Imagine your most challenging students- The ones who can't sit still, blurt out, submit low- quality work, have difficulty working with others, and seem totally checked out suddenly self-managing, coming in voluntarily after class, submitting polished work, and leading teams.

That's what happened in several classrooms when they were transformed into canvases for student-run businesses.

These forward thinking educators are making the magic happen with the support of an organisation called ‘Real World Scholars.’ And their ‘EdCorps’ model has garnished national attention. To date over 600 student businesses have been created, 600 + classrooms transformed, and more than 50,000 young lives forever changed. I sat down with founders John Cahalin and Elyse Burden to learn more about the model, and how we as learner-centered practitioners can use it to:

Make our classroom come alive
Tranform our students into real entrepreneurs and business 'co-founders'
Give our boring ‘standards’ a real world lens
Empower our traditionally disengaged learners
Help learners discover their passions, interests, and most importantly how to make a difference

Connect with John: Twitter (@JohnCahalin1)

Connect with Elyse: Twitter (@LyzBurden), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/elyse-burden/)

Learn more about Real World Scholars Success Stories: Wicked Soap Company: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2FXk2kNEhQ), Articles: 'Non-Profit Brings Business to Life', Sugar Kids Beauty

John Cahalin's Bio:

Elyse Burden's Bio:

Transforming your classroom into a student-run business w/ Elyse Burden and John Cahalin

The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning