The last day of the fall semester is Friday, December 17th. That leaves two and a half weeks to finish up your lessons! After you have completed your final lesson, please log on to http://www.jafortworth.org/ to submit your Class Completion Form. The link is located on the left side of our home page.

Please contact Laura at LClingman@jafortworth.org with any questions. We greatly appreciate your support during the fall semester!

Happy Thanksgiving

Junior Achievement would like to thank all of our teachers, volunteers, and community leaders for your continued support this year. It is through your hard work that we are able to reach over 27,000 students and advance the JA mission!




We would like to wish you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Second Annual JA Breakfast

Junior Achievement’s second Annual JA Breakfast was held at the Fort Worth Club on Wednesday November 10th. There were over 325 guests in attendance, which is well over 100 guests more than our 2009 breakfast. Guest speaker, Nolan Ryan, was a big hit along with our student speakers from local schools. Thank you to our Vice President of Development, Leslie Flanery, and all of our board members who worked hard to make the event a success!

Want to make a difference?

Volunteer for Junior Achievement! We offer kindergarten through 12th grade programs and we are looking for volunteers for the fall semester. You have the opportunity to help students learn workforce and college readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy.

"I had no idea of the impact JA could make. The students were so enthusiastic in their participation during class and I feel they were inspired. I know I was definitely inspired!" -Junior Achievement volunteer

Please contact Kori at karmstrong@jafortworth.org to volunteer this year. We look forward to hearing from you!

A New Generation's Ethics

In a recent Deloitte and Junior Achievement Teen Ethics Survey, 71 percent of teens said they felt “fully prepared” to make ethical decisions in the work place; on the other hand, 38 percent believed they must cheat, steal, plagiarize and even behave violently to succeed in school.

This conflict between behavior in schools and expected work place behavior is becoming more prominent in our society today. Junior Achievement and Deloitte have partnered to create a project that will guide teenagers to make ethical decisions both in school and the work place.

Click here to read more!

Junior Achievement: A Solution to the Dropout Crisis

A recent research article created by Junior Achievement showed that each year only 70 percent of expected students earn a high school diploma. This issue is impacting these students’ lives along with the strength of our country’s economy. Junior Achievement USA provides several solutions to increase the percentage of high school students who graduate with a diploma. JA helps students connect what they are learning in school to the real world. 91 percent of teachers and volunteers agree that JA programs bridge this learning gap between the classroom and the outside world. Junior Achievement programs also help students understand the importance of an education and increase their self-confidence. In comparison to their peers, JA students were significantly more confident that they would not only graduate from high school but continue to pursue post-secondary education.

In addition to providing relevant and useful curriculum to students, Junior Achievement offices are piloting in-depth initiatives that aim to directly reduce the drop out rate of students in high risk districts.

It’s that time of year again!

As administrators and teachers are gearing up for the 2010-2011 school year, we at Junior Achievement are also preparing for another successful year. JA programs will be up and running in mid to late September. Please contact Laura Clingman at lclingman@jafortworth.org if you are interested in volunteering in a local classroom this year.

We look forward to working with all of our outstanding schools and volunteers this year!

Ben Bernanke References JA

Federal Reserve Board Chairman, Ben Bernanke, referenced Junior Achievement's efforts around financial literacy education as he delivered his semi-annual report on monetary policy before the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday, July 21st. Junior Achievement was the only organization mentioned.

See the video here!

JA Awards Scholarships

This past Spring, senior students that participated in a JA program were eligible to apply and interview for scholarships that are awarded thru the R. D. and Catherine Alexander Scholarship Fund and the John W. Spruill Scholarship Fund. In partnership with the Better Business Bureau, Tarrant County Bankers Association, Texas Christian University, and Texas Wesleyan University, scholarships are annually renewable provided minimum renewal requirements are met for the 4 years the student attends college. We are happy to announce a total of $48,625 has been awarded to the following 2010 scholarship winners:

Miranda Behrens - Colleyville Heritage HS, plans to attend UT Austin
Melinda Fuqua - Keller HS, plans to attend UT San Antonio
Meagan Reid from Crowley HS, plans to attend TCU
Alexandria Romo - Colleyville Heritage HS, plans to attend Colorado College
Kim Sohee, Colleyville Heritage HS, plans to attend Academy of Art Univ.
Sydney Sult - Stephenville HS, plans to attend Texas A & M
Joseph Sumcizk - Colleyville Heritage HS, plans to attend TCC

Summer Fun Bowl-aarrgghh-thon Info!

