Winter 2014

Junior Achievement:  Empowering young people to own their economic success

Get Involved

    
    
    
Volunteer Today 
Research shows we are happier when we help others.
  
Click HERE for a list of classes in need of volunteers.
 JA 50th Anniversary Celebration!  

Join us at Canal Park Monday, April 28 in celebration of 50 years of inspiring North Central Ohio students to succeed!

Game tickets are $8 apiece. Add a Perfect Game Coupon for $5 and enjoy an all-beef hotdog, one 16 oz. soda and one bag of potato chips while cheering on your hometown team!

The gates open at 5:30 pm and the game starts with the first pitch at 6:35 pm.

Don't miss this opportunity for a memorable employee outing or a night of family fun in support of JA!

For more information, contact Amanda Overton at 330-434-1875 ext. 15 or
  
 
January is National Mentoring Month!
 
The Top Ten Reasons Why Mentoring Works!
 
1. Mentors help kids stay in school.
2. Mentors help improve a young person's self esteem.
3. Mentors teach young people how to relate and communicate better with others.
4. Mentors help students set career goals and take steps to realize them.
5. Mentors can stress the importance of education, which can lead to a decrease in absences.
6. Young people with mentors are less likely to be involved in risky behavior.
7. Mentors can engage teens in safe activities during free time.
8. A mentor serves as a role model, advocate, friend and advisor.
9. A mentor is someone who matters in a young person's life.
10. A mentor lets a young person know they are someone who matters.
  
Be someone who matters to someone who matters!
  
Here's to Another Great Year!
JA's 2012-2013 Annual Report is now available! Click the image below to access an electronic copy.

 
Save the Date!
JA of North Central Ohio will be holding its annual JA Golf Invitational Friday, August 1, 2014 at the Ohio Prestwick County Club's private PGA rated course .
  
In addition to a great round of golf, participants will receive complimentary passes to the Bridgestone Invitational.

Make an impression--entertain your clients at the world-class professional golf tournament!

 
Spaces are limited, reserve yours today!
  
Click HERE for more details. 
  
Contact Amanda Overton at:
330-434-1875 ext. 15 or
Corporations That Care 
Thank you to our new corporate donors for their generous support of JA during the 2013-14 school year.

Ashland Publishing Co.* Buckeye Pumps, Inc.* Bucyrus Area Chamber of Commerce * Cornwell Quality Tool Company * Coshocton County Memorial Hospital * Energizer Battery  Manufacturing, Inc. * Erwin and Katherine Geis Charitable Foundation * Gerber Feed Services * Goldrush Jewelers *  H&H Machine Shop of Akron * Lehman Charitable Fund * Marhofer Chevrolet * Meaden and Moore * Mid-West Poly Pak, Inc. * Parrish-McIntyre Tire Company * Rohrer Corporation * Stagecoach Antiques * The Babcock & Wilcox Company * The Demkee Scholarship Funds * The Dexter Company * The Timken Company * United Titanium, Inc. * Valspar * Walmart #1812 * Walmart #2613 * Walmart #2966
Board of Directors
These dedicated individuals work in collaboration with JA staff to further the mission of Junior Achievement in our communities. 
  
New Opportunity for Wayne County Students
We would like to send a special thank you to Dick and Ruth Niemiec for their generous endowment gift of $50,000 toward the establishment of The Richard W. and Ruth C. Niemiec Scholarship Endowment Fund.
  
Available beginning in the 2014-15 school year, the scholarship will be awarded to a well-performing high school student(s) in Wayne County who has successfully participated in a high school Junior Achievement program and has a proven record of academic excellence. 
  
More details to follow.
Connect with JA
Check out JA's new
radio show, The Money JAR, a weekly online program about kids and money!
 
