Junior Achievement program helps students accomplish big things
The need for hands-on learning opportunities as well as a stronger focus on financial literacy have both been subjects of increased educational focus as of late.
Junior Achievement is trying to fill those needs in the area and across the globe.
“A large percentage of students think they are wasting their time and don’t know how their education is connecting to the real world,” said Patrice Matamoros, president of Junior Achievement of Western PA.
The nonprofit organization serves as a supplement to the core subjects taught by educators, reaching students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
“In elementary school we’re learning about business. Where do people work, and what kind of careers are out there? We do fun exercises where we give them each a job, and they learn what that job entails,” Metamoros said. “They get ‘paid’ throughout the day, and we take out taxes. Why? Because they got paid but their policemen and firemen haven’t been paid yet.”
Between fourth and sixth grade, students learn about creating a resume and going through the interview process. By the time they reach high school, real world challenges are at the forefront.
Instruction is done in the classroom but students can come to the Junior Achievement facility in Bridgeville, where they experience BizTown, a simulation program with more than 90 different scenarios.
“The facility has been open since 2020, and the pandemic slowed things down a bit of course, but that first year, we welcomed 2,500 students. This year, we’ll share this experience with approximately 9,000 students,” Metamoros said.
By the time high school students arrive at BizTown, they select a job, are given a salary and make life decisions including buying a car, where they will live and more.
“I was at a simulation recently where a young lady was living a $365,000-a-year lifestyle on an income of $60,000. She didn’t understand at first, but that’s the fun part. You literally watch the light bulbs go off, and they are having a blast,” Metamoros said.
In addition to BizTown and in-class curriculum, Junior Achievement offers extra-curricular opportunities too.
The Stock Market Challenge, for instance, invites students to learn more about investing, saving and interest. It culminates in a day on Wall Street in the simulation facility.
“There are solutions. We have found these experiences are connecting kids to education and the world, and we want to prepare our students,” Metamoros said. “According to many of our 2,500 corporate business partners, the incoming workforce is unprepared, and we want to change that.”
The per-student cost for the program is $25, Metamoros said. Donors can also sponsor a bus grant for school districts that may not have the funds to provide transportation.
Volunteering is another great way to get involved and have an impact, according to Metamoros.
“Forty percent of students who had Junior Achievement classes could remember who their volunteer was and where they worked. We had a gentleman who was the CEO of his company who wanted to volunteer with us and when we asked why, he said he had participated in Junior Achievement and wouldn’t be where he is today without it,” Metamoros said.
Visit https://westernpa.ja.org/ for more information.