By Pat Shaver
CEDAR RAPIDS—About 1,300 volunteers in the Corridor see the value in the mission of Junior Achievement.
Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa reaches more than 42,000 children in Eastern Iowa. For the 2013 school year, Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa impacted about 45 percent of children in the 10 counties it covers, compared to the national average of 8 percent. Nationally, Junior Achievement operates 119 offices.
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.
The organization’s programs are delivered in the classroom 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.
Junior Achievement reaches 4.2 million students per year across the United States, with an additional 5.8 million students served by operations in 120 other countries.
“The difference we’re making is we’re helping kids understand how our economy works, what role they can play, how to define what future success looks like and empowering them to be knowledgeable in that landscape,” said Christine Landa, president of Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa.
In Eastern Iowa, the organization is in nearly 2,000 classrooms in 38 districts. The number of volunteers has continued to grow, allowing the organization to expand its program offerings.
In 1965, a group of engineers from Rockwell Collins started a local chapter of Junior Achievement in Cedar Rapids to teach middle school and high school students about how to start and run a business, Ms. Landa said.
“Our organization began in 1965 in Eastern Iowa but it is nearly 100 years old nationally. On a national scale, it was founded in 1919. The premise behind Junior Achievement was to help equip students with employability skills for the workforce and 100 years later it is still the focus,” Ms. Landa said.
The Eastern Iowa office serves Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Delaware, Grundy, Iowa, Johnson, Jones and Linn counties. There are Junior Achievement offices in Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and North Liberty.
In 1919, Junior Achievement was founded as a collection of after-school business clubs for high school students in Springfield, Mass.
“We’re helping equip kids with life skills that create brighter futures for them. We’re reaching students early in their formative years and helping them understand what they’re interested in, their abilities, what strengths they have and how to align that with potential occupations,” Ms. Landa said.
Junior Achievement has programs that are designed around the grade level, curriculum during that time and allows the volunteers to incorporate experiences in their own careers.
“It allows the students a way to relate to what they’re doing and what they could do in the future. It’s about career exploration and it’s another positive role model in front of them that they can connect to, that they can develop a relationship with,” said Amy McKelvy, Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa’s senior district manager.
Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa has a volunteer retention rate of about 68 percent, she said.
“We have the upmost respect for the educators but we also understand that our mission is to teach and inspire students to succeed in a global economy. Our community volunteers are able to relate their everyday experiences to students in a unique way. Sometimes it helps that students aren’t learning for a teacher or parents,” Ms. McKelvy said.
Junior Achievement provides volunteers with training, materials, a consultant guide and support. One of the benefits of volunteering is having the opportunity to gain teaching experience and sharpen presentation skills, Ms. McKelvy noted.
The volunteer presents each activity and the teacher provides classroom management, offers insight into the class and helps out if the volunteer needs assistance.
“It’s not a parent or teacher, and it’s someone who cares about them who has chosen to be there. That matters to the kids and they respond in a very positive way,” Ms. Landa added.
Visit www.jaeasterniowa.org or call (319) 862-1100 for more information on the organization and how to volunteer.
