Hoxie Students Complete Economics Program
by Kim Robben
April 18, 2008
Recently, the Hoxie Grade School 5th, 6th, and a few 8th graders completed an economics program called Rural AmeriTowne, a hands-on lesson in free enterprise that provides students the opportunity to run their own life-like businesses. Located in Wray, CO, this program reaches students from northeastern Colorado and across the Kansas and Nebraska borders. Hoxie is the very first Kansas school to complete the program.
The program is sponsored by the Young Americans Center for Financial Education in Denver, CO and is committed to developing the financial literacy of young people. Participants engage in real-life and hands-on programs that are purposefully designed to enable them to prosper in our free enterprise system.
The students completed a series of 34 lessons at school from topics such as: Basic Economics, Banking, Money Management, Government, Communications, Philanthropy, and Business Preparation. Students also filled out job applications and interviewed for jobs in one of the 10 shops located at Rural AmeriTowne in Wray. After being hired, they went through job training for their specific jobs and had staff meetings to prepare their business for the Day of Operation at Rural AmeriTowne.
Armed with personal check
books and acquired job skills, the teachers and students traveled
to Wray, CO on April 9th to "run" the Towne. It was a wonderful
experience for all of the students, and much was learned by the
closing of the program. This was an excellent way for kids to get
first-hand knowledge and experience in applying economic concepts
to real- life situations. We all look forward to participating in
the program again next year. You can access the slide show of our
trip to Wray by clicking on the following link: 
Students Visit Rural AmeriTowne
