Spring 2013
               Achievement Mattersthumbsup







Junior Achievement of New York: Empowering young people to own their economic success
 
 

 

February is the shortest, but perhaps one of the most special months in the year. In February, we celebrate Super Bowl Sunday, the Oscars, National Entrepreneurship Week and Black History Month, among other highlights.  In March, we celebrate the inspirational achievements and contributions of women, while looking forward with excitement to the coming spring. April - shines a spotlight on the importance of financial literacy to the future economic stability of youth in our city and the Long Island counties. You might say, therefore, that spring is all about putting the spotlight on achievement, excellence, preparation and potential. Use this time to renew your commitment to help kids succeed in school and in life.

 

 
Celebrating National Entrepreneurship Week

 

During the week of February 16-23, cities and organizations around the country celebrated the seventh annual National Entrepreneurship Week. The Week is in response to U.S. House of Representatives Resolution #699, supporting an annual National Entrepreneurship Week and encouraging its celebration at the local, state, and national levels.

 

Recently, the New York City Council invited Joseph Peri, President of JA New York, to testify before the Youth Services and Small Business Committees about the importance of entrepreneurship education to the future economic stability of New York City. The timing of this opportunity could not have been better. We are excited about the potential this testimony may bring. At the very least, it reinforces Junior Achievement of New York's standing as a trusted thought leader in the field of K-12 economic education in New York City. Read the full testimony here.

 

 
Student of the Year Update 

In the last edition of Achievement Matters, we recapped our annual dinner and introduced you to our 
Student of the Year honoree, Josuel Plasencia. Recently, there have been a number of positive and exciting developments in Josuel's life. He is eager to share his latest "not so junior" achievement with you in his own words.
Message from Junior Achievement Student of the Year
Message from Junior Achievement Student of the Year
  
 
 

HSBC Employees Seed Financial Literacy
in Floral Park  
 
  
On Thursday, January 31, HSBC corporate volunteers visited the John Lewis Childs Elementary School in Floral Park, Long Island, to deliver the JA More Than Money financial literacy program to nearly one hundred fourth grade students. This program is funded through the generous support of the HSBC Volunteer Alliance initiative. John Lewis Childs is an exclusive Long Island-based HSBC partner school where volunteers have been introducing students to economic education for more than four years. In addition, HSBC mobilizes over one hundred of its employees annually, to serve as volunteer role models in 14 NYC and Long Island schools.

 

HSBC Volunteers Visit John Lewis Childs Elementary School
HSBC Volunteers Visit John Lewis Childs' Elementary School

At John Lewis Childs, the Junior Achievement experience has become an important part of the school culture and the students' educational process. 

 

"The surprise and excitement on children's faces when they are learning really touches me. I am so glad that Junior Achievement provides kids with economic education at an early age. The financial literacy education they receive teaches them that money must be earned before it can be spent. It helps them to make connections between where they are now economically and where they want to be in the future," said Kujal Kumar, a long time HSBC JA volunteer.

 

The JA More than Money program teaches students about earning, spending, sharing, and saving money. Students also learn about businesses they can start, or jobs they can perform, to earn money. The program emphasizes social studies content while providing a strong focus on mathematics, reading, and writing skills. Students are encouraged to use innovative thinking to learn money-management skills that support positive attitudes as they explore and enhance their career aspirations.

 

"The students are learning so many basic mathematical and fundamental skills that they are going to use in the real world, so we were very excited to have Junior Achievement come to our school, " said Jody Filoso, PTA member.

  

Evidence suggests that early intervention to instill useful attitudes and habits in young students may be very effective, especially in areas such as saving and spending.

  

"With April National Financial Literacy Awareness Month just around the corner, we are thrilled to receive volunteer support from HSBC, a longtime champion of Junior Achievement," said Joseph Peri, President of Junior Achievement of New York. "HSBC volunteers bring their career, life experience and financial knowledge to help bring the JA curriculum to life for students who are starting to learn the value of personal financial literacy and the economics of life."

 

 

  
 
Alumni Reconnect
 
  
My name is Boris Manakhimov. Six years ago, I was a Junior Achievement of New York student. Fast forward several years later, I have earned a college degree from Adelphi University and I am well on my way to building a successful career in the business world.
 
I graduated from Adelphi University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science. Currently, I am a Corporate Technology Recruiter with Computer Generated Solutions, Inc. It is my responsibility to identify, interview, and qualify talented IT professionals for positions within our company. Most recently, I started a JA Alumni of New York City and Long Island group on LinkedIn as a way to reconnect former JA students with each. 

 

My first exposure to Junior Achievement was as a junior at John Dewey High School. I was a JA High School Hero youth volunteer before I actually received JA programs. In 2006, I participated in the JA New York Student Ambassador initiative, a youth leadership program. As a Student Ambassador, I also participated in the JA Job Shadow program and the JA Stock Market Challenge. In my final year of high school, JA New York honored me as Student of the Year.

 

I received great exposure to the corporate world through Junior Achievement. My JA experiences have allowed me to enter the corporate workforce seamlessly. As a high school student, I attended resume and business etiquette workshops and participated in JA Job Shadow experiences, all of which gave me a chance to interact with professionals in various fields, and helped me to develop important job skills that still serve me well today. Above all, I believe that my JA experience identifies me as a valuable asset to prospective employers and their companies.

 

The Junior Achievement connection continues to be an asset to my career growth and development. As former JA students, we have an opportunity to maximize the benefits that this organization can provide beyond high school. We in turn can contribute our time, talent and treasure to help others. The alumni group on LinkedIn will make it easier for us to reconnect with each other and with JA. The more friends you make, the more opportunities will present themselves. Why start from scratch when you can leverage the great connections you already have through Junior Achievement? If you are a former JA student, join the group and let other JA alumni know where to find us on LinkedIn.

  

Visit: JA Alumni of NYC and Long Island group on LinkedIn or email: [email protected].

  

 

 


Welcome
New Board Members

We are pleased to welcome three new additions to our board of directors.

 

 

 

SCOTT KARNAS is the Corporate Controller for KKR & Co. L.P. KKR is a leader in the private equity industry, and in recent years has grown into new areas including fixed income, capital markets, infrastructure and natural resources.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MONA MOAZZAZ is Chief of Staff to Marty Lippert, Global Head of Technology and Operations for MetLife, and Vice President of Strategic Planning for Global Technology and Operations. I
her role, she is responsible for leading the strategic vision of the organization as well as managing reporting to the Executive Group and Office of the CEO, strategic communications and special projects.

  

  

 

GERRY SPITZER, CRPC� is Senior Vice President of Investments for UBS Financial Services Inc. With more than 150 years of wealth management expertise at its core, and drawing upon an integrated mix of investment banking and asset management businesses, UBS focuses on providing relevant guidance, differentiated global perspectives and diverse strategies and solutions for private, corporate and institutional clients worldwide.

  

 

 

 

 


Programs

Calling All Volunteers!

 

JA New York has officially kicked off the spring 2013 semester, and we are looking for volunteers to teach our  JA Weekly classes. JA weekly classes take place one period - approximately forty -five minutes each week for 5-7 weeks. We have openings available in midtown and downtown. If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to your JA liaison or email [email protected].

 

2013 JA New York Business Plan Competition

 

This is the sixth year of the JA New York Business Plan Competition (BPC) presented by the NASDAQ OMX Education Foundation. This spring, over 700 high school students from the five boroughs and Long Island will spend six weeks working with business volunteer coaches. Teams are judged in a series of playoff rounds, leading up to the final competition at NASDAQ Marketsite in Times Square.  For the first time, JA New York has introduced a theme to guide all business plan submissions. This year's theme is Focus Forward: Education. All student plans must be a for-profit business focused on some facet of education.  

 

Think you have the skills to lead a youth business team to victory? Volunteer as a Business Plan Competition team coach. We have a few spaces available. For more information, email 

 
Junior Achievement of New York Business Plan Competition
Junior Achievement of New York Business Plan Competition Highlights

  

Development and Fundraising
Bowl-A-Thon

Bowl-A-Thon is the ultimate "party for a purpose." Employees benefit by participating in a fun activity for a good cause, while building team morale, goodwill and collaboration.   

 

The spring Bowl-A-Thon season is rolling along nicely. To date, we have thirty corporate sponsored Bowl-A-Thon fundraisers scheduled, representing seventeen companies. There is still time to organize your teams to raise money to support the free delivery of JA programs to NYC and Long Island kids.

 

Want to organize a Bowl-A-Thon at your company? Call Michael Stiver, 212-907-0031, or email [email protected].

 

 

***

 

2013 Golf Classic

 

The Westchester Country Club will host our Annual Golf Classic fundraiser on Monday, June 17. This event has grown tremendously over the last two years thanks to the executive Women's Golf Clinic and other enhancements.   Many thanks to our sponsors, Accenture, American Express, U.S. Bank, Delta Air Lines, PwC and AT&T.
 

This year, we are excited to add another new element to the Golf Classic - the 9 and Dine, presented by American Express! The 9 and Dine is a Par-3, nine-hole tournament for women only. Women's Golf Clinic participants and others will put their newly-minted skills to the test on the club's Par-3 Executive Course. Participants also receive on-course refreshments, and then join the rest of the golfers for an evening reception and dinner.

                       

Ladies - want to play golf but now sure how to get started?

 

Participate in the Women's Golf Clinic at the Golf Classic, presented by American Express. The clinic sells out quickly, so do not wait too long to purchase your ticket. 

($350 - maximum capacity 54)

 

The following sponsorship opportunities are still available:

 

 
 Title Co-Sponsor
 
 $45,000
 
 18-hole Classic Foursome
 
 $5,000 (30 available)
 
 9-hole Women's 9 & Dine  Foursome
 
 $2,500 (9 available)

 Women's Golf Clinic
 
 $350 (Limited availability)
 Tee Sponsors

 

 $1,000 (or maximize exposure with our volume discount
 three for $2,200; two for $1800 (36 on the 18-hole 
 course; and 9 on the  9-hole course)

 

For more information, call Michael Stiver, 212-907-0031 or email [email protected]. Thank you in advance for your support.  

 

 

 
Funding Updates
  
Our thanks to the following corporate and foundation supporters who have generously awarded
$124,000 to JA New York to help deliver financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and college and career-readiness programs to NYC and Long Island K-12 students.

 

  • Disney provided $25,000 in general operating support
  • Edelman provided $2,500 to support the JA Academy Program
  • Ernst & Young provided $20,000 to support their volunteer efforts with JA
  • FedEx / NFL provided $3,000 in general program support
  • Gen Re provided $3,000 in general program support
  • Sams Club provided $32,000 to fund the delivery of elementary, middle and high school JA programming in spring 2013 and in the fall of the 2013-14 school year
  • The Wal-Mart Foundation provided $3,500 in general program support to deliver JA programs to students in the Riverhead, Long Island community
  • UBS provided $35,000 in general program support

 



Monthly Giving
This Spring, Give a Boost to Achievement

Seed achievement in NYC and Long Island classrooms year-round as a JA Monthly Booster Club member. Register to make an automatic monthly gift from your checking account or credit card to Junior Achievement of New York. Make a small monthly commitment that adds up to a big impact on the lives of kids in our city.
 
 
 

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