Junior Achievement of the Wolf River District’s small business campaign is receiving strong support from the business community.
The group, which served almost 3,000 students last year, sent letters to area businesses last month with information on the 2014-15 school year’s successes and a request to support similar programs and new ventures this school year.
Businesses received information about the 160 classes volunteers taught last year in 12 schools in Shawano and Menominee counties. Junior Achievement courses promote work readiness and entrepreneurship skills to directly benefit area businesses. The courses also stress volunteerism in the community.
The information also featured details about last summer’s Be an Entrepreneur Camp held in Suring. Twenty-seven middle and high school youth attended the six-day resident camp to learn how to start a business. Divided into seven teams, they created ideas and presented them to a panel of business executives. Two teams have had their ideas go into actual production. Two sessions of camp are planned for this summer.
JA strengthens local businesses by providing students the skills they will need to be strong employees or to start their own business, said Nicole Belongia, JA Wolf River District board president.
“Work readiness is imperative for students entering the workforce. JA is designed to give students the tools they need to succeed with real life hands-on experiences, whether in the classroom, Business Challenge or camp,” said Belongia, a commercial credit analyst for CoVantage Credit Union. “Through these different venues, students learn about the economy, how to make sound financial decisions and gain entrepreneurship skills. All of these tools will give our students the best chance for a successful future.”
For information on how your business can make a difference to the thousands of students in this program, either by volunteering to teach a class or by donating funds, call executive director Susan Schwartz at 920-493-4856.
Junior Achievements empowers youths to achieve success through volunteer-led courses promoting financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. The courses are available to students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
The Wolf River District serves students in Shawano and Menominee counties. In the 2014-15 school year, 182 volunteers taught 160 classes involving nearly 3,000 students in 12 schools.
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