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KarenSteele · Joined: 11 Feb 2009 Posts: 14

Not sure how many are familiar with JA, since there doesn't appear too many programs around here (Manchester and a few in Mass.). But it's a wonderful program that uses real world exercises/examples to teach financial & economic skills to kids. There are different programs for different age groups, geared to K-12.

When I was in HS, I participated in the evening program, where a group of HS kids (with corporate advisors) formed a company, decided on a product to produce, sold stock, bought raw materials, "manufactured" them, sold the final product and maintained all the financial books. I was amazed when I went to the NAJAC (National Junior Achievement Conference)!!! JA is huge and reaches so many kids!! In Wisconsin, I taught economics to 8the graders, 1 hour a week for 12 wks. I helped to start a chapter in Pennsylvania while I was there. If there are others who would be willing to support me, let's start the programs here at Timberlane!

Check out http://www.ja.org

KarenSteele · Joined: 11 Feb 2009 Posts: 14

OK, given the underwhelming response, I've either overloaded or underloaded you with info, or people just aren't willing to commit to something with which they are unfamiliar. Either way, because I believe so strongly that JA is an awesome program, I shall press on...

JA program options are HUGE, but I'm only willing to bite off "The Company Program" this year geared at 9th- 12th graders. It would be an after school/evening program that meets 1 day a week, for 12 weeks, for 90-120 minutes. If we started after Labor Day, we'd be done before Thanksgiving. Bob Dawson will help us get space in the school to meet if we can pull this together. There are 12 students to a team and materials come for 24 students -- I'd be thrilled with 2 full teams for the first year. The kids can actually make money if they plan their company well -- I remember making money, learning a lot and having loads of fun. This Company Program provides leadership opportunties that helps set students apart when applying to colleges or for scholarships.

Each team will need 4-6 consultants/volunteers -- this is where I need parental/corporate support.

From the website:
JA Company Program™ analyzes and explores personal opportunities and responsibilities within a student-led company. Twelve required, volunteer-led meetings.
Concepts—Business, Choices, Competition, Division of labor, Entrepreneurship, Expenses, Fixed Costs, Goods, Incentive, Income, Liquidation, Management, Marketing, Parliamentary procedure, Price, Productivity, Profit, Production, Research and development, Services, Stock, Variable costs
Skills—Assembling products, Consensus-building, Critical thinking, Estimating, Filling out forms, Interpreting data, Math computation, Negotiating, Presenting reports, Problem-solving, Public speaking, Research, Selling, Teamwork

Please check out these links for more info!!!

http://www.ja.org/programs/programs_high_coprgrm_obj.shtml

http://www.ja.org/programs/programs_high_coprgrm.shtml

I haven't heard back from the chapter in Manchester -- but will post more info as it becomes available.

LenMullen · Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 321 Location: Danville, NH

Karen, most TRSD kids aspire to be teachers or community organizers. Business is too messy and mean spirited.

There is a teacher at the middle school who runs a consumer education class where the kids produce products to sell.

You might want to contact stacy.mullhall@timberlane.net to see if she is interested in leveraging your enthusiasm.

PS I still have a couple bat houses if you are interested. I think they sold for less than the cost of materials Wink

_________________
"I've been teaching here for 20 years so please don't assume that kids can add, subtract, multiply and divide integers without problems. Especially subtraction, as I found that many have trouble with." TRMS Math Teacher

PBealo · Site Admin Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 307

From today's Union Leader:

Junior Achievement closes NH office
By DENIS PAISTE
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
15 hours, 4 minutes ago

MANCHESTER – Junior Achievement has closed its independent New Hampshire office and will return to a regional structure beginning next month.

"Funding ... dried up," said Lou Guevin, chairman of Junior Achievement New Hampshire. "With the economy, it was tougher and tougher to raise money.

"That was probably the major issue."

But Guevin said JA programs will continue in the Granite State.

"We still covered probably about 7,000 students in the state of New Hampshire, and we're going to continue those programs going forward; it's just going to be done through the Boston chapter," he said. Guevin is executive vice president of commercial services for Laconia Savings Bank and a classroom volunteer for Junior Achievement.

New Hampshire spun off from the Boston chapter about three years ago. It will rejoin it July 1.

"We look forward to working again with New Hampshire," said David Eustis, president of Junior Achievement-Eastern Massachusetts.

"Educationally, in terms of the programs that we run, in New Hampshire nothing will change," he said. "It will be as seamless as ever."

The Boston office will handle purchasing of materials and other administrative tasks formerly handled out of the Manchester office, which closed at the end of April. The staff had already been reduced from six to two when it closed, Guevin said.

Eustis said the Boston office expects to hire additional staff this summer to handle the extra work in managing the New Hampshire program.

The Eastern Massachusetts chapter expects to change its name in the fall to reflect its broader footprint, most likely reverting to Junior Achievement Northern New England.

Guevin said the local non-profit corporation will be dissolved as of June 30. All of its debts have been paid. Several board members will continue to be involved with the Eastern Massachusetts chapter, and a New Hampshire advisory council will be set up.

Laying a foundation

Junior Achievement educates students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy.

Tara Payne, vice president of corporate communications and marketing for the New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation, has been a Junior Achievement volunteer for 10 years.

"Obviously, I think it's an incredible program. I happened to work with fifth-graders all that time, and it was really just laying the foundation about civic engagement and entrepreneurial thinking," she said.

The fifth-graders at Conant School in Concord showed an awareness of their community and world through their business concepts, she said.

"There was a group of young girls who got together and they were going to create a product called Perfume for Peace, and for each bottle they sold, they would make a contribution to a school in Pakistan," Payne said.

Another group of two boys proposed a mattress store which would reward customers for bringing in their old mattresses and donating them to the homeless, she said.

Daniel Hebert, president of the New Hampshire Jump$tart Coalition, said Junior Achievement and Jump$tart are partners on the national level.

"They've got a great program," he said.

Pete Curcio, Junior Achievement USA senior vice president-operations, based in Wilmington, Del., said former JA state executive director Cal Frost is still active and a volunteer with the organization, but he and Kimberly Coronis, education manager, were laid off April 30.

Frost was unavailable for comment last week.

"I've been fielding calls and taking requests from schools, and I will continue to do that," Curcio said. "We are very committed to the operation."

July 1 is the target for integration into Boston, he said.

Guevin said fundraisers over the last three years, such as golf and bowling events have had fewer and fewer people involved.

"It became harder and harder to raise our own money," he said.

But he said Junior Achievement still has loyal local donors including Public Service of New Hampshire, Northeast Delta Dental, Laconia Savings Bank, Bellwether Credit Union and Twin Coast Enterprises (the Wendy's franchise).

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