Mock Town Project Teaches Thomas Lake Students Money Management

The Young Scholar and Enrichment students at had the opportunity to walk a mile in their parents’ shoes earlier this week.

After months of planning, the students staged a mock town from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on May 23. The town, which the students named “TL Bizzy #2,” allowed Thomas Lake’s fourth- and fifth-graders to try their hands at business, politics and money management.

“Our economy has hit some of our families,” said Josie Vandewege, a Young Scholar specialist and fifth grade teacher at Thomas Lake. “There were certainly a lot of lessons that tied in directly to how their family manages money.”

The idea for TL Bizzy #2 originated last year, when Vandewege’s students visited Junior Achievement’s BizTown in Maplewood.

JA BizTown is a permanent simulated town that is structured to teach children about economics and business.

Vandewege hoped to see her class return to BizTown this year, but when her teaching schedule didn’t allow for the trip, she decided to bring the learning experience to them.

The students spent three months working on their town. TL Bizzy #2 was built in the Thomas Lake gymnasium out of tables and cardboard. The town included a city hall, a bank, a café, a superstore, a wellness center and a radio station.

The intent of the project was to teach the students specific life skills, such as job interviewing abilities, resume writing and personal finance. TL Bizzy #2 also gave students a broad understanding of the economy, addressing the specifics of supply and demand.

Each student took on a civic role in the town’s economy. Some were CEOs and CFOs. Others worked in sales and management. And still others served as politicians or members of the media.

“I love giving the customers what they need and making them happy,” said Julia Porras, a fourth-grader at Thomas Lake, who worked as food manager at Bizzy #2’s café. “You always, always, always have to know what you’re doing. You have to be prepared.”

Porras wasn’t the only student to learn responsibility from the project.

“I knew it would be hard, but I knew it would be worth it,” said fifth grader Abby Stewart, in reference to her role as the town’s radio DJ.

29 students participated in TL Bizzy #2, all of whom are enrolled in Thomas Lake’s Young Scholar and Enrichment program. The program is designed for high achieving students from culturally and economically diverse backgrounds.

Funding for TL Bizzy #2 came largely from a combination of donated funds and funds from Thomas Lake’s Gifted and Talented/Young Scholars account.