The Work and Job Program

Teaching responsibility and the power of the collective through real work

 
 
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“Children…need most of the same things adults need—consideration, respect for their work, the knowledge that they and the things they do are taken seriously.”

- Caroline Pratt

In order to create future stewards of humanity, students must come to understand the unique and important role they play in helping the community. That they are responsible for things that matter to them and to the community at large. That the work they do is important and the community relies on that work to function. And that collectively, we are responsible for each other.

 
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Central to the curriculum at The Angela Day School, is the Work and Job Program. It provides a space of empowerment through community engagement and participation though meaningful work. The program is intended to teach students the interconnected nature of each individual’s contributions to the school community.

The Job Program:

In the job program, each student in grades 3 through 8 has a specific job to perform that helps the school community function and run smoothly. It is a real job with a distinct purpose and usefulness. They are entrusted with every aspect of running their business, whether it be the school store or print shop. Each job also allows children to put into practice what they have learned in the classroom. The job program is integrated into the learning program and serves to enrich children's learning opportunities. Modeled after the jobs program at City and Country School in New York, children are responsible for running a school business enterprise which serves the specific needs of the school.

Work Program:

From keeping the school orderly to managing the daily responsibilities on the farm, the work program provides students the opportunity and learning experience of working as a collective to keep the school functioning for the community. In the grades, children manage and coordinate student work crews to clean common spaces, manage the gardens, and tend to the maintenance of the farm. The practice helps to develop a sense of community and shared responsibility amongst all children. Children not only learn specific skills, they come to understand the relationship between their personal lives and contributions and the whole community. The work program is designed to teach leadership, resilience, collaboration and collective responsibility.