CNMI Junior Achievement seeks business mentors

Junior Achievement of Guam, the CNMI Public School System, and the Commonwealth Development Authority are set to launch the JA Company Program in public high schools on Oct. 15, 2014.

Business volunteers are needed to lead sessions for the JA Company Program at Kagman, Marianas, and Saipan Southern high schools. The after-school, high school program will run from mid-October through early February 2015. The program provides students the opportunity to meet to organize and operate a real business and run it for 12 weeks.

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. Toward the end of the program, the company is liquidated.

Student companies will have the opportunity to sell their product or service at a trade fair planned to take place in December. The program culminates with a banquet in early February for presentation of various awards, including Company of the Year and President of the Year.

Volunteers use real-world experiences in conjunction with the JA curriculum to teach business principals, decision-making and critical thinking skills. Volunteers will have a guide for leading discussions and a professional educator to assist at each meeting. Meetings are held once a week and run 1ó hours to 2 hours. Volunteers may lead one, two or as many sessions as their schedule allows.

Any company or organization with a desire to make a positive impact on our youth can support the CNMI JA Company Program by providing volunteers. To register or for more information, contact Carline Sablan at the Commonwealth Development Authority at econ-dev@cda.gov.mp or 234-6245, Ext. 314 or Frances Ulloa at CNMI Public School System at frances.ulloa@cnmipss.org or 237-3032.

About Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement is a worldwide non-profit organization that provides educational programs for youth to gain the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future and make smart academic and economic choices. Corporate and community volunteers deliver relevant, hands-on experiences that give students the knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship.

Junior Achievement is one of the largest non-profit organizations worldwide dedicated to inspiring youth to own their future and their economic success. Junior Achievement is a 121-member network across the world with reach to more than 10 million students and powered by more than 430,000 volunteers from all sectors of society. (CDA)