Ahoy Mateys!

Summer is here and that means its time to bowl for JA! This year's Summer Fun Bowl will be on Saturday, August 21st at Cityview Lanes in Fort Worth. This event is one of our major fund raisers and will help us purchase program materials for our K-12th grade students this upcoming school year.

All you have to do is get a team of 5 people together (4-6 is accepted as well) and get ready to have fun! Each person on your team needs to raise at least $75 - many teams get together and have bake sales, sell raffle tickets or have a car wash to raise the $375 team minimum. You can also get pledges from friends, family and co-workers!

We will have 3 bowling times available on Saturday, August 21st: 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. (for Lockheed Martin only), 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Just choose the time you prefer then show up at Cityview Lanes at that time on August 21st! You will get an official Summer Fun Bowl t-shirt along with door prize eligibility at the event. Anyone who raises $125 and above will receive special gift cards!

Come dressed up in your best pirate costume for a chance to win the Lane Decorating Contest! We will have other fun contests during the event like push-up, hula-hoop and the show me game. This event is geared towards fun and you don't have to be a professional bowler - bumpers are available!

To find out more about the Summer Fun Bowl or to sign up click here! TEAM REGISTRATIONS ARE DUE BY FRIDAY, JULY 30TH! You can also contact Jenny Senter at the JA office for more info. We hope to see you there!

Thank You!

Junior Achievement of the Chisholm Trail would like to thank all of our volunteers, teachers and supporters for another great school year. During the 2009-2010 school year our volunteers helped us impact students in more than 1,300 classes throughout the greater Fort Worth area. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to seeing many of you back during the 2010-2011 school year.

Have a great summer!

Air Force Reservists Volunteer for JA in a Day!

On Thursday, May 13th, twenty Air Force Reservists gave their entire day to kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students at Bellaire Elementary in Hurst. They volunteered their energy and time for a "JA in a Day" where Junior Achievement volunteers teach all 5 lessons in a single day.

The students and staff were thrilled to have so many excellent volunteers participate in showing them their potential and helping them have a brighter tomorrow. Students were in awe as volunteers showed up in full uniform for the event. Thank you all for a great day of learning and fun!

Volunteer Reminder

The final day of the school year is Friday, June 4th. There are 2 and a half weeks left to finish up your lessons! Please log on to www.jafortworth.org to fill out a Class Completion form after your final lesson is complete. The link is located on the left side of the home page.

Thank you for your support during the 2009-2010 school year. We look forward to seeing many of you again in the fall!

Spring Scholarships Awarded

In partnership with Texas Christian University, Tarrant County Bankers Association, the Better Business Bureau, and the John W. Spruill Leadership Scholarship, students participating in a Junior Achievement program were eligible to apply and interview for a scholarship. Committee members selected 8 students as recipients. These students will be presented more specific information at their high school awards program this month. Congratulations to these students!

Volunteer Receives Award

Loyal and longtime Junior Achievement volunteer David Williams was recognized by Lockheed Martin for logging over 500 hours in Community Service with his support to several organizations. David indicates the majority of the hours benefited Junior Achievement and DFW Toys for Tots. Last year Lockheed Martin Aero provided the equivalent of $2.6 million to educational and charitable causes through grants, volunteer service and other forms of support. David is a classroom volunteer and the Bowlathon coordinator for Lockheed Martin. He motivates students in the classroom to stay in school and graduate, and bowlers at the yearly Summer Fun Bowl to raise money for JA. Congratulations David for being a great volunteer and for selecting JA to receive the $250 award!

Volunteer Appreciation Month!

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and Junior Achievement of the Chisholm Trail would like to take the time to thank all of our wonderful volunteers. It is through your hard work and commitment to our programs that we are able to impact so many students. This school year our 1,300 volunteers will reach roughly 28,500 students locally.

We thank you for your continued support!

