Rotarians learn about Junior Achievement

By Dan Bechtold

Editor

Tessa Wilber of South Dakota Junior Achievement spoke to the Winner Rotary Club on June 22.

Junior Achievement’s purpose is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy.

Junior Achievement is taught in three grades in the Winner School District. It is taught in 2^nd, 4^th and 8^th grade.

JA works with volunteers to go into the classroom and teach about money, careers and businesses.  Winner business leaders help teach this program here.

Wilber said this is the 55^th year for JA in South Dakota and during this last school year 54,000 students were impacted.

South Dakota has the highest retention rate for volunteers at 72 percent. “We are so grateful for the volunteers,” Wilber said.

In the elementary classrooms, volunteers teach five sessions between November and March. The curriculum contains a digital presentation and printed student materials.

At the middle school, volunteers teach six sessions. At the high school level, JA ethics is taught. Anyone is a leadership role can teach this program which challenges high school students to think about their decisions and actions and how they affect them both now and in the future.

“At Junior Achievement we believe in ‘possible’,” said Wilber.

“Every day, we work to help young people discover what’s possible in their lives. We do this by helping them connect what they learn in school with life outside the classroom. We let them know it’s possible to invest in their future, to gain a better understanding of how the world works and to pursue their dreams. We show them that it’s possible for tomorrow to be a better day,” she said.