Inside the President's Corner
with
Trent Klingensmith
Dear JA Supporters:
With
the pervasive news coverage of America's
financial turmoil, our children may have questions about what is going on in
our
economy. Many adults have a difficult time understanding-much less
explaining in an age-appropriate way to a child-what is going on in our
government and in our financial markets.
America can, and must, do
a better job of educating our kids about effective money
management, not only
so they can avoid the financial pitfalls into which so many adults have fallen,
but because our kids will someday run our businesses, our government, and our
financial institutions.
How
can young people get the financial knowledge that they so desperately need?
Fortunately, Junior Achievement is
answering the call to educate the next
generation of consumers about how to effectively manage their
money.
In
addition to our usual classroom curriculum, JA is providing resources
to help explain just how we ended up in the current
situation.
We are taking a lead in educating young people about the
crisis by providing them with timely information that will help them
under-
stand the present crisis and, more importantly, how a similar crisis may
be averted in the future.
Two versions of a study titled Understanding the Financial
Crisis: Origin and Impact have been commis-
sioned by JA Worldwide to provide
students and volunteers/educators with a better perspective of the evolution of
the present crisis, its impact on the economy, and lessons learned.
You can find both of these papers here.
Please
feel free to provide us with your feedback regarding these papers,
and to share any other ideas you have about resources we can provide to assist
you in teaching our youth the importance of financial literacy.
Sincerely,
Trent Klingensmith
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Opportunities for Exploration
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Buzz of the Biz
Mayor Karl Dean not only has a key to the city of Nashville, but now he can
boast owning a key to JA BizTown. On Nov. 18, Mayor Dean received a key to the
city from Medina,
JA BizTown's mayor. Mayor Medina read a proclamation to the citizens of the
town and presented Mayor Dean with the key.
During his trip to the town, Mayor Dean visited various
businesses and was interviewed by the JA BizTown newspaper and TV
station. His tour of JA BizTown wrapped up with a visit to the restaurant
to get some of the best popcorn in town.
In order to be elected Mayor of JA BizTown, Medina had to campaign to her classmates at
school. "It was hard because I was running against all my friends," she said.
She created a campaign slogan and posted flyers around the school announcing
her candidacy.
The slogan that won her the title of Mayor: "A vote for Medina is a vote for
YOU."
Medina
is not the first in her family to take an interest in politics. Her older
sister, Mecca,
served as JA BizTown's Mayor last year. While Mecca
wanted her younger sibling to be surprised by her JA BizTown experience, she
did offer some advice to Medina.
"She told me to try to memorize my speech so I wouldn't have to look down at
the paper and I could look at people when I talked," Medina explained.
After her term as JA BizTown Mayor ends, Medina thinks she will stay in politics.
Perhaps she will get her own key to a city one day!
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Opportunities for Recognition
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About JA
We believe in
commitment
to the principles of market-based economics
and entrepreneurship.
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JA Staff
Operations
Trent Klingensmith
President
Rachel Dyer
Director of Operations
Marketing
Beth Torres
VP, Events & Funding Development
Laura Lovell
Special Events Manager
Jessica Bowers
Marketing Associate
Betsy Burkett
Executive/Marketing Assistant
Programs
Andy Schenck
Director of Programs
Caroline Bizot
Programs Manager
Karen Boom
Program Manager
Holly Houston
Programs Manager
Charlisa Pugh
Program Manager, Job Shadow
Elizabeth Robertson
Programs Assistant
JA BizTown
Rachel Dyer
Director of JA BizTown
Leona Cherry
Instructional Manager
Lisa Erdman
Instructional Manager
Bethany Wynns
Instructional Manager
Freya Hearn
Instructional Manager
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November 2008 
During
this month, let us all give thanks for the teachers, volunteers, and
donors who have already helped to impact more than 1,200 students this
fall. Thanks for all you do for Middle Tennessee's children!
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Opportunities for Education
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JA in a Day with
Mt. View
Elementary & HSBC
Last month, we told you
all about our upcoming JA in a Day at Mt. View Elementary School. Today, we are happy to report that this event
was an "Incredible" success! Six HSBC volunteers took over the 4th
grade classes at Mt.View on October 24th. These volunteers really
went above and beyond to make it an exciting day for the children. They came
prepared with visual aides, stickers, and prizes to give away.
One volunteer,
Errol Mooney, even showed up in costume as Mr. Incredible. The look on the
children's faces when they saw that Mr. Incredible himself would be teaching
them about regional resources was priceless. What could be better than to have
fun while teaching students such relevant information?
Many thanks to HSBC for
their continued support of JA programs! Our next JA in a Day will be at Poplar
Grove Elementary in Williamson
County on November 20th. Ford Motor Credit volunteers will spend the
day with 2nd and 4th grade students...could there be any
special appearances in store this time?!
Area High School Students Learn All About the Music
Industry
With over 700 classes filled for the Fall semester, things
are certainly buzzing inside area classrooms. However, the excitement doesn't
stop there! JA Job Shadow events are also currently underway. On October 24th,
66 high school students from all over Middle Tennessee participated in our
annual Music Row Job Shadow Day, giving them the opportunity to see that there
is more to the music industry than the stars performing on stage.
The day began
for the students at Rocketown with a question-and-answer session from Jack
Gavin, drummer and road manager for Tanya Tucker. Gavin also treated the
students to a tour of a million-dollar tour bus to give them an idea of the
experience of traveling with an artist on the road. They then moved on to their
host sites to get a first-hand view of a day in the life of the music industry.
Fourteen companies around Nashville
hosted students including Compass Records, Curb Records, Haber Corporation,
Word Entertainment, SESAC, Sony/ATV Nashville, Still Working Music and NSAI. Some
students took tours of recording studios, others met artists and executives,
and others got a little more hands-on in the process by making a promotional
cut and doing a little producing. The day wrapped up at Rocketown with a
performance by local band Biscuits and Gravy.
AT&T Hosts
Glencliff High
School
Students
On Wednesday, November 12th, 63 Glencliff High School
students participated in our AT&T Job Shadow Day, giving them an
opportunity to learn more about the Communications Industry. Students were able
to apply what they are learning in the classroom and combine it with what they
observed during their shadowing to realize what it will take for them to be
successful in the world of business.
Furthermore, some of the students received
a lesson in crisis-management when a gas leak downtown caused the power in the AT&T Batman Building
to go out. How's that for a real-world
experience?!
Special thanks to Vanderbilt Health at One Hundred Oaksfor making the Vanderbilt Medical Centers' shuttles
available, Papa John's for providing lunch for both the Downtown and
Brentwood locations and, of course, AT&T and Glencliff High School for all
their hard work in making this event a success!
More Job Shadow events are in store for next semester,
including an opportunity for students to learn all about the banking industry
through our Job Shadow event with Regions.
If your school or your company is interested in
participating in Job Shadow or JA in a Day programs, please contact the
Programs Department at education@janash.com
or 615.627.1195.
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Opportunities for Appreciation
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Junior Achievement Inspire & Admire Breakfast
December 9, 2008
Loews Vanderbilt Hotel
Sponsored by
Caterpillar Financial Services
Community leaders will
gather to learn more about JA and to recognize organizations that have made it
possible for thousands of students to receive JA programming.
Join us in honoring
organizations whom we admire:-
Bridgestone Americas Holding
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Caterpillar Financial Services
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Comdata
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Curb Records
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Deloitte
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Ernst & Young
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Ford Motor Credit
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Franklin American Mortgage
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Gaylord Entertainment Company
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HCA
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Ingram Industries
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Nissan
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Square D/Schneider Electric
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Standard Candy Company
Table hosts are still needed to ensure that
everyone in the community has a chance to share in JA's mission. There is no
cost for a table and JA will provide invitations for your guests. For more information or to sign up to host a table for this event, contact Laura Lovell. |
2009 Comdata Scholarship Program
Comdata® Corporation and Junior Achievement® of Middle Tennessee
Comdata®
Corporation and Junior Achievement® of Middle Tennessee are pleased to
announce the inaugural Comdata Scholarship Program for 2009.
The
scholarship will be awarded to up to ten graduating high school seniors
in the Middle Tennessee area.
For more information and scholarship application, click here.
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JA Design-a-Card Contest
Get creative! Junior Achievement Middle Tennessee is in
search of the perfect scene for the cover of our 2008 Holiday Cards.
Instead of
the same old generic store bought cards we wanted something more special this
year. And what better way to show our thanks and warm wishes than a card
designed by one of our very own JA students?
The winning design will be featured on the cover of our holiday cards
and sent out to all JA Middle Tennessee Board of Directors and major supporters.
The artist of the winning design will receive a pizza party and 30 cards for
their entire class and their name prominently displayed on the back of the
greeting card.
For official rules and specifications, click here.
For more information or questions, please contact Betsy Burkett.
Deadline is December 5.
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Opportunities for Donation
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Help JA Score
with the Preds!
The Nashville Predators are offering JA supporters special
discount tickets for several upcoming games.
A portion of ticket sales will
support JA programs in Middle Tennessee.
For more information and to purchase
tickets, click here. Please type in Junior Achievement as the referring
organization.
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