CLAIRTON, Pa. — 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 partn