And the Gold Star goes to…

Last week I had the opportunity to visit Ms. Maria Hernandez’s classroom at E.M. Daggett Elementary. Her Junior Achievement volunteer, Aaron Jolly from Bank of America, is teaching the 2nd grade “Our Community” program to her students this semester. When I arrived at the school; I learned that Aaron had accidentally misplaced his JA bag earlier that week and did not have his materials available. Much to my surprise, he still wanted to teach the lesson! Even with no materials, and no volunteer guidebook; this was one of the best lessons I have ever seen taught. Aaron completed the lesson almost verbatim and had all of the students excited and engaged despite his lack of resources.

Ms. Hernandez has many bilingual students in her class at Daggett Elementary. Each week, she prepares a power point with all of the vocabulary words that correspond with Aaron’s Junior Achievement lesson. She makes sure her students understand all of the terminology in English before Aaron arrives to teach the students.

Aaron has been volunteering for Junior Achievement since the spring semester of 2007. Ms. Hernandez has participated in the program each spring since 2000. This is their second semester to work together!

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Aaron and Ms. Hernandez for their continued support of our programs and for going way above and beyond expectations. If you have a great volunteer story that you’d like to share – please email it to lclingman@jafortworth.org.

Congratulations!

Congrats to Brandi Romero from OmniAmerican Bank for winning the Nascar tickets. Brandi has been a JA volunteer for over 2 years. Thank you, Brandi for all you have done for us over the years! A big thank you to all of our great volunteers and your support!

Texas Motor Speedway Ticket Giveaway

Attention all Spring 2010 volunteers!!

In appreciation of all your support, Junior Achievement is giving away 4 tickets to the O'Reilly 300 on April 17th (this Saturday!). If you are able to attend the event and are interested in having the tickets, please email us at ja@jafortworth.org. The first person to inquire will be contacted to arrange pick-up/delivery of the tickets.

Thank you for volunteering for Junior Achievement!

TCU Student Volunteers in his Former School District

Tyler Luttrell, a senior at Texas Christian University and a 2006 graduate of Weatherford High School, has returned to Weatherford ISD to volunteer at Juan Seguin Elementary School. While most of our TCU volunteers are teaching in schools near campus, Tyler specifically requested to return to his former school district. He is currently teaching Marsha Good’s first grade students the JA program, "Our Families" which discusses the role of families in the local economy.

Tyler is majoring in Entrepreneurial Management at the Neeley School of Business. We are happy to have Tyler on board this semester impacting the students at Juan Seguin Elementary.

Many Teens Lack Financial Literacy

According to the annual JA and Allstate Foundation “Teens and Personal Finance” Survey, the majority of U.S. teens say they do not budget their money and are unsure about how to plan for saving and investing their money. Many teens say that their parents take care of all of their expenses or that budgeting is not necessary with the amount of money they have. To read more on the survey click here.

Junior Achievement offers several volunteer-led or parent-based resources to help students become financially literate. Click here to read more.

Spring Break Reminder

Hey Volunteers! A friendly reminder – our teachers and students will be out on spring break this week. You will be able to continue with your lessons beginning the week of March 22nd. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Junior Achievement would like to wish you a safe and fun spring break!

TCU Student Reunited with Kindergarten Teacher

Texas Christian University business student, Alexandria Bruton, was one of many TCU students to sign up to volunteer for Junior Achievement this semester. JA staff assigned these volunteers to a few elementary schools throughout Fort Worth ISD. Alexandria was assigned at random to Como Elementary in a kindergarten classroom. It was such a surprise to find out that she would be volunteering in the classroom of Ms. Beverly Patin, who taught her kindergarten when she attended Como Elementary about 15 years ago!

Alexandria will be teaching the JA program "Ourselves" which explains personal economics through a collection of short stories read aloud by the volunteer, followed by a fun, hands-on activity. We are excited to have Alexandria back in her kindergarten classroom impacting the students at Como Elementary.

“How you can affect the student drop out rate: Volunteer for Junior Achievement”

• Every 26 seconds another student drops out of school in America - over 1.3 million students per year.

• Of those who do graduate high school, only 1/3 have the skills they need to succeed in college and in the 21st century workforce.

• Just 12% of US high schools generate half of the nation’s dropouts.

