The Jobs Program
C&C’s Jobs Program offers third-eighth graders an opportunity to take part in the running of the school. Through meaningful, hands-on opportunities to engage in tasks essential to the school’s daily life, students deepen academic skills, apply what they are learning, and develop leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
As the school grew in the early 1920s, Caroline Pratt realized older children were ready for real-life responsibilities and meaningful tasks, leading to the creation of the C&C Jobs Program. Students took on essential roles that contributed to the school's community, applying their academic knowledge in practical ways.
Today, by integrating academics with real-world tasks like how to open and operate the school store, students learn to navigate challenges, work together, and understand the value of their contributions, empowering them to become thoughtful, capable, and engaged citizens. It not only instills a sense of responsibility, collaboration, and purpose, it also makes learning relevant and impactful.
The School Post Office:
Third graders manage C&C’s post office, overseeing much of the school’s internal communication. Together, they design a business name and logo, create mailboxes, organize supplies, set price lists, and collect, sort, and deliver mail daily. Running a retail kiosk and delivering round robin announcements, they engage with the entire school community, applying academic and social skills in a purposeful context.
The School Store:
Fourth graders operate the school store, supplying classrooms and offices with essential materials. They organize their business from top to bottom, determining inventory, ordering, tracking, and record keeping, while learning key business concepts like supply and demand, pricing strategies, and customer service. They keep regular store hours that include traveling salespeople for extra outreach.
Sign Making:
Fifth graders create hand-lettered, pictorial, and digital signs throughout the school, providing clear room identification and health and safety information. This role complements their studies of language origins, the evolution of man, and the history of written communication. It also precedes their in-depth research on the development of early cultures and societies.
The School Print Shop:
Sixth graders operate the school’s historic Chandler Price Treadle printing presses, learning letterpress typesetting and linoleum-block printing. They provide attendance cards, trip slips, stationery, holiday cards, poems, and much more. Their work ties closely to their Renaissance studies and the transformative impact of the printing press on communication across the globe.
Seventh Grade/PreK Mentorship Program:
Seventh graders serve as mentors and assistants to the four-year olds, building empathy and accountability through this special partnership. After reflecting on classroom observations, seventh graders write a paper on child development. They support the four-year olds with their classroom work, take part in dismissal routines, create and perform plays, and write and illustrate picture books for their younger peers. At similar stages of development, each about to enter a phase of significant growth and change, and these relationships offer mutual support at a vulnerable moment.
The School Newspaper:
Eighth graders publish the school newspaper, demonstrating their understanding of the school community and current events. They practice journalistic integrity, fairness, and tact while gaining experience in advanced writing, reporting, and interpersonal communication. Students also master design software to produce a polished, professional publication reflecting their voices and experiences, as well as a digital version with supplemental articles, video content, and editorials.
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