“If selected as your MicroSociety president this year, I will make this YOUR society. I will listen and hear your voices. I will make the changes that you want to see. I will leave this place better than I found it. I promise I will not let you down.” 8th grade Ben paused to take a sip of…
He saved their school. Single-handedly…well with four paws to be precise. Niko, a German Shepherd member of the McHenry County police force, took down a weekend would-be burglar. On Monday, theMicroSociety citizens and their facilitators gathered for a Town Hall meeting to address their incident-related concerns. And separate fact from fiction. Some of them had seen…
A day in the life of a Micro intern begins with a series of hellos and good mornings. Literally, everyone is so friendly when they are doing what they enjoy, we are happy to be helpful and there for each other when needed. We developed a team mentality from the start or perhaps inherited from the…
The rhythmic cadence of revision filled the office of theScottie Gazette. Came from Aaron, the 5th grade Editor-in-Chief. He typed three words and backspaced two. Squinted at the screen. Read what he wrote. Typed four more words, whispered them to himself, and backed up two. He was always particular about what he wrote. It was his…
“Accesorios” 9th grade Paula scribed across the top of the black poster board in neat neon lettering. She paused, brushing back a long strand of hair that had fallen from her blonde ponytail, before penning the word in English directly below its Spanish version. Did it have two “c’s” or two “s’s” …or were each…
Apart from the buzz of the air conditioning unit, there was a noticeable hush in Room 110. Monica labored over each letter in her name, making sure they were penned perfectly on the cover of her new journal. Miguel looked around at the lexicon known as the “Word Wall” that stood before him. “Budget”, “Profit”,…
The MicroSociety experience is one that long endures. Far after the lived exposure has expired with the pomp and circumstance of graduation. But don’t take our word. As we like to say, the proof is in the alumni. Recently, thanks to a Google alert (what did we all do before technology enabled us to bridge…
Creekside had no government. That is until the two 6th grade Cory’s came along. The old saying goes that great minds think alike. In this case, it just so happened that they were named alike too. Seated in front of Mr. Levensohn, the MicroSociety coordinator, their faces wore masks of concern. “We made a mistake,”…
This isn’t a story about a kid at all. Well, at least not directly. But rather, her mother, Sylvia. A woman who remained fairly unknown by those in her Texas barrio. Until she went to school that is. Sylvia came from a tradition of women as quiet, undisruptive homemakers. Her husband worked, formed opinions, and…
Gabby, a 6th grader with spunk, had always wanted to use the gloved and bejeweled pointer that her facilitator kept perched on the ledge of the classroom whiteboard. And now was the perfect opportunity. All sixteen wide eyes of the bank’s employees were fixed on it as she pointed its index finger to a glaring…