Qualify for Scholarships
And prepare for your future with Junior Achievement
afterschool programs.
by Bob Borges
TWEENS
& TEENS News June 2007
Are you a teen looking to prepare for graduation,
college enrollment and a successful future
in the workforce? Would you like to learn
about running a business or working with money?
Or maybe you want to make new friends? If
you’re looking for something fun and
interesting to do during afterschool hours,
you can accomplish all of the above and more
with Junior Achievement (JA), the world’s
largest nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring
and preparing young people to succeed in a
global economy. To find out more, ask your
teacher or afterschool coordinator about becoming
involved with JA Afterschool™ programs.
By participating in JA Afterschool, you can
get the tools and knowledge you’ll need
to succeed in life. As graduation nears, you’ll
be faced with many life-altering decisions
that take you down new roads and lead you
into the “real world.” A prepared
student is a successful student, and JA Afterschool
programs provide tremendous opportunities
to advance your skills and beef up your resume.
Best of all, Junior Achievement programs give
you opportunities to qualify for college scholarships.
By participating in JA Afterschool programs,
you take part in specific programs that allow
you to apply for a series of scholarships,
some of which offer a full ride to the school
of your choice! JA Afterschool students can
find out how to apply by visiting www.ja.org.
The JA Afterschool initiative is dedicated
to providing you with educational and fun
activities after the school day. Junior Achievement
recently developed three new afterschool programs
for students. Hundreds of thousands of young
people throughout the United States are using
these programs to learn how to start their
own businesses, work with money and prepare
for life beyond the classroom.
1. JA Dollars and $ense™ teaches students
in grades 3 through 5 how to earn, share,
save and spend money.
2. JA It’s My Business!™ teaches
middle grade students how to start and run
a business through activities that focus on
filling a need, believing in yourself, knowing
your customer and product, and being creative
and innovative.
3. JA Company Program™ shows high school
students how to practice business and entrepreneurial
skills by operating an actual business. Students
who participate in this program come up with
their own product, start a company and try
to make a profit.
According to a recent poll by Junior Achievement,
nearly half of teens surveyed said they attend
afterschool programs other than sports. Apparently,
young people gathering in a structured environment
to learn, share experiences and prepare for
their future in an interactive way is growing
in popularity. On the cutting edge of this
trend are JA Afterschool programs. Through
partnerships between local Junior Achievement
offices with community and school-based afterschool
programs, such as YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs,
4-H, Girl’s Inc, Girl Scouts, 21st Century
Community Learning Centers, and Parks and
Recreation, Junior Achievement offers a cool
alternative to what you can do after the school
bell rings.
The recent survey also asked students what
would increase their interest in afterschool
activities. Top responses included: “opportunities
for college scholarships,” “programs
that help to perform better in school,”
“help developing leadership skills,”
“working with money and budgets”
and “learning how to run a business.”
More and more students see the direct connection
between these skills and their future success,
and they want to ensure they have the knowledge
to secure that success. JA Afterschool gives
you that knowledge.
“JA Worldwide’s commitment to
the ongoing development and implementation
of afterschool programs demonstrates how important
we believe it is to provide today’s
youth with engaging, hands-on learning opportunities
beyond the regular school day,” says
David S. Chernow, president and CEO of JA
Worldwide. “Like all JA programs, our
afterschool curricula align with important
national and state academic content standards
as they inspire students to achieve success
in their academic and work-related endeavors.
JA Worldwide is proud to join with afterschool
partners across the country in providing programs
that empower young people to believe in themselves.”
JA Afterschool programs are offered free of
charge to students and are taught by afterschool
program staff or volunteers from the community.
JA Afterschool programs are turn-key, meaning
JA provides volunteer training and all of
the program materials necessary to manage
each session.
So think about it. What are you going to be
when you grow up? How much education will
you need to pull the career off? Where are
you going to live? What are you going to drive?
How much will all of this cost you? What about
your credit? These questions contribute to
all of the serious stuff you need to begin
to ask yourself. The answers to these questions
(or at least the guidance on how to start
planning for these things) are available through
Junior Achievement programs.
Through a dedicated volunteer network, JA
Worldwide provides in-school and afterschool
programs for students in grades kindergarten
through 12. Today, 140 individual area operations reach
approximately four million students in the
United States, with more than 3.5 million
students served by operations in 100 countries
worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.
Bob Borges is the Web marketing manager for
JA Worldwide. He helps raise awareness for
the organization by maintaining and promoting
the organization’s Web site, www.ja.org.
