Westerville Mayor Craig Treneff was one of many distinguished community members who volunteered to interview students.
Wilder Elementary School conducted JA BizTown interviews on February 1 with an all-star list of interviewers, including the Mayor and Vice Mayor of Westerville, a School Board member, a local doctor, a veterinarian, an airplane mechanic, a real estate agent, an interpreter, an accountant, a school counselor, a Kiwanis member, and an ESL coordinator.
The JA BizTown program provides students with a realistic opportunity to see how basic economic concepts are applied in the real world. By participating in JA BizTown, youngsters experience the responsibilities and opportunities of citizenship in a free enterprise system. Designed for pupils in grades 4-6, JA BizTown is presented in three progressive stages:
- Students complete a four-week classroom curriculum on economics, in which they choose jobs, develop business plans, and discuss the importance of citizen rights and responsibilities.
- Pupils take on the roles of citizens, business owners, employees, and consumers during a daylong JA BizTown simulation. Teachers and volunteers receive training to help facilitate the program. In the JA BizTown facility, children operate many businesses including retail stores, manufacturing shops, media outlets, a utility service, a restaurant, a bank, and City Hall. All businesses are outfitted with modern office equipment and supplies. Students learn firsthand what it takes to create and run a business, as well as personally earn and manage money.
- Students return to school and complete a follow-up classroom curriculum.
Fifth grade teachers Haley Dorne, Reuben Chapman, Lynn Holland, and Debbie Miller expressed their gratitude towards everyone who helped to make this wonderful experience possible for their students.