Junior Achievement aims to re-establish local presence

A worldwide non-profit organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy through hands-on programs is trying to re-establish its presence in the Commonwealth by seeking community partners.

Junior Achievement, which provides educational programs for youth to gain the knowledge and skills they need to plan for their future and make smart academic and economic choices, is partnering with the CNMI Public School System as it plans to launch early next year the JA Company Program.

The program is a high school, after-school program scheduled to run from mid-January through mid-April 2012 and aims to provide student participants the opportunity to meet and formulate a real business which they will run for 12 weeks.

JA’s Carline B. Sablan said they are looking for business volunteers from Saipan, Tinian, and Rota who will teach prepared lessons for the program.

“With the guidance of business volunteers, students form a company, sell shares to capitalize it, choose a product or service, elect company officers/executives, formulate a business plan, produce a product or carry out a service and sell it. At the end of the program period, the company is liquidated,” said Sablan.

Sablan said materials and a volunteer training, set on Jan. 7, will be provided by JA so they are looking at finalizing the list of participating businesses by the end of the year.

While the program used to have a one-company-sponsor-per-student policy, Sablan noted in an interview that they understand the tough economic climate, prompting them to accept two or more companies to co-sponsor one student.

Sablan disclosed that they already have the commitment of the Rotary Club of Saipan, which will lead the meetings for participants from Marianas High School. Meetings are held once a week and would last up to two hours.

Sablan, who is the economic development analyst for the Commonwealth Development Authority, said the program is “a great opportunity for students to get their feet wet” in regards to entrepreneurship.

Herself a product of the program, Sablan said they are looking for students who are motivated, have a desire to learn, and can commit to the program’s three-week schedule.

According to Sablan, they are targeting about 24 student participants per public high school. The CNMI has three public high schools on Saipan, and one each on Tinian and Rota.

Recruitment of student participants began last Dec. 14 and will conclude on Jan. 10, 2012.

Sablan urged businesses on island to take part in the JA Company Program and provide volunteers “to make a positive impact on our youth.”

To participate in the program or for more information, contact Sablan at 234-6245 ext. 314 or econ-dev@cda.gov.mp or Frances Ulloa of PSS at 237-3002 or frances.ulloa@cnmipss.org.