Abstract
Microenterprises in the classroom provide a unique way to incorporate academic goals within transitional skill instruction for students with developmental disabilities. The purpose of this article is to discuss how the principles of microenterprises can be used by classroom teachers to practice these skills as well as an overview of how to create a microenterprise. Vignettes are used to illustrate this process.
Ms. Smith is a teacher in a self-contained autism spectrum disorder (ASD) classroom in a suburban high school. She knows legislation requires that academic skills be taught, but she also knows that students with developmental disabilities can benefit from the development of both independent living and vocational skills. However, she doesn’t have enough time in the school day to address these skills separately. Might there be a way for her to address both these skill sets concurrently during instructional time?
Transitioning from high school to adulthood is a challenging time for any young adult. This time brings about new trials and experiences, which can be fraught with excitement as well as anxiety. Youth with disabilities experience the same difficulties transitioning out of high school as any other student, but there are some challenges associated with a developmental disability (DD) that can impact future success after exiting high school (Biggs & Carter, 2016; Carter, Austin, & Trainor, 2012; Landmark, Ju, & Zhang, 2010). Entering the workforce after graduating from high school is an indicator of postschool success, but youth with DD regularly leave high school without the skills necessary to enter competitive employment (Carter et al., 2012).
The Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004 asserts that the primary goal of special education is to “prepare [students with disabilities] for further education, employment, and independent living.” In addition, the legislation mandates transition services. Despite this mandate, youth with DD continue to have poor employment outcomes after high school (Carter, Brock, & Trainor, 2014; Simonsen & Neubert, 2012). Students with DD experience less than half the rate of enrollment in postsecondary education programs than other students with disabilities and are much less likely to be employed two years out of high school in comparison with their peers (Baer, Daviso, Flexer, Queen, & Meindl, 2011). Services to support transitioning youth with DD prior to gaining employment, as well as during employment, have been identified and honed, yet they are much more likely than their peers to be unemployed (Simonsen & Neubert, 2012). This may be due in part to youth with disabilities undervaluing their own skills, leading to sheltered or supported employment more often than competitive employment (Baer et al., 2011).
Gaining entry into the workforce is important, as employment is beneficial in several ways. First, employment provides a means to satisfy basic human needs (e.g., food, shelter, clothing). Second, work can provide social opportunities, thereby enhancing a person’s quality of life. Third, the work environment can provide a sense of belonging in different social groups (Pickens & Dymond, 2015). There is little question that students with disabilities need direct instruction in many skills, including employment, but of course there must be a balance to ensure students receive instruction in much more than employment (Bartholomew, Papay, McConnell, & Cease-Cook, 2015). There are barriers to obtaining competitive employment, but there are some innovative options that are reasonably attainable for individuals with DD. In the United States, just over 60% of jobs created over the last decade have been created through small businesses (Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy Frequently Asked Questions, 2012). Thus, small businesses or microenterprises can be a viable means for individuals with DD to both work and perhaps even create competitive employment opportunities. What follows is a description of how a school-based microenterprise can be created, implemented, and operated out of a classroom.
That evening while feeding her dog, Ms. Smith still had school on her mind. As she picked out a dog treat, she was distracted by the price tag on the bag. The treats were expensive, but organic. This slight diversion in thought inspired her to look at the ingredients on the package. She thought to herself, “I bet I could make these treats, the ingredients are all natural—wouldn’t it be fun to bake dog treats with the students?” Almost instantly, questions began popping up without mental break. Could she find a recipe online that students could follow? Maybe other teachers and staff will make donations for the treats? It was difficult to contain the excitement, as she began to think about the ease with which she could make a connection to academics. Mixing, baking, and selling the treats would incorporate functional math skills (e.g., weighing, measuring, counting, and making change), functional chemistry skills (i.e., cooking), communication and computer skills (e.g., creating social media pages and flyers using Microsoft Word), and social skills (e.g., interacting with customers). Maybe community-based instruction promoting independent living skills (e.g., shopping for ingredients) could be included! They could take the city bus to the grocery store and buy the supplies, which would incorporate even more skills and individual goals! This was sounding like one of the best ideas Ms. Smith had since beginning her teaching career, but in the middle of experiencing such joy, she thought . . . how will I make all this happen?
Microenterprises
Microenterprises are defined by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID; 2008) as “a very small enterprise owned and operated by poor people, usually in the informal sector.” Estimated start-up costs are US$500 or less (Conroy, Ferris, & Irvine, 2010). According to the Fund for Innovation, Effectiveness, Learning and Dissemination (FIELD; 2015), there has been substantial growth in the number of people assisted through microenterprises as well as growth in the operating income of microenterprises. Microenterprise services, such as microloans, traditionally assist entrepreneurs who lack business credit and resources to start a typical small business. The large majority of these entrepreneurs are women and “members of traditionally disadvantaged racial or ethnic groups” (FIELD, 2015, p. 8). Furthermore, about 7% of the people creating microenterprises are people with disabilities (FIELD, 2015).
