Video: Students Learn About Economic Development

[syndicaster id=’6207892′]

CALEDONIA, Miss. (WCBI)- Attracting large scale industries is a tough business and it’s very competitive.

Now, some Caledonia eighth graders are learning what it takes to create jobs.

The AP students create a sales pitch in front of people in the industry.

These eighth grade students turn in their texts books to build a model of a future industry, trying to become the next generation of business recruiters.

“It was a lot of fun,” CMS student Alexis Harris. “We had a week to prepare fro this project, we had to get all of our information together, and present it in a presentable way.”

The goal of the assignment is to lure a Chinese business to locate in their area.

“You would think that just getting a business to come, you’d just call them up and be like, hey come put your business in our area,” CMS student Clara Allen said.

But the students are learning there’s more planning involved.

“I didn’t realize how much went into just preparing for a business to come visit your place, like how much actually went into it, how much stuff you got to research and prepare information for any questions they were asking,” CMS student Maddy Suggs said.

The project is also making students to learn more about their community and government.

“Make sure you include taxes and money and the cost,” Allen said.

“Just be able to talk about your region thoroughly, don’t just reach out on one point, but you have to know a lot of information about it,” Suggs said.

While making their pitches, local economic developers acted as representatives from the prospective company.

“This is tremendous that at 14 years old these young men and women are getting to practice what is so exciting and going on in the area,” executive director of Golden Triangle regional Airport Mike Hainsey said. “We have so much going on with economic development, and so many companies coming in, and instead of just reading it on the news they get to actually practice it, study it, and research it.”

Educators said the project shows students the importance of working together as a team.

“Our students really benefited from the process of going through making presentations, researching and finding good sources for the things that they want to find out, so they’re also even learning from people in the community and jobs that could possibly be in,” CMS teacher Allison Barnette said.
Students say Problem solving, gaining confidence, and public speaking are some of the main skills they are learning from