Financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work-readiness lessons aren’t typical subjects on the primary and secondary school curriculums — but representatives from Junior Achievement, a non-profit youth organization, argue they are valuable topics for students to learn at a young age.
“It’s something that you don’t get in the schools if you don’t do the (Junior Achievement) program,” said Tanya Galliott, regional coordinator for the Bow West with Junior Achievement. “You’re going to miss that. Entrepreneurship is increasing. I think it’s important that they see this early on.
“Financial literacy is the most important thing we can add to the curriculum.”
Junior Achievement programs are set to run in Chestermere, Cochrane and Springbank schools during the 2015/16 school year, including a Oct. 20 date at Chestermere High School.
“What we’ll get out of it, is (students) get a better sense of the job market, cost of living, and explore what their strengths are,” said Brian Hofbauer, a Grade 10 to 12 teacher at the school. “So it seemed like, why not try it?
“It’s something that they’re going to face once they move out and enter into their own careers.”
Programs include a variety of content, including lessons as well as independent and group work activities, taught by volunteers who have experience in business and finance. Jayne Kirby, who serves both as a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Airdrie as well as president of the Airdrie Women in Business Association, said she thought volunteering would be a “beneficial opportunity.”
“The focus is on educating the next generation in some very practical elements of life — learning about business, economics, money management, that sort of thing,” she said. “And the benefit for us, is that (we) get to go into a classroom and practice public speaking, and also (we) get to be a mentor.”
Galliott said individuals who volunteer with Junior Achievement are “key” to the program’s success.
“(Volunteers) are passionate about getting that information out to our students. They think it is important, it’s a required skill that they need at this age and at this time,” she said. “The volunteers are mostly working in those areas if they are doing it. They are very passionate about it themselves.
“They get a real bonus for them, personally, for volunteering their time.”
For more information on Junior Achievement, visit jacan.org.
