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International Towne is a one-of-a-kind educational program offered to 6th, 7th and 8th grade teachers to help teach students about global economics through fun, hands-on, experiential learning. Teachers use our curriculum to teach concepts in the classroom, which in turn prepares students for the most crucial (and fun) part of the program – a day running International Towne. International Towne is a life-like simulation of a global marketplace where students physically apply concepts they’ve learned as they step into roles as world citizens. All this takes place on-site at Young Americans Center in a 5,000 square foot space architected to be a 16-country mini-world.
Each day, the students spend the second half their “day in towne” experience solving a dilemma. Today in International Towne, the school created their own dilemma scenario. There was a pandemic of sickness (the Avian Influenza) that hit the PacAsia region. The Presidents of each country came together and determined that the best solution was to raise funds for medical support. Each President returned back to their region to make the case for support. Meanwhile, the teachers provided a detailed description of the “Avian Influenza” and how it affects birds and people.
When the citizens of the world realized that the closure of one region effected the rest of the world, everyone stepped up to contribute. For this specific dilemma situation, the students were most impacted by the closure of Singapore. Students pay their credit card in the PacAsia region, so if they couldn’t pay their bill, their grade could be negatively impacted. Finance Ministers, who were trying to determine if their country was going to have enough money to pay off their expenses were also greatly impacted. The students collaboratively worked together to successfully raise 500 PacAsia notes to pay for the medial care and reopen the region. The International Towne dilemma is a great example of a lesson of interdependence.
Teacher Tip: If you are going to create your own dilemma, send it to us early so that we can be prepared on your day of towne to present your dilemma. Our preset dilemmas work great for an example of interdependence but if your school has something that may be more impactful for your specific students, we welcome your creativity.
