Junior Achievement is a program that exists to educate young people about entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs designed to help them understand the economics of life. The program educates students about business and economics through a curriculum that includes games and activities to help the students understand how businesses work and why they’re important to us and our families. It also emphasizes the importance of education as it plays a vital role in being successful in the future and can lead to higher paying jobs. 

 

I volunteered an hour a week with a 1st grade class.  The class was an ESL (English as a second language) class so most of the students spoke very little English; however, it was neat to see how easily the games and activities in the curriculum translated over.  They also helped me to work on my Spanish. It was fun to see how excited the students would get each morning when I’d arrive - they’d help me set up for the day and then sit attentively as I began the lesson. It was also refreshing to be around the students as they're always so excitable and optimistic; and were always eager to volunteer for an activity, even if they weren’t sure what they’d being doing. The best part was at the end of the last day, when we had a celebration in which each student received a certificate for completing the program. The students were really excited to be receiving a certificate with their name on it and couldn’t wait to take it home to show their parents.

 

It was a great experience, and I look forward to volunteering with another class in the Fall! To read more about the organization or volunteer, please visit juniorachievement.org.