 
Junior Achievement
of North Central Ohio
 
P.O. Box 26006
Akron, Ohio, 44319
330.434.1875
Connect with JA

Like us on Facebook
    Follow us on Twitter    View our videos on YouTube
New Year, New Opportunities 
 As the new President of Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio, I have the great honor and distinct pleasure of joining this organization as we commemorate our 50th anniversary while simultaneously incorporating new ways to provide real world knowledge and skills to our young people.
  
Thanks to more than 900 dedicated volunteers, we were able to reach nearly 23,000 students in 1,067 classrooms throughout our 12-county area. And the core messages imparted through every JA program - work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship - are more vital today than they've ever been.

Junior Achievement programs, developed and regularly updated in partnership with educators, reinforce and supplement Ohio learning standards from kindergarten through high school.  And now with new programs such as JA Finance Park Virtual, the future looks bright for our mission to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy.

It's an exciting time - celebrating 50 years of
educating and inspiring young people while also embracing new methods of reaching today's students.

January is National Mentoring Month, and volunteering to teach a Junior Achievement class is a most efficient way to provide mentorship for a large number of young people simultaneously.

Join us as we begin the next 50 years of encouraging young people to own their economic success.


Michael Gaffney
President 
 
Windham High School Students Give Back
When it comes to education, the power of teaching lies not only in the lighting of another's path, but in the brightening of one's own. On Friday, December 13, Windham High School students experienced educational enlightenment through participation in the JA in a Day event at Katherine Thomas Elementary School.

During the event, 45 high school volunteers (currently enrolled in economics and personal finance courses) came together to educate 12 kindergarten through fifth grade classes on the topics of financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Thanks to the efforts of this dedicated group, 100 percent of the elementary students were able to benefit from JA's critical financial education programing.
Windham High School junior Parker Rickey teaches kindergartners about working, earning and saving through the JA Ourselves program. 
Beyond the satisfaction of giving back to the community, students who volunteer for JA are able to put their classroom-based knowledge into action, taking book learning and applying it to everyday, real world situations. By bridging the gap between what is learned in the classroom and its relevance to everyday life, students are given the opportunity to apply their academic knowledge to meet the needs of young students in their community. "Teaching is fun. I got the chance to teach small kids with the same interests as me," said student volunteer Andrew McCabe.

In addition to the Windham group, 16 Norwayne High School students recently served as in-class volunteers for the JA in a Day event at Norwayne Elementary on January 13. This May, Field High School students are on board to volunteer at Brimfield Elementary School, providing 25 classes with JA programing.

If you are interested in volunteering or bringing JA to your classroom, contact us at 330-434-1875 or [email protected].
What JA Meant to Me
Those familiar with Junior Achievement know JA programs build confidence while building success. But to truly understand the heart of Junior Achievement and its impact on our youth, nothing illustrates our mission more than the success stories of our thousands of local alumni. In this issue, we bring  you the story of Dominic Rizzo, former JA student and longtime supporter of the organization.

Currently serving as vice president GSM at WAKR/ WONE in Akron, Mr. Rizzo began his career by participating in the JA Company Program while attending Archbishop Hoban High School in the mid 1970's. Not only did this program introduce Mr. Rizzo to the world of business and the free enterprise system, it encouraged him to think outside of the box. While his classmates were selling their handcrafted magazine racks door to door, Mr. Rizzo had the foresight to form a partnership with a local furniture store to sell his wares to a much larger population. "You learn skills [through JA] that aren't taught in the classroom," Mr. Rizzo asserted. 
  
His involvement with JA not only revealed a natural affinity for sales, it opened the door to a career he had never considered. While attending the annual JA Futures Unlimited Banquet, Mr. Rizzo was introduced to Fred Anthony, general manager of radio stations WAKR and WONE in Akron. Sensing a rare quality in the young man, Mr. Anthony encouraged Mr. Rizzo to contact him after earning his college degree. At the time, Mr. Rizzo laughed off the idea of a career in radio. However, after running into each other several more time during his college career at the University of Akron, Mr. Rizzo took Mr. Anthony up on his offer by accepting a position with the company and hasn't looked back since.   


