Shark tank: Micro-economy program with pitching, investors gets recognition
David Ayer Posted On May 4, 2026 
Students from a public Montessori Upper Elementary classroom in Elk River, Minn. recently caught the attention of a local paper thanks to buzz generated by an in-depth micro-economy curriculum.
As reported by the Star News, students in guide Luke Morse’s Three Rivers Montessori classroom began by developing product ideas that would be “sold” at a school fair. Their customers would be using a school-specific stand-in currency called River Bucks.
The students then pitched the ideas to an “investor” from a local bank. The investor provided mock loans, complete with interest, which the students were required to pay back from any profits their ideas generated at the fair. By the time the event arrived, excitement was at fever pitch.
“It was really cool seeing the parents and other staff getting involved,” Morse told the Star News. “By the time we held the fair, our room was absolutely packed with customers.”
After the fair was over and the students had paid back their loans, they were able to use their River Bucks profits to purchase a range of items provided by the event’s organizers. The only problem was, the adults had misjudged just how successful the students would be. Only $100 dollars worth of items were available, and before the students had spent all their profits, the inventory was gone. Now that’s a successful micro-economy curriculum.
“I suppose that is a pretty great problem to have,” Morse said. “The kids put a ton of work into the project. It was very satisfying for both them and myself to see all that work pay off in such a big way.”
Three Rivers Montessori is a public charter school serving students from public school district 178 in Elk River, Minn. Read more about the story on the Star News website.
David worked in private Montessori for more than twenty years as a parent, three-to-six year-old and adolescent teacher, administrator, writer, speaker, and advocate. In 2016 he began working with the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector. David lives in Portland, Oregon.
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