Cook Elementary Teachers Win Economics Teaching Award
Four Fort Smith educators were honored for a project that taught students how to manage their own businesses.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Primary Education
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Four teachers at Cook Elementary School in Fort Smith were recently honored with the Bessie B. Moore Teaching Award for a six-week economics curriculum. The project allowed students to gain hands-on experience by managing their own businesses and operating a two-day school market.
Why it matters
This award recognizes innovative instructional strategies that foster student ownership of their education through practical, real-world applications. By simulating market transactions in the classroom, educators help students build a foundational understanding of economic principles.
The teachers shared a $1,000 cash prize and received a commemorative statue. Their six-week project culminated in a two-day market where students sold 11 types of crafts, successfully raising approximately $600 for charity.
The players
Economics Arkansas
A nonprofit organization founded in 1962 that supports economic education in schools.
Melisa Crossland, LaDonna Devine, Ashley Griffith and Jennifer Howald
The four teachers at Cook Elementary School who received the Bessie B. Moore Teaching Award.
The details
To execute the curriculum, students were tasked with choosing business partners, designing unique storefronts, and managing all aspects of market transactions. This hands-on model required students to produce items and navigate the logistical challenges of a simulated economy to sell their crafts. By integrating these lessons directly into the school day, the teachers provided a tangible way to teach students how businesses function within a broader market.
Timeline
1962: Economics Arkansas was founded.
2025: Woods Elementary teachers received the Bessie B. Moore Award.
October 28, 2026: Four Cook Elementary teachers received the award.
The Home Front
The Bessie B. Moore Teaching Award continues a long-standing tradition of incentivizing economic literacy programs within regional school districts. This recognition reflects a broader trend of incorporating project-based, hands-on learning into standard primary education curricula.
Families can build on these school lessons by discussing household budget decisions or simple entrepreneurship concepts with children at home. Keep an eye on school newsletters for upcoming opportunities to support project-based learning initiatives or charity drives organized by student groups.
The takeaway
Hands-on projects like the Cook Elementary market offer students a practical introduction to managing money and collaborative business planning. Parents can encourage these skills by involving students in budget-conscious grocery shopping or planning a simple craft-based activity at home.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in local classrooms at Primary Education.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Talk Business & Politics.
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