UML Alums and MACS Students Connect With “Benji Ball”

MicroSociety Academy Charter School
591 West Hollis Street
Nashua, NH 03062
603-595-7877
www.macsnh.org
Relate—Connect—Understand

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The K-8 students at the MicroSociety Academy Charter School (MACS) in Nashua, NH were visited this fall by UMass Lowell students Benjamin McEvoy ('21) and Edward Morante ('21) to discuss entrepreneurship and the development of their brand new game, Benji Ball, an innovative version of backyard baseball that uses a unique patent pending bat and 10 sided ball to allow for easy gameplay that caters towards everyone with a focus on individuals with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities.

McEvoy and Morante’s presentation was planned to coincide with MACS staff efforts to kickoff the school-wide focus on entrepreneurship. The UML students were invited to present at MACS because students at this unique public charter school are given the opportunity to become entrepreneurs as real world concepts are integrated into students’ learning within their own school-based MicroSociety. MACS students are encouraged to apply their classroom learning through business ventures, jobs, a school currency, government agencies and a representative democracy that is carefully structured to complement state curriculum standards. A major part of the program involves inspiring an entrepreneurial mindset as students write their own business proposals and create original products that they can sell in the school-wide marketplace.

The school's theme is based upon a book “MicroSociety School: A Real World in Miniature” written by New York educator Dr. George Richmond and later pioneered for 24 years at the K-8 McDonough City Magnet School in Lowell, MA. The MicroSociety Academy Charter School was co-founded by a start-up group consisting of a few former City Magnet School students who had grown to become Nashua parents and 3 UMass Lowell alums. The UML alums were life-long Lowell educators and now retired CMS staff members--Thomas Malone ('71,'78,'94), Dave Cronin ('69,’86), Theresa Roach ('80). This start-up group became the founding MACS Board of Trustees members for the public tuition-free charter school that opened in the Fall of 2015.

In May of 2019 Malone, a former CMS teacher and Principal and present MACS Board of Trustees Chair, happened to see a short presentation at a UMass Lowell College of Education Spring Reception presented by Edward Morante, a UML College of Education student. Following the presentation Malone reached out to Morante to explore the idea that he and the Benji Ball Founder, Benjamin McEvoy, a Manning Business School student, could bring the Benji Ball invention to MACS.

“I loved the idea behind this innovative product and the collaborative creative process that brought it about. Since at MACS we ask our grades 4-8 students to devise a business plan for a creative product for their MicroSociety venture, I thought sharing the product and the planning process McEvoy and Morante undertook would be an engaging way for our teachers to kick off our school's Fall "Entrepreneurship" unit. I also figured this interaction would give McEvoy and Morante real-time feedback on their product with young students.” Malone noted.

After speaking further with Malone and MACS staff, McEvoy and Morante thought the opportunity to speak at MACS was a good fit for them and with the school’s focus upon entrepreneurship and creativity. They looked forward speaking to students about Benji Ball, entrepreneurship, generating ideas, and following through with those ideas.

McEvoy recalled, “We came into the presentation with some trepidation because we did not know how our presentation would go over with K-8 students, seeing how most of our previous presentations were in professional "pitch" style environments. We were able to adjust the presentation to cater towards the ages to whom we were speaking, and as a result, it went incredibly well. Out of all the presentations we had done, this was by far our favorite. We had about an hour to speak to the students and faculty and not one minute was wasted. We were amazed how nearly every student raised their hand and participated in our interactive talk.”

McEvoy added, “Being able to hear the ideas for products and companies that these students had at such a young age was mind blowing. It truly opened our eyes to how exciting the future will be relating to the young generations of creative minds. It was extremely rewarding to be able to take some of the knowledge gained throughout the process of developing Benji Ball and share it with the young, passionate, and creative students at MACS.”

As he further reflected, McEvoy noted, “I have found in my own personal development that being able to use knowledge that has been passed down from wiser and more experienced individuals has been vital. So, I can only hope that Edward and I were able to do our part in doing the same for them. We also hope that this presentation leads to many more for us at various schools, programs, and events in the future that will allow us to continue to spread the knowledge gained from the Benji Ball development process.”

More information about Benji Ball is available at www.benjiballforall.com and @BenjiBallForAll other social media pages. MicroSociety Academy Charter School currently has openings in grades 1, 6, 7, and 8. Families interested in this public school option should contact Susannah Williams at swilliams@macsnh.org. More information about MACS and 2020-21 enrollment can be found at macsnh.org.

CONTACTS:
Jewel Hurt
MicroSociety Community Liaison
MicroSociety Academy Charter School
jhurt@macsnh.org
Office: (603) 595-7877

Benjamin G. McEvoy
Business Student Manning School of Business
Founder of Benji Ball
benjamin@benjiballforall.com
978-319-8663

Thomas Malone, Chair
MicroSociety Academy Charter School
Board of Trustees
tmalone@macsnh.org

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