Service, Generosity and Justice

Recently our school held our Grade 6 Market Day. Our school is all about creating formational learning experiences where students do real work with a real need for a real audience. For the months of January and February, the Grade 6 wing explodes into a fury of activity with Market Day learning. Data survey collection, business plan formation, dragons den presentations, product research and development all work together to produce one glorious day.

The concept is simple; develop an idea into a tangible product to sell to consumers and make enough money to pay back your business loan and strive to make profit. The profit all goes to Opportunity International Charitable Organization that provides micro-loans to third world countries allowing people the opportunity to create micro- businesses that will provide income which enables them and their families to be fed, clothed, and educated.

Oh ya, do all of this in a five-hour window on Market Day.

This years event raised $4,250 for Opportunity International. That means that the total micro-loans of $3,761 was also raised and paid back. The micro-loans ranged from $40 to $414 depending on the product that was being made. Some of the ideas generated were: the bakery basket, Burgerama, sticky goodness, crepes, the bag boutique, happy hotdog stand, trivia spin, frozen frenzy, jarred up, martian mallow hot chocolate, floats for life, the grilled cheezerz, popcorn city, hair necessities, heat packs, pie in a jar, brunch in a cup, and many more.

The real formative learning evidence lies in what the students take away from the experience. Here are some quotes from students that participated; My favourite part of MarketDay was the day of. It was really fun because we got the real experience of a business. 

Now that I have learned about people in poverty, I can find more ways to help them. 

I liked doing MarketDay stuff instead of normal Math, LA, and Theme. I liked doing the business books because it felt like real life business. But some of it was hard. 

I learned that a business isn’t just about making money for yourself. Do it for the Lord and don’t be greedy. Like the Bible says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

I have learned that it is more rewarding to do work for Christ than to do work for yourself. I have also learned that you should always have a Christ-like perspective in business and all things you do. 

This is real learning!

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