(Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

A city was built in a day — out of cardboard and creativity — thanks to Caldwell Arts Academy third graders whose imagination turned into an enterprise. The students transformed their school gym Friday into a miniature town called Star City, filled with local businesses, as well as a City Hall, police station, a bank, a post office, and more.

“Here at Caldwell, we think experience matters and so we love creating different activities and projects where kids can really express what they’re learning,” said principal Dr. Bobby Markle. “So, today you show up and it’s like a real city… and you’re able to go around and purchase different items from different vendors, even some trade, maybe a little bit of bartering.”

In social studies, students explored city organizations, structures, and commerce. Using their newfound knowledge, the third graders planned and organized their own candy shops, car dealerships, bakeries, jewelry stores, and even pet adoption centers.

“It’s such a fantastic activity to really teach kids and make an impact on how cities work,” Markle said.

As part of an immersive six-week project led by third-grade social studies teacher Sara Pearson, the students brainstormed business ideas, developed marketing and advertising strategies, and built their businesses using cardboard boxes.

“Watching it all come to life has been really awesome and hearing them interact with the adults that come by is really cool as well,” Pearson said.

When Pearson became a teacher, she thought back to when she did the same project in third grade.

“I always knew when I taught third grade that this is what I wanted to do,” she said. “They were really excited (about this idea), even though they weren’t very excited when I told them they had to pay their bills.”

Friday marked the third year that the innovative project came to life.

Students from other grades, along with staff, parents and community members, explored Star City businesses, interacting with the young entrepreneurs and using Star City money — issued by the city’s very own bank — to purchase goods and services.

Between the parents who RSVP’d and the students who were interested in checking out the miniature city, as well as community members, there were nearly 300 people altogether Friday afternoon.

“I had to get with our banker to create more bundles of cash that parents get to spend and we had to make some extras just this morning,” Pearson said.

No city can operate without its mayor, and third grader Ruby Tomlinson proudly filled that role. She even had the honor of exchanging city keys with City of Tyler Councilman Stuart Hene.

“I think this is awesome,” Hene said. “Not only does this teach students about government and kind of how a city is set up, more importantly it teaches life skills of what happens in the business world that everybody is probably going to need to use later in life.”

Hene, who is the councilmember for District 1 and current mayor pro tem, attended the event to support the students and highlight the importance of local government.

“This is a good introduction to learning about those life skills, a great way to have fun and learn about businesses and business ideas,” Hene said. “I’m honored to be a part of it.”

For Tomlinson, being a mayor of Star City is a “dream come true.”

“I really wanted to be it,” she said. “I want to be a true leader and want everybody to feel good about themselves. Also, when I grow up, I want to be a businesswoman and I think it can happen in the future. I hope to have a restaurant of some sort because my favorite food is sushi so maybe I’ll open a hibachi or something one day.”

Another part of the lesson Pearson hopes to instill in her third graders is independence.

“At the end of the day, our goal is to help them be in charge of their learning and in charge of themselves,” she said. “There’s still some baby steps but a lot of them have really blossomed since the beginning of the school year. They’re more independent, more responsible with their things and what they need to do. It’s been really awesome to see them grow.”

Markle said he is proud of the school’s thriving environment, which is nurtured due to a dedicated staff.

“I’m proud of everything we do at Caldwell,” Markle said. “My teachers have great, innovative ideas… they do a great job of motivating the students and making everything into an experience.

Thanks to the dedication of parents who worked tirelessly to set everything up the night before, the students’ Star City came to life as a vibrant hub of creativity and learning.

“We know it’s sometimes hard when you’ve got a lot going on but hopefully they can see the payout of this,” Markle said. “We’re so thankful for all the visitors and the families that showed up to see what this is all about.”

As part of Tyler ISD, Caldwell is the only fine arts magnet school in East Texas. It is a tuition-free K-8 arts academy located at 331 S. College Ave. in Tyler.