As a board member we assisted in the process of collecting donations from local businesses with the hopes of being able to offer more classes to more students with in the county. As a volunteer,we taught several classes to cover three different age groups. As a business owner, we're humbled to share our passion with young people.
Many of you inquired about JA from our social media postings. For those still wondering, "Junior Achievement is a partnership between the business community, educators and volunteers all working together to inspire young people to dream big and reach their potential. JA's hands-on, experiential programs teach the key concepts of work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy to young people all over the world."
We began the JA journey educating our daughter's 2nd grade class at Indian Lake Elementary about their community. The students worked with a fictional community that included schools, factories, government agencies, restaurants and retail stores. The class worked with a business called Sweet 'O Donuts using unit production and assembly. Each student became an employee and got paid for their work. At the end of the work day, they had to pay the government to keep their community operational and learned how currency flows throughout their community. Upon completion, the kids earned themselves a donut party to celebrate their JA Graduation.
Because the county was so supportive of the JA program, our next journey began in a first grade classroom at Indian Lake where the kids talked about their neighborhood and the importance of family. A large focus was placed on needs and wants and the importance of putting their needs in front of their wants. The kids were able to create their own neighborhood maps highlighting what type of businesses their neighborhood may need and what businesses they want their neighborhoods to have. We were able to share community maps with the children compliments of the Chamber of Commerce.
Our last Junior Achievement stop was a Kindergarten class at Calvary Christian with a mission to educate the kids about "themselves" in the aspect of how they can help others. Through story telling and worksheets, the kids talked about ways to earn money and the importance of saving it for things they want or need. During the program the students earned money for their hard work and received a bank to save it in.
To learn more about JA, visit their web-site at www.ja.org or contact Melanie Beatty-Quesenberry, the Champaign/Logan County Coordinator at (937)360-9579 or email to mquesenberry_jamr@sbcglobal.net.
"Volunteers embody the heart of Junior Achievement. Taking a message of opportunity and boundless potential to a classroom in your community, no matter what your profession, is JA in action. Register to volunteer today and tell kids how you took chances and shot for the stars – so they can do the same."
