Grade Level Programs

The Gore Leadership Institute is proud to offer grade-specific projects throughout our students' Lower School experience. 

Kindergarten: Civil Discourse

The RPCS kindergartners are ready to be engaged citizens after their interdisciplinary unit of study on civil discourse and civic engagement each fall. In morning meetings, math, and social studies, students learn about and practice the basics of democracy. Topics include: different people have different ideas, each person gets one vote, a vote represents a choice you make after gathering information, and, endorsing your choice is an informed decision. Deliberation provides knowledge before informed decision making, and people use persuasion to influence opinions, which is ok, as long as you maintain civility. Students learn about the importance of accepting the outcome of an election and having respect for others’ choices and for the majority vote. Everyone should accept the outcome but is allowed to work for change. Voting is just one way citizens can contribute and there are other options for citizens to have meaningful civic engagement. 

Second Grade: Economics

Second graders combine their growing knowledge of US currency and math skills with a classroom economy each winter. Students are paid (with math manipulatives) for attending school, and completing their classroom jobs. Sometimes they have opportunities to go “above and beyond” and earn extra money for acts of good citizenship such as helping a friend or cleaning up the classroom. Of course in addition to these “credits,” students also have to face the reality of debits, or charges for using certain classroom amenities, such as the pencil sharpener, tape, and staples. Students can also be fined on occasion. Students keep track of all of their transactions in a ledger with the goal of earning $20. Once students have a basic understanding of personal finance, we began to introduce economic principles such as supply and demand. This leads students to think like an entrepreneur to either solve a problem faced by our school community, which sets them up for their cross-divisional social studies unit on social entrepreneurship. 

Fourth Grade: Entrepreneurs

Fourth graders spend the year learning about empathy through multiple lenses across units of study and disciplines. As a result, students understand that empathy can drive change, and welcoming environments do not happen by accident. Students are asked to design creative play spaces that prioritize fun, safety, and inclusivity for the younger Lower School students. The core of this culminating project involves utilizing the design thinking process and principles of human-centered design, but this project is not just a design challenge. This is an opportunity for the fourth grade students to become active agents of positive change. With real stakes and the responsibility to create a better community, this project allows students to prove to themselves that they have the capacity for complex-problem solving and the skills to lead intentionally and empathetically. This collaboration between STEAM and GLI is meant to give the fourth grade, as the leaders of the Lower School, the chance to take their seat at the table and lead for the greater good.