Sixth Graders Across Crandall ISD Experience Real-World Learning at JA BizTown

Sixth grade students across Crandall ISD are stepping beyond the classroom and into the real world through their visit to JA BizTown at the JA Discovery Center.

Recently, students from Central Middle School — including Ms. Gena Thomas’s 6th grade Social Studies class — participated in the immersive BizTown simulation, where learning comes to life through hands-on experience.

From Classroom Lessons to Real-World Application

Before visiting the Crandall ISD Discovery Center, students complete approximately ten in-class lessons focused on financial literacy, economics, budgeting, citizenship, and workforce readiness. These lessons prepare students for what they will experience during their time at BizTown.

When students arrive at the Discovery Center, they take part in a full-scale, real-world simulation. For the day, they step into professional roles such as business owners, bank tellers, CEOs, city officials, and employees. They operate businesses, manage bank accounts, deposit paychecks, write checks, and make financial decisions — all while working collaboratively to keep their town running successfully.

Learning the Real Cost of Living

JA BizTown is designed to:

Teach students to develop and follow a monthly budget
Help students research and understand the real “costs of living” for life’s basic necessities
Encourage personal responsibility for learning and self-management
Promote communication and teamwork
Challenge students to think critically, analyze tasks, and solve problems creatively

Throughout the day, students quickly learn that every decision has consequences. They must balance their budgets, meet business goals, and support their teammates in order for the town to function effectively.

A Meaningful Opportunity

For many students, BizTown provides their first hands-on experience managing money in a realistic setting. Rather than simply learning about economics in a textbook, students actively practice financial literacy skills in a dynamic, interactive environment.

Ms. Gena Thomas, 6th grade Social Studies teacher at Central Middle School, shared her appreciation for the opportunity.

“Experiences like BizTown truly bring our lessons to life,” Thomas said. “Our students gain confidence, responsibility, and a real understanding of how financial decisions impact their future. We are incredibly grateful to the Heartland Education Foundation for providing this opportunity and investing in meaningful learning experiences for our students.”

Crandall ISD is proud to offer experiences like JA BizTown that connect classroom instruction to real-world application. Through strong partnerships and community support, students are building the financial knowledge and life skills that will serve them well beyond middle school.

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Heartland Education Foundation Powers Robotics Success in Crandall ISD Middle Schools

February 18, 2026

Innovation is alive and well in Crandall ISD middle schools, where students are designing, building, and programming competitive robots thanks to the support of the Heartland Education Foundation. Through the Foundation’s sponsorship, middle school students can enroll in a robotics course that prepares them to compete in the VEX IQ Robotics Competition (VIQC). This course goes far beyond an introduction to robotics — it immerses students in hands-on engineering, coding, collaboration, and strategic problem-solving. Inside the Classroom Each season, students are presented with a new engineering challenge. Working in teams, they use the VEX IQ system — including structural pieces, motors, sensors, and programmable components — to design and build robots capable of competing on an official competition field. Throughout the process, students: Test and refine their designs Develop and troubleshoot code Practice strategic thinking Strengthen communication and teamwork skills In addition to competition performance, teams document their progress in engineering notebooks and participate in design interviews, where they explain their problem-solving process and design decisions. Competition Highlights This season has already brought strong results for Crandall ISD students. At a recent competition, the team advanced to the finals — qualifying among the top-scoring half of all participating teams — and finished 14th out of 40 teams overall. On Valentine’s Day, the Heartland Middle School robotics team traveled to Miller Grove ISD to compete. Representing HMS as the Pixel Pirates, the team advanced to finals and placed 8th out of 32 teams. Their success reflects months of preparation, perseverance, and teamwork. If the team earns a first-place finish at an upcoming competition, they will qualify for the state middle school robotics competition. Investing in the Future Programs like this are made possible through the continued support of the Heartland Education Foundation. By sponsoring robotics in Crandall ISD middle schools, the Foundation is investing in future engineers, programmers, designers, and problem-solvers. Students are not just building robots — they are building confidence, resilience, and skills that will serve them far beyond the competition field. The robotics program stands as a powerful example of what happens when community support meets student curiosity and hard work. Crandall ISD is proud of its middle school robotics teams and grateful for a Foundation that continues to create opportunities for students to explore, compete, and excel.

Sixth Graders Across Crandall ISD Experience Real-World Learning at JA BizTown