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Upcoming Events
Spring 2013
JA Business Week
June 2013
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Fan Mail
"For the past two years, you have provided a wide range of volunteers that utilized an opportunity to help shape the youths in our school, providing a two-fold benefit. First, the students learned from and interacted with business professionals, from accountants to bankers to customer service representatives. These professionals imparted not only economic wisdom, but acted as role models with life experiences and insight into the importance of education. Second, I felt privileged to share my classroom with people from our community."
-John Switala, 8th Grade Teacher at Berry Creek Middle School.
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Health benefits of Volunteering
There is a growing body of research that shows volunteering can provide individual health benefits in addition to social ones. This research, which is presented in a report by the Corporation for National & Community Service (CNCS), has established a strong relationship between volunteering and health: those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer. For more information, read the entire CNCS report.
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Scholarships for JA volunteers & teachers
The Apollo Group/University of Phoenix is awarding 15 full-tuition scholarships to JA staff, adult volunteers and/or teachers. Candidates must apply by April 2, 2013. These scholarships will provide important personal and professional development opportunities. Click here to access the application.
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JA's BizKid$ Initiative
BizKid$ is a multi-media, multi-faceted initiative that shows school-aged children how to make and manage money, and teaches them about entrepreneurship; it's a place where "kids teach kids about money and business."
Complete with a public TV series, classroom activities, an interactive website and a month eNewsletter, BizKid$ is a great way to get your kids or students thinking about their finances in a fun atmosphere. Check out the website at www.bizkids.com.
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JA USA & Teach for America
JA USA and Teach for America have recently partnered to share expertise and expand educational opportunities for students. The collaboration will tap into the expertise of both organizations to increase access to Junior Achievement's programs for kindergarten through high school students, with a focus on reaching at-risk youth. -read on-
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Junior Achievement-
Rocky Mountain, Inc.
1445 Market Street
Denver, CO 80202
303-534-5252
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Welcome to the JA Volunteer Newsletter!
Because volunteers like you are the cornerstone of JA, we created a quarterly volunteer newsletter to provide practical, timely information and resources to help you be even more successful in the classroom (and maybe even your life!). Each quarter, you can expect to see a volunteer profile, program highlights, tips for teaching, and answers to frequently asked questions. If there is anything you would like to see included in this newsletter, please let us know!
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Program Highlight: JA Ourselves
 It is never too early for students to start learning life skills, like how to manage money. The JA Ourselves program teaches a variety of vocabulary words, monetary concepts, and critical thinking skills, but, with a target audience of five and six year olds. With this in mind, JA has created a colorful picture book filled with entertaining stories that translate into valuable lessons. In this way the volunteers and kindergarteners both stay engaged throughout the five weeks and learning never feels like work. JA Ourselves is a building block for all future JA lessons. For many of these kids this is their first year in a school setting and it will most likely be their first exposure to JA. It is an important time to begin introducing basic economic concepts and personal responsibility. After going through the JA Ourselves storybook and related activities your students should be able to identify coins, understand the importance of saving and demonstrate how to save money, as well as a bigger picture understanding of the value of work. "I was surprised each week with how much information the students retained. They were all so excited to learn the concept of money. This topic was fantastic for Kindergarten." -JA Kindergarten Classroom Volunteer
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Ask JA
What should I do if a student answers a question incorrectly?
At times you may find yourself standing at the head of the class with a room full of eager students, hands raised, ready to answer the question you have just asked. You then choose one student to respond and they give you the wrong answer. Their reply may be anywhere from not quite right to completely unrelated to the topic. So, what should you do?
-read on-
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Helpful training videos
JA recently created a series of helpful training videos that will enhance the in person training you receive before volunteering. These videos address situations that frequently occur while teaching and effective ways to handle them. Below are parts one and two of the elementary school series:
 | | JA Elementary Classroom Management Part 1 |
 | | JA Elementary Classroom Management Part 2 |
Not teaching elementary school this month? Check out the entire collection of training videos at JA.org.
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Volunteer Profile: "Students from the early years are sophomores in college now."
JA Volunteer Tom Bolin has been partnering with the same teacher since 2002. Tom was initially introduced to JA and Mr. Schell through his job with the McDonald's Corporation and what began as a one time event has turned into a decade-long partnership.
"I have a great relationship with Mr. Schell and it's easy to complete the course in his classroom because we know what each of our roles are," said Tom. "The program is so easy to manage with all of the enclosed workbooks and supplies. I also enjoy reading the thank you notes that the students make."
-read on-
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