Mail merge...

Sometimes the curriculum in the business education realm can be a bit dry if you let it be. Teaching students how to complete a mail merge using Microsoft Excel and Word can be a little boring. So, I decided to have my students use the letterhead that they previously created in my class and write a letter about their community. They had to include what there is to do in the community, local events, recommend the events or activities they like, and overall invite people to come visit Joseph. Then, I had the students create a brochure about their community. When it comes time for the mail merge (I had them create a list of 20 people with names and addresses), we will pretend that they work for the local Chamber of Commerce and are sending letters to people inviting them to visit Wallowa County. So, we'll have letters to insert addresses into, and we'll format address labels for the brochures. So far, the students are responding well to the project, and they are enjoying learning more about where they live. Of course, they really like talking about what they like to do as well! But, the bottom line is that they will learn how to complete a mail merge....learning can be fun!