William Albert Wirt

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Growing up in a rural farm in Gary, Indiana, William Wirt believed that this upbringing was as elementary to education as many teachings, so when he saw the urbanization movement heading towards students, he implemented a new plan to teaching. It was called the work-study-play system, and it divided students above the primary grades into two platoons – one platoon used the academic classrooms, while the second platoon was divided between the shops, nature studies, auditorium, gymnasium, and outdoor facilities. Also known as the Gary plan, this system ensured school equipment was used all day and was designed to develop the intellectual, manual, and recreational skills of the children. In the early twentieth century, the Gary plan took off in public schools across the nation, ensuring that students learned the values of work, family, and productivity. Gary, Indiana itself had increased population and enrollment due to the success of the plan, and thus gained new buildings, staff, and funding for their schools. In 1925, the National Association for the Study of the Platoon or Work-Study-Play School Organization was founded to help spread the plan across the world to England and Japan.