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies are available to help institute microenterprises as self-employment options for adults with DD (Arnold & Ipsen, 2005). VR agencies emphasize consumer choice and work with independent agencies to provide self-employment assistance (Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Florida Department of Education, n.d.). These services empower people with disabilities to become self-employed more often than people without disabilities (Arnold & Ipsen, 2005). Researchers have found microenterprises to offer a more meaningful and satisfying employment option for people with disabilities rather than sheltered workshops or adult day activity centers. Conroy et al. (2010) studied the impact of microenterprises as employment on the quality of life of people with DD. Participants reported improvements in all measured areas of work life quality. See Table 1 for examples of community microenterprises and resources.
Microenterprises and Resources.
Modified Microenterprises in the Classroom
Microenterprises in the classroom can be used to strengthen numerous Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals and skills, such as mathematics, reading, writing, communication, social skills, independent living, and vocational skills. Steere and DiPipi-Hoy (2012) suggested implementing school-based instruction concurrent with community-based instruction. Through the concurrent use of microenterprises and community-based instruction, it is possible to identify skills that need further development. These community-based skills can be strengthened in the classroom through microenterprise activities. For example, if a student struggles with counting money or making a purchase in the community, the student can be afforded a number of opportunities to count money when collecting donations or make change when interacting with customers. Communication deficits might be improved as students practice communicating with customers. While assessing progress toward target goals in the community, teachers can modify microenterprise activities to provide more practice when needed.
When implementing a modified microenterprise in the classroom, a teacher can also align the microenterprise activities with Common Core State Standards. For instance, Bartholomew et al. (2015) provided an example of using food preparation (which would be appropriate for Ms. Smith’s microenterprise) to teach irrational numbers, “Common Core State Standard CCSS.Math.Content.8.NS.A.1, know that there are numbers that are not rational, and approximate them by rational numbers” (p. 333). See Table 2 for more suggested Common Core State Standards and microenterprise activity alignment.
Integrating Common Core State Standards Into Ms. Smith’s Microenterprise Activities.
The next day, Ms. Smith spoke with the principal about creating a classroom microenterprise. The principal gave her the green light, and even referred her to a friend who agreed to register the microenterprise as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. A note explaining the new venture, as well as a consent form to obtain permission for students to participate, was sent home to the parents. Ms. Smith reorganized the day so the students spent 1 hr at the end of each day engaged in a microenterprise activity. They advertised their product to the staff at the school and within the surrounding community. They became self-sufficient within a month and have been engaged in this project for the past 3 years!
The current microenterprise example described below is somewhat different than others. Specifically, this microenterprise was developed by classroom teachers to incorporate academic and transitional skills of the students into a sustainable classroom activity. Any microenterprise in the classroom would be nonprofit and unassisted by VR agencies. VR agencies and microenterprise services, such as FIELD, provide services to adults engaging in entrepreneurship and self-employment activities. A classroom microenterprise, which services students, would not be eligible for these services. Like any business venture, the product and market must be clearly identified before the rest of the work can begin. In this case, a product or service that serves a school or community need must be identified. Then, a market or a means to sell the product and collect funds in return must be determined. After developing this foundation for the business plan, the creation of the microenterprise can begin.
Creation of a Classroom Microenterprise
A school-based microenterprise can be created using the following four steps: (a) conceptualize the purpose of the program, (b) identify the people potentially involved in the program, (c) determine how the program will fit into the school schedule and classroom routines, and (d) create a management and budget plan. The following section will discuss the creation of a school-based microenterprise that makes and sells organic dog treats to school staff and people in the community operated out of a self-contained ASD unit in a suburban high school.
Step 1: Identify the Purpose
The purpose of this school-based microenterprise was first and foremost a means to concurrently teach both academic and functional skills. Therefore, the students’ IEPs were closely scrutinized to pull skills that could be combined to create the dual academic/functional purpose. For example, cooking from a recipe can incorporate both mathematic and reading goals as well as independent living goals.
Consider the purpose of the classroom microenterprise-skill promotion, work opportunities, source of funding for classroom activities, or perhaps a combination of each. Student need should drive the purpose. Review student IEPs and, where appropriate, choose academic, vocational, and social skill goals. A list or table can then be created to link the goals with microenterprise activities. Some goals may be linked to more than one activity. This exercise should result in a compilation of a skill (e.g., social skill interacting with others) linked to a microenterprise activity (e.g., verbally describing the product to a potential customer).