According to Mr. Rizzo, the personal connections forged through JA are what gives the organization its unique advantage and great worth: "You never know who you might meet. Your JA mentor may provide a job or connections for you in the future. Or, the experience may open your eyes to a career you had never considered."

The world today's students face is radically different than the one Mr. Rizzo grew up in, but the lessons learned in JA are as relevant as ever. In school, the same principals are taught, but it's a different type of education with an emphasis on classroom-based learning. Based on Mr. Rizzo's volunteer experience with JA, students have the desire to learn about finances and are "eager to grasp new topics." JA's hands-on, volunteer-led programs provide a different experience from the traditional learning model and offer the benefits of a mentor-focused relationship: "It's extremely important to listen to your peers. By listening to their experiences, you can avoid making the same mistakes."

More than 35 years after completing the JA experience, Mr. Rizzo is actively involved with Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio, serving on the Board of Directors and regularly volunteering in local classrooms. Because of the great influence it had on his life, Mr. Rizzo works to keep awareness of JA and its impact on the community high, ensuring a brighter future for us all. When asked to sum up the importance of JA in our communities, Mr. Rizzo simply replied, "It teaches youth how to do better in life."

Has your life been positively impacted by JA? We'd love to share your story! Contact Stacey Nolt at (330) 434-1875 ext. 11 or [email protected].
Run for Financial Fitness!    
As the New Year is ushered in, with it comes a flurry of resolutions. From saving more money to organizing your home, January offers a time for fresh starts and new beginnings.

If one of your goals happens to involve the lacing up of running shoes, Junior Achievement is here to help. Resolve to join us in early August for the second annual 5k for JA event in downtown Hudson. Funds generated from the event support Junior Achievement programs in North Central Ohio schools.  
Allstate's 5k for JA provides an opportunity for a fun and healthy family outing! 
The inaugural Allstate 5k for JA, held in Hudson on August 10, 2013, raised over $3,000 and drew over 100 entrants. This year, the goal is to raise $12,500 with 500 participants.    

For more information on the 2014 5k for JA, contact Amanda Overton at 330-434-1875 ext. 15 or [email protected].
Finance for the Modern World    
At JA, we endeavor to provide relevant 21st century learning experiences that not only educate and inform, but engage and inspire as well. With the introduction of the JA Finance Park Virtual program, JA has combined the best of the educational and digital worlds, offering middle school and high schools students an interactive, immersive financial education experience.

Blending relevant classroom-based activities with engaging virtual experiences, JA Finance Park Virtual helps 7-12 grade students build a foundation for making intelligent, lifelong, personal financial decisions. In tandem with 19 in-class JA Finance Park lessons, students participate in four, 45-minute online classroom sessions that provide an interactive environment in which students put their learning to the test by practicing the new skills they have developed. 
Students learn smart financial practices through the interactive JA Finance Park Virtual simulation.  
A number of local schools have incorporated the program into their classes, fulfilling Ohio's graduation requirement for financial literacy education. Schools utilizing the JA Finance Park Virtual program for the 2013-14 school year include:  Buchtel Community Learning Center, Sacred Heart School, Hudson High School, Mapleton High School, Mogadore Jr. High School, Nordonia High School, Northwestern Middle School, Norton Middle School, Stow-Munroe Falls High School, Streetsboro High School, Akron Digital Academy, Waterloo High School, Wayne County Schools Career Center, West Holmes Middle School and Windham High School. 
   
If you are interested in implementing the program in your classroom for the 2014-15 school year, contact our office at 330-434-1875 or [email protected].    

For more information on JA Finance Park Virtual, click
HERE.
JAOFNCO  Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio is educating students in communities throughout Ashland, Coshocton, Crawford, Holmes, Knox, Marion, Medina, Morrow, Portage, Summit, Richland and Wayne Counties.