Cleveland sixth graders interviewed for positions in a mock community on Wednesday as part of the “BizTown” program sponsored by Junior Achievement.
Today (Monday), the culmination of 12 sessions of in-classroom preparation, the students—along with their teachers Brady Hahn and Bree Meyer—will head up to JA’s state-of-the-art facility in St. Paul for a day at BizTown, a 12,000-square-foot simulated city for hands-on learning about business and economics.
“The JA BizTown program helps students connect the dots between what they learn in school and the real world,” said Katie Mons, Junior Achievement Senior Manager - Greater Mankato Area. “This is a great experience for students to learn real-life skills.”
Interviewing the sixth graders for positions at BizTown were Doug Schweim of HomeTown Bank/Community Insurance in Cleveland, Nicole Traxler of Hometown Bank in Cleveland and St. Peter, Sandi Hollerich of Nidec in Mankato, Katina Booth of Nidec, Scott Rutz of Microsoft and Peggy Peterson of First National Bank in St. Peter and Mankato.
At BizTown, students will be assigned a job and work at shops like General Mills Café, Cambria, US Bank, BizJournal newspaper, City Hall, Delta Air Lines, The UPS Store and UnitedHealthcare. They will receive a ‘paycheck’ for their work and get to spend it and save it throughout the day at JA BizTown. The sixth graders already voted classmate Sawyer Roemhildt to be the town’s mayor.
Blair Voit, a member of Hahn’s class, interviewed with Peterson for the beverage manager position at the café. She wanted the job because she likes making refreshments, like lemonade and hot chocolate, at home. In preparation, she and a classmate interviewed each other. Still interviewing for the first time caused her anxiety, she said.
“I was nervous because what if I would say something they didn’t like and so they didn’t like you for the job?”
Peterson asked her for examples of how she demonstrated leadership and creativity, but Voit had both questions covered.
“I like to be a leader with sports and help girls who need help and for creativity, I like to paint and draw.”
But Voit is also good with numbers, and so possessing the needed skills, she ended up with the café’s CEO position, a step or two up from her first choice.
Voit said she and her classmates are excited for the trip to BizTown.
“The seventh graders were telling me about it and how it was fun. I think it will be a cool experience. It will be like a job, and it will be fun to get a feel of that.”
BizTown goals and results
As a part of JA BizTown, students learn about the roles they play as citizens and workers. They learn the importance of citizen rights and responsibilities in a community. They get a basic understanding of the free enterprise system and basic business practices and responsibilities and build money management skills by learning about economic concepts and banking practices. They also learn the soft skills necessary for successful participation in the world of work.
Through daily lessons, experiential activities, and participation in this simulated economy, students develop a strong understanding of the relationship between what they learn in school and how it can be applied in the real world, Mons said.
“By ‘working’ in one of JA BizTown’s learning lab shops, students learn what it takes to run a successful business, manage a debit card and checking account, and work as a team.”
Students completing the JA BizTown program have greater confidence in how to earn, spend, and save money and are more likely to use their earnings to help others, Mons said. They gain a stronger understanding of the role businesses play in the community and become more aware of the career options in their community and the skills needed to be successful in their future job.
About JA
Junior Achievement is a nonprofit that inspires and prepares young people for success. JA North division serves Minnesota, North Dakota, and western Wisconsin. Its programs align to three pathways: Financial Literacy, Career Readiness, and Entrepreneurship. K-12 curriculum is hands-on and meets Minnesota and National Standards.
In the Greater Mankato Area, JA North operates in 28 schools and is expected to impact over 8,000 students this school year. Its programs extend