• There will be an estimated $3 trillion cost to our economy based on the more than 12 million students projected to drop out over next decade.

Help us change these statistics by volunteering to teach Junior Achievement in a local classroom today! Please contact Laura Clingman at lclingman@jafortworth.org for more information regarding classroom availability.

Spring Scholarship Deadline Approaching

Each Spring, Junior Achievement of the Chisholm Trail awards scholarships to area high school seniors who have participated in a Junior Achievement program within our franchise. The student must complete the application form, meet the minimum GPA requirement (3.0), submit their SAT/ACT scores and participate in an interview with the scholarship committee. Applications are available online at http://www.jafortworth.org/ or from the JA teacher. The deadline to apply is April 7, 2010.

Register for the National Financial Literacy Challenge!

Attention teachers and students!

April has been designated as Financial Literacy Month and JA encourages you to participate in the National Financial Capability Challenge. The "Challenge" is an awards program designed to increase the financial knowledge and capability of high school-aged youth across the U.S. so they can take control over their financial futures.

This is a free program facilitated by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Treasury. To view more information about this exciting challenge and to register, please go to http://www.challenge.treas.gov/about.aspx.

Please contact Jenny at the JA office if you have questions - jsenter@jafortworth.org

JA Embraces Outcome-Based Digital Learning

"Colorado Springs, Colo. – Junior Achievement (JA) will convene the first meeting of its Digital Strategy Advisory Task Force in the Washington, D.C., area next week. JA programs are designed to build young people’s capacity to spur economic development and to engage them actively in the teaching and learning process. The Task Force will serve in an advisory role; it will define an action plan around the use of technology in Junior Achievement’s future program development and delivery, with a goal of applying the learning to drive systemic change in K-12 work-readiness education."

Click here to read more!

Wrapping Up the Fall Semester

Junior Achievement of the Chisholm Trail is completing a very successful fall semester. During fall of 2009, JA operated in 617 classrooms reaching 12,310 students in Tarrant, Parker, Johnson, Wise and Erath counties. Thank you to the 585 dedicated individuals who volunteered to lead these JA programs. You are really making a difference in the life of a child.

For information on how you can volunteer during the spring semester at an elementary, middle, or high school near you, contact lclingman@jafortworth.org.

Teens Confident They'll Get Ideal Job

According to the Junior Achievement and ING National Poll, teens are remaining optimistic about their job search. 90 percent of teens are confident that they will one day find their ideal job. 84 percent of teens value finding a job that “has a positive impact on society” rather than factors such as “being well paid” and "having decision-making responsibilities."

Although teens remain optimistic, over half continue to worry about today’s unemployment rate. Teens believe that maintaining high grades, participating in work-readiness programs – such as JA’s job shadow program, and believing in themselves are all key factors in finding a job.

Click here to read more!

Spring Semester Sign Ups

It is JA time again! If you are interested in volunteering for Junior Achievement this semester, please let us know. We have volunteering opportunities available in Tarrant, Parker, Johnson and Wise counties and we are offering elementary, middle and high school classes.

We are excited to have so many great returning volunteers this semester, but we are always looking for new ones, too! So join in the JA fun and sign up TODAY!

For information on classes and to sign up, please contact Kori Armstrong at karmstrong@jafortworth.org. Help JA have another great semester as we educate our youth!

Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8 to 18 Year Olds

A national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that with technology allowing nearly 24-hour media access as children and teens go about their daily lives, the amount of time young people spend with entertainment media has risen dramatically, especially among minority youth.

Today, 8 to 18-year-olds devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes to using entertainment media across a typical day (more than 53 hours a week). Because they spend so much of that time "media multitasking", they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes worth of media content into those 7 1/2 hours.

To view a documentary video and full report about this study, please click the links below:

Documentary: http://www.kff.org/entmedia/hr012010video.cfm

Full Report: http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/8010.pdf

No Facebook at Work?!

In the seventh annual Junior Achievement/Deloitte Teen Ethics survey, teens indicated that when accepting a job offer, the ability to access social networking sites during work hours was a high priority. The survey focuses on the ethical implications of the popularity of social networking sites. The survey found that 88% of teens access the sites daily, while more than half of those teens would consider access to the sites when considering a job offer.

Click here to read more!