Students participate in Junior Achievement Competition
Junior Achievement is an educational organization that deals with the creation and administration of job-readiness programs designed to prepare children and young adults alike for work by providing training in important concepts including: entrepreneurship, financial literacy, leadership and teamwork, as explained by the official JA website, juniorachievement.org
Also according to the official JA website, the JA program was founded in 1919 by Theodore Vale, Horace Moses and Massachusetts senator Murray Crane. Although the very first JA program, JA Company Program, was originally offered after school in select locations, the JA Organization has since expanded its repertoire of programs to classrooms all over the United States, with schools all over Wayne County being included, as stated on the JA of Central Ohio website, a branch of juniorachievement.org.
JA now offers over 25 different programs, with their offerings ranging from elementary to high school based programs. The JA Titan program is based around the simulation of a fictional company run by students, and it is the primary JA program that is offered to students at WHS.
James Nielson (12), a WHS student who has participated twice in the JA program, once in his junior year and again in the 2018 Titan simulation, stated he, “…enjoys the JA program, because it inspires a fun competition amongst friends.”
Nielson also explained the approach of Titan is to create a, “…Financial simulation where a group of three students found a company and attempt to become more successful than their friends’ companies.”
JA of Central Ohio held their annual JA Titan simulation March 9.
WHS student Nolan Khounborin’s team (12) came in second place at the end of the competition. “It was pretty nerve racking… we never expected to be in first place at the end of the first round, [but we] went with our game plan ‘Skate fast, eat Chick-Fil-A…’” He said, when asked about his success in the competition.
For more information on the Junior Achievement programs and events, visit their website at juniorachievment.org.
