In a classroom mini-economy, students have classroom jobs, earn play money, make spending and saving decisions, shop at the class store, and even start a classroom business.

VCEE can help you:

Start a mini-economy for home teaching. Recorded training session here.
Start a classroom mini-economy, complete with lessons, assessments, and much more. Materials here. Professional development opportunities here.
Organize a district-wide market day for student businesses. E-mail us at vcee@vcu.edu for more information.

Conducted as a unit of study, this high-energy simulation focuses on economic concepts, financial literacy, classroom management, and real-world market situations. Students establish their own society, design currency, plan and open businesses, and create a functioning government. It’s a perfect setup for authentic instruction in language arts, math, art and social studies.

A Mini-Economy is a flexible and customizable classroom program that usually runs for weeks or even months. Generally, the program includes:

  • A system of money/currency that is exchanged, invested and managed
  • Support for starting start-ups and new businesses
  • A “Market Day” hosted at your school where students create and sell products and services to each other using the classroom currency
  • Roles and job descriptions for each student
  • A process for collecting taxes and providing public services
  • Optional but encouraged: a government with elected representatives

Enjoy this video from a mini-economy professional development session: