On May 6 Julie Hedricks visited a third grade classroom at Emerson to introduce Business Town. She was later joined by Westerville Economic Development Administrator Jason Bechtold.
Junior Achievement of Central Ohio (JACO) and Emerson Elementary School in Westerville have announced a partnership to provide career readiness programs for students. The Junior Achievement Our City program introduces pupils to financial literacy and third-grade social studies learning objectives, including the characteristics of cities and how people and businesses in cities manage their money.
“We are very excited to be partnering with Emerson’s leadership, staff and students to help our young people develop the competence, confidence and character needed to succeed in today’s global economy,” said Mike Davis, President of Junior Achievement of Central Ohio. “We partner with business professionals to bring activity-based, fun learning opportunities to the classroom that promote career readiness and the entrepreneurial mindset among young people in elementary, middle and high schools across Central Ohio. Our business partners are seeking graduates who possess strong work readiness and financial literacy skills and who are good communicators and problem-solvers.”
Junior Achievement and Emerson will be working initially with Emerson third grade students through the JA Our City program that:
- Provides practical information about the zones found within a city;
- Examines the importance of money to a city, including paying taxes, and how people use different methods to pay for goods and services;
- Describes the contributions of financial institutions to a city and how they help businesses and people achieve their economic goals;
- Develops an understanding that entrepreneurs promote a healthy economy within a city; and
- Compares news formats and examine their importance to the financial well-being of a city.
JACO works with young people (ages 5 – 18) to develop the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. By focusing on education, economic and youth development, JA programs contribute to the vitality of our community and help provide a pipeline of a well-educated workforce.