Financial institutions give back to help kids prepare for future

BY RANDAL MAYS
Fort Worth Business Press
April 21, 2008

For decades, financial institutions have been viewed as cornerstones of support throughout the community. Fort Worth and Tarrant County benefit from the generosity of its local banks, credit unions and other financial institutions, which provide money and a volunteer base to local organizations and community initiatives, such as Junior Achievement.

In 1977, Congress passed the Community Reinvestment Act, which encourages depository institutions to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they operate, including low-and-moderate-income neighborhoods. Junior Achievement of the Chisholm Trail, partners with financial institutions and other local businesses to provide a means to reinvest in the community through financial literacy education and meet the CRA requirements.

This type of partnership truly makes a difference in the lives of children, thus the community. Studies show that individuals who do not understand the purpose of financial institutions or how to use their products and services are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to their personal finance management....

For the full article....click here.

Randal Mays is president of Junior Achievement of the Chisholm Trail Inc., a youth development organization based in Fort Worth that serves children in Tarrant, Parker, Johnson, and Wise counties. For more information, visit www.jafortworth.org.

High School Can Be Fun!!!

For those of you thinking, "I'm not so sure about volunteering for a high school class", think again! JA has many high school programs that are game and activity-based, which means not only a fun 45 minutes a week for the students, but also a great time for you.

JA's newest high school program is JA Exploring Economics. Through seven 45-minute lessons, students will be given age-appropriate examples to learn how the economy works and how things like supply and demand and trade affect them on a daily basis. For example in the first lesson, students will be asked to plan a concert based on different economic systems...not your typical high school Economics lesson!

To check out what students and teachers think about JA Exploring Economics, just click play below!

JA has many high school volunteer opportunities this fall semester. For more information on how you can get in the classroom, contact Jenny Hobson at jhobson@jafortworth.org or (817) 731-0838 x 226.

Remember, the time you personally share with these students can help them realize their potential...and you may learn a little in the process!

New 5th Grade Program Information:

This year we are launching a new and improved version of the JA Our Nation curriculum. Our Nation is Junior Achievement’s fifth-grade program that provides practical information about businesses’ need for individuals who can meet the demands of the job market, including high-growth, high-demand jobs. Students will learn that businesses need workers with skills that are in demand, such as STEM skills – science, technology, engineering and math. They’ll understand that people who have these skills benefit from a growing number of career opportunities.

Please note the important changes with the Our Nation curriculum before beginning the sessions. First, there are 6 sessions included in the Our Nation program. However, one session is listed as “supplemental.” If you teach the supplemental session, the program will last 6 weeks. If you do not, the program will last for only 5 weeks. Please be sure to teach EACH NUMBERED SESSION in order to ensure program completion.

Also, the content of the Our Nation program has changed. If you have taught this before please refer to the overview of each session at http://www.ja.org/. This is a completely new curriculum, and only the supplemental session is reflective of the old curriculum.

If you have any questions about the new Our Nation curriculum, please contact our office at 817-731-0837. We will be more than happy to discuss the program more fully.

Welcome!

Welcome to “Off the Trail,” a blog for volunteers with updated information on training, programs, and education trends related to Junior Achievement. Please stop by for ideas on how to keep your JA class fresh and exciting. Also feel free to post any ideas or special stories from your volunteer experiences. For questions or comments about the blog, please contact Sheri Pape, Sr. Education & PR Manager at spape@jafortworth.org.

We hope this blog is a tool to keep you “in-the-know” as you educate our youth!

Sincerely,

The JA of the Chisholm Trail Staff