Step 2: Identify the People
Several people should be involved in this effort. Teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents each make a unique contribution. Teachers choose the IEP goals and, then, link the goals to microenterprise activities. The paraprofessionals assist students in certain activities, such as measuring ingredients and using the oven. Parents can volunteer within the classroom or contact local businesses seeking donations of supplies and advertising. Student volunteers from Best Buddies, Key Club, and Student Government were recruited to come into the classroom and engage in the activities with the students, creating a more inclusive school environment.
Think about the people who will help develop and execute the microenterprise. Identify members of the school and surrounding community who may be interested in the program. Notify colleagues at the school who could be recruited to engage in microenterprise activities with the students, such as paraprofessionals, educators, occupational therapists, and speech/language pathologists. Inform parents about volunteer opportunities. Request a letter from administration outlining the purpose behind the microenterprise and share with local businesses when seeking potential donations. Keep a list of stakeholders and update all those involved regularly about the progress of the program through a social media platform.
Step 3: Identify How the Program Fits Into the Classroom
Teachers allotted 60 min at the end of every day for students to engage in microenterprise activities. Some IEP goals were solely addressed during this time (such as measuring ingredients for a recipe), but some goals were addressed earlier in the day as well (such as reading fluency). Students were each assigned a different microenterprise task depending on their abilities and their IEP goals. Teachers explicitly taught students how to execute their assigned microenterprise task. In addition, teachers modeled the task and provided rehearsal opportunities and feedback until each student mastered the task. Specific space was allocated in the classroom to conduct all microenterprise activities.
Before beginning the program, consider how much time during the school day can be devoted to microenterprise activities. Think about what IEP goals will be addressed during this time and construct microenterprise data sheets for each student. Create a daily schedule that allocates time for microenterprise activities. Keep in mind that more time will be required each day at the inception of the microenterprise to train students and staff.
Step 4: Create Management and Budget Plan
To get the microenterprise started, each teacher personally contributed US$100 to purchase supplies. The only supplies needed were the ingredients in the recipe. The classroom already had all other kitchen supplies and scales. A parent donated the bags that were used for packaging the treats. Once a week, students and teachers would go into the community to purchase more supplies for the microenterprise. These community-based instruction days incorporated even more IEP goals into the microenterprise. Students created the grocery list, had to find the items at the grocery store, greeted the employees at the store, and counted out the correct amount of money when checking out the supplies. After the initial investment, the teachers did not need to spend their own money again. The microenterprise became self-sustaining.
Teachers interested in creating their own microenterprise need to think about a source for start-up funds. It may be necessary to use personal funds. It is also possible that parents or other stakeholders may be willing to make initial contributions. After determining how to attain the initial investment for materials, create a task analysis of the skills required for students to complete. Determine which microenterprise skills students can perform independently and which skills will require guiding practice. For the microenterprise to be sustainable, tasks need to be achievable for students to complete independently.
Lessons Learned
Throughout the process of designing and implementing a school-based microenterprise in the classroom, Ms. Smith learned several valuable lessons. First, a viable product or service must be chosen. The product or service must be valuable to the school and community or the business will not be maintained. In addition, for the benefit of students academically and socially, the product or service should promote ongoing engagement with customers. This is best accomplished by choosing a recurring product or service. In this case, people will always need to feed their dogs; thus, the microenterprise had the potential to become part of people’s routine. If the product or service is nonrecurring or infrequently purchased (e.g., jewelry), there is little chance of sustained interaction with potential customers. Aside from jeopardizing the financial viability of the business, students do not have the opportunities to develop skills.
The second lesson learned relates to the appropriate use of social media. The first few months of the project were not very profitable. Dissemination of information and advertising were difficult until one of the teachers decided to create a Facebook page for the microenterprise. The Facebook page was shared with parents, teachers, and members of the surrounding community. This effort was quite successful, and people who lived many miles away began ordering dog treats through the Facebook page. Social media outlets will allow your microenterprise to attract consumers who may not otherwise have access to the product.
The final lesson learned is to never underestimate the people in your community. The generosity of people in the community was quite surprising. One teacher at the school bought a bag of dog treats every week and months went by before it was revealed that she did not own a dog! Parents volunteered their time and resources to advertise the microenterprise in the community and hosted fundraisers to purchase supplies at the beginning of project. Do not be afraid to ask for what you need—you never know who might say yes!
Conclusion
Classroom-based microenterprises create opportunities for students to practice transition skills, such as self-determination skills, functional living skills, and social skills, while incorporating academic lessons. Through the use of microenterprises, classrooms can raise money through donations from community members for products or services provided by the students. The funds raised allow these programs to become self-sustaining. Community-based instruction can be incorporated with the academic skills and the secondary skills. Practicing these skills in the classroom and the community is an integral part of successful transition outcomes.
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.