In the shadow of the Clairton Coke Works, the community's next generation learns

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CLAIRTON, Pa. (AP) — At 2 p.m. on a chilly January afternoon, the elementary floor of the Clairton City School District’s building was buzzing.

What was going on? “Beartopia.” The name nods to Clairton’s Bears — a district long known for its powerhouse football program — but this version of Bear pride is built around leadership, responsibility and imagination.

Students were out in the hallways, rushing between classes. Each classroom had put up signs outside: "Paws and Pages.” “Paper Purveyors.” “Enchanted Expressions.”

What looks playful on the surface is carefully structured. The school had transformed into “Beartopia” — a world run by students in which each classroom is a business venture. Fifth graders are all managers and bookkeepers, overseeing daily operations.

Fifth-grader Orchidee Augustave was overseeing her assistants as they cleaned and stacked books for their venture, Paws and Pages. The school does not have a librarian and instead of hiring one, they decided to reimagine their library system by integrating it into MicroSociety and having students take on some duties.

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This story is a collaboration between Pittsburgh’s Public Source and The Associated Press.

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Beartopia has its own officers — all elected. It features a judicial system, a security force and a bank. Each grade functions as a state with an elected governor, and each homeroom is a city with an elected mayor. Fifth graders mentor younger students.

Beartopia was launched at the beginning of this school year at Clairton Elementary as an initiative through nonprofit MicroSociety Inc. Clairton is the only public school district in the state that has adopted this model.

This microsociety unfolds just two-thirds of a mile from the hulking, smoky Clairton Coke Works. It exists in a district that has long sealed its legacy as a sports school. The Bears hold a state record for 66 consecutive wins in Pennsylvania high school football between 2009 and 2013. The team clinched its 15th WPIAL championship title last fall.

Academically, the district is one of the 69 lowest-performing districts in the state. Today, as the city attempts to turn a corner after the sale of its biggest business and a tragic explosion, its 793 -student school district is searching for creative ways to inspire scholarship.

Beartopia is one piece of that effort. The district is also seeking to expand offerings in arts and STEM courses. Clairton’s per-pupil funding of $21,235 compares to a countywide median of $24,658. To fill the gap, it has partnered with community organizations to offer programs such as coding, robotics and after-school tutoring.

“Through our staff, we try to give our students reasons to come to school,” said Superintendent Tamara Allen-Thomas. “We’re trying to make sure that learning is relevant for students.”

On a recent Thursday, fourth-grade students spent their morning learning about types of energy through hands-on engineering. Teacher Tracy Lindsey, a 1988 Clairton graduate who has taught in the district since 1997, said she has seen a noticeable shift in teaching and learning in recent years. With the integration of STEAM courses, the focus has moved from textbook-based instruction to building critical thinking skills.

Clairton has several educational offerings — such as robotics — that are possible only through community partnerships. Most of Clairton’s community partners also work to fulfill basic student needs, ranging from food and clothing to health and hygiene.

In Beartopia, fifth-grader Terryona Holt managed Enchanted Expressions, a business where first- and second-grade students were making squishy soft toys out of paper and pillow stuffing. Her responsibilities included keeping operations running, plus hiring and firing people.

Down the hall, bookkeeper Emily VanDyke, a fourth grader, was designing a sign for her venture — Paper Purveyors — where all products were made entirely out of paper. Students made ninja stars, paper puppets, fortune tellers and paper claws.

Beginning in February, the school will organize market days, inviting parents and community members to shop for student-made products from the school’s 26 businesses. Students can buy products for themselves using a personal MicroSociety debit card. The grant allows the district to pay each student a fixed salary that they will receive at the end of the school year.

“It’s fun when you’re in kindergarten, in first grade to want to be a princess, but we’re seeing that on becoming a fourth and fifth grader, we need a little bit of a reality check of, this is what our actual skills are,” said Macy Jordan, MicroSociety coordinator.

Despite efforts to create a healthy school environment, significant challenges remain at Clairton. The district faces chronic absenteeism. The solution: Give students a reason to come to school, from kindergarten on.

Debra Maurizio, principal of Clairton Elementary, says she hopes MicroSociety and its salary will incentivize students to come to school, thus improving attendance, as will fun programs like robotics and coding.

Sustaining the funding is a challenge. Last year, Clairton was doubly hit by state and federal budget stalemates. As active efforts to dismantle the federal Department of Education continue, the district faces constant uncertainty about the continuation of its programs. If federal funding is cut, Clairton could lose its designation as a community school.

Violence in the community presents another barrier. In the past year, 135 criminal offenses were registered in Clairton. That’s where organizations like Youth Opportunities Development step in, trying to prevent violence through intervention and mentoring, academics, sports and other recreational activities. Executive Director Brandon Ziats says students who are in the program aren't hanging out in the streets.

“The long-term success with our program is all about them continually being involved and being consistent,” Ziats said. “Because if a kid can be consistent coming to our program day after day, there’s usually that success at the end of the road.”

Many community partners emphasized the need for mental health support for students because of violence in the region.

“These are kids who are exposed to trauma,” said Marsh of the Will Allen Foundation. “There are students who have witnessed shootings. There are students who know people who have been murdered. This is trauma that they live with every day.”

Elementary students gathered at 3 p.m. in the auditorium for an introductory session of the district’s second-ever musical production in 20 years.

Director Kristen Hecker gathered a group of students to practice their vocal delivery skills. Each student was instructed to say a line from the musical: “Mr. Aladdin, sir, what will your pleasure be?”

Students were asked to “say it as if you ran a marathon and you’re out of breath,” or “say it as if you are mean and like a villain.”

he musical, led by Clairton teachers, will take place in May. Drama is a key part of the district’s effort to provide a safe environment after school for students with working parents.

Last year, PACS helped the district receive a three-year grant from Disney Musicals in Schools to create a sustainable theater program for elementary grades. Students raised over $6,000, an amount that will support the program beyond the grant period. Students performed “101 Dalmatians,” the district’s first theater production in 20 years.

“We are more than just athletics,” says Allen-Thomas, the superintendent. “We are a community of resilience, perseverance and high expectations for all students, and how we make sure that that happens is through intentional partnerships.”

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Lajja Mistry is the K-12 education reporter at Pittsburgh’s Public Source. She can be reached at [email protected].