety kids work for the challenge; they want to strive to achieve.  Other kids want to just slide by.  Micro kids want to make sure they are prepared for the real world and ready for college. They know they have a future!”

Tanya, 10th grade, El Paso, Texas

“Our standardized test scores rocketed with our first year of implementing Micro.  Our student attendance dramatically increased.  If they come to school they can learn.”

Jim Otto, Principal, Philadelphia

“MicroSociety gives bilingual students the opportunity to use their language skills as they would in real world settings and they experience success on the job. As a result, they excel in school.”

Jorge Ramirez, Principal, California

"Micro taught me to be responsible for my actions, to be responsible – period (which not many kids my age know how to do)."

Ava, 8th grade, Matthew Gilbert Middle School

"Micro makes you more aware of your surroundings.  Not just focusing on yourself but what other people need, what they are going through."

Laurie, 11th grade, Alumnus

"For numeracy, for financial literacy, for critical thinking skills, this is the highest application of those skills in the new curriculum. I'm really excited to see something like this."

David Eggen Minister of Education Alberta, Canada

Belief Statement

We believe in the power of kids and in their potential to do extraordinary things so much so that we challenge the status quo about who they are, what they can do, and how and from whom they learn. We help young people create their own world inside school and turn over the reins for them to manage it. We encourage them to design and manufacture products, sell them in their own marketplace of ideas, write and enforce their own laws, and along the way to grapple with the moral and ethical challenges that arise. Through the MicroSociety system, students learn the value and utility of their curriculum while making sense of their world.

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