Go Back to School...as a Junior Achievement Volunteer

Back-to-school season is here. In the coming days, thousands of area students will be back in school to learn the “three R’s” – Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. But there is a fourth “R” that many students may be missing out on, and that’s “Relevance” as it relates to what they are learning in school and how it will apply later in life. Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes (JAMGL) is seeking classroom volunteers to help students make that connection.

Research conducted by Junior Achievement and Survey Monkey shows that helping students link what they learn in school to life outside the classroom is one of the biggest concerns facing teachers. Junior Achievement recruits volunteers to share their experience with students on subjects like managing money, career exploration and starting a business. In the process, students learn how volunteers used what they learned in school to become successful adults. The volunteers are supported by JA’s proven programs to create an experience that is beneficial for students and meaningful for volunteers.

“Our research shows that Junior Achievement alumni are more likely to finish high school and complete college because of their JA experience,” said Gregg Hampshire, Director of Education. “The same research also shows that one-in-five JA alumni end up working in the same field as their JA volunteer, so the volunteers have a tremendous impact on students.” JA offers programs in grades K through 12. Volunteers are provided an orientation on how to deliver the programs. Program materials are hands-on, engaging and simple to use. Often visits can be arranged at schools near a volunteer’s home or place of work and in some cases a volunteer may be able to participate at their own child’s school.

To become a volunteer, visit www.westmichigan.ja.org or email [email protected].  

About Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes

Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes is the nation’s 23rd largest JA chapter and an area office of JA USA, the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. The organization offers programs to help prepare young people in Mid, West, and North Michigan for the real world by showing them how to generate wealth and effectively manage it, how to create jobs which make their communities more robust, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. Students put these lessons into action and are empowered to own their economic success.

About Junior Achievement USA® (JA)

Celebrating its centennial in 2019, Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches more than 4.8 million students per year in 106 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.2 million students served by operations in 100 other countries worldwide. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.