III. Microbusiness Training Curriculum

Nightingale recognizes the sense of achievement that comes with hands-on learning. Our microbusiness training curriculum supports students with the tools, equipment, guidance, and the resources necessary to engage them in a wide range of meaningful work projects within a supportive learning environment. Microbusiness lessons include the propagation and sale of plants from the greenhouse lab.

To inspire a sense of accomplishment both as individuals and as a team and to encourage a creative entrepreneurial spirit we follow these principles and goals:

• Students work in pairs for each project, practicing effective collaboration and communication skills as they work towards shared objectives.

• As they master hand tools, develop resources, and practice safety rules, students apply their growing competence with more advanced power tools, 3D printers, and textile machines.

• Free to choose their own work projects, students fully explore and challenge their creative potential as they become familiar with new concepts and techniques.
• To learn how to critique their own work and track their progress, Students document their work using project journals and portfolios. They perform peer evaluations to improve the quality of their work as a class. 
• Students learn to set goals and take a project idea from conception to production to marketing and sales.
• They regularly share their work through project presentations (and sales). This helps build effective business communication skills.
• As they prepare each project presentation, they collaborate with each other and share their own learning journeys.