Chicago Heights Eighth Grade Students Take Class at University of Chicago

How many of us can say we learned at one of the best universities in the country before we entered high school?

Some young Heights natives get to say that as they head to the University of Chicago to study economics.

Twenty eighth graders, representing all nine District 170 elementary schools, are learning in an 11-session course that will end in December.  Another group of 20 District 170 students will take the same course starting in January.

The students are receiving an "unbelievable opportunity," said District 170 Supt. Thomas Amadio.  "The University of Chicago’s economics department ranks among the best on Earth," Amadio said of the Nobel prize-winning institution.

The economics class came to fruition after Amadio and University of Chicago Economics Professor John List put their heads together. In the past, List has worked with District 170 on the Griffin Early Childhood Center as part of a economic experiment.

It's worth noting, District 170 is the only school district collaborating with the University of Chicago in this economics program for elementary students.

"This is probably only one of a handful of middle school social sciences classes in the country that teaches ideas like opportunity cost or supply and demand in an experiential way," List said.

The students chosen for the class were selected after an application and interview process. Supt. Amadio and other District 170 administrators conducted the interviews.  An orientation meeting for parents of the students preceded the first class.

"Economics and technology are the future, and I want to increase my knowledge of both," said Wilson School eighth grader Dante Jones who is one of the students taking the course.

The class is held in the . Each student is provided a laptop computer, and the DLC is equipped with state-of-the-art technology.

University of Chicago economics department graduate students teach the course from the university campus in a live broadcast via the Skype Internet video communication system. The technology allows students and instructors to interact during class sessions. The instructors also travel to Chicago Heights to teach several sessions of the class in person.

Students taking the class are excited about the special opportunity.  

"I like to learn new things and meet new people," said Naja Anderson, a Jefferson School student.  "All I knew about economics before is that it’s about money and how to manage it. Now I am focused on this class."

Grant School student Mateusz Julecki said learning about economics was important, adding that the class will "look good on my school resume and help me in college and to make money when I get older."  

Mateusz also said he is looking forward to a visit to the University of Chicago campus in the spring, a trip offered to all of the students who participate in the program.

In addition to studying how the stock market works, students will learn about how the prices of goods are determined, how to recognize economic risks, how social pressures influence decisions and the government’s role in the economy, Amadio said.

Students are given homework assignments; quizzes and tests are part of the course.  Amadio said students will be required to write a final essay on what they learned and present it to the class.

University of Chicago economics department instructors are Alec Brandon, associate director of the school’s U.C. Experiments program, and David Novgorodsky, UC Experiments research professional.

Edward Mrosek, District 170 chief information officer, and Judy DeGuilio, economics class facilitator, assist with class instruction.

-Information provided by Steven Modzelewski