Next month, 120 Pulaski Middle School students will begin running a "microsociety" during an after-school program that's aimed at teaching them math, reading and science concepts, as well as good citizenship.

Some will play roles as business leaders; others bankers, politicians or teachers. They'll submit business plans, handle currency and learn real-world applications of the subjects they study.

The mini-government should be modeled after the Pulaski's town manager system and town employees may be mentors to students, Principal Michael Perry said.

"Because we're located in the town, we thought this would be a perfect match ... just to try to get kids involved in government and make them a part of our community," Perry said.

The Virginia Department of Education gave the Pulaski County schools $200,000 for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program at the middle school. The money will be used for the faux community as well as actual Pulaski community events and weekly youth nights, said Eric Bucey, education director of Beans and Rice Inc.

The nonprofit is acting as a consultant on the project, which is likely to continue for three years, if approved after this year.

Most 21st Century grants are awarded to school systems with a large number of students on free and reduced lunch or schools that have failed to meet federal testing standards.

The middle school missed Adequate Yearly Progress, the federal standard for achievement, for two years prior to the 2008 school year and 42 percent of its population is on free and reduced lunches, according to state figures.

Perry said students will be able to apply to take part in the program but that teachers will suggest certain students who might need help on Standards of Learning subjects.

The grant also will allow the school to purchase 90 NEO 2 laptops, which are small, flat computers with two-way wireless communication for classroom participation.

The school will use those for the after-school program as well as in the classroom down the line, Perry said.

Farm Bureau buys books for Auburn Elementary

On Thursday, students at Auburn Elementary School will have access to a bookshelf filled with literature on agriculture topics.

It's part of a project the Montgomery County Farm Bureau wants to get going countywide: more agriculture education in elementary schools.

Students in Auburn Middle School's Future Farmers of America club built the shelf, called a "Book Barn," to house the books.

Selena McNeil, who is PTO president at the elementary school and also works for the farm bureau, said she wants to get similar books in every Montgomery County elementary school by the end of the year.

"It's not so much farming, but really on teaching children about where their food comes from and learning about the food supply," she said. "It gets left out of the schools a lot."

Anna L. Mallory covers events and issues affecting Montgomery County schools and beyond. If you have information you'd like featured, e-mail anna.mallory@roanoke.com. You also can visit Chalk Dust, the New River Valley's education news source, at blogs.roanoke.com/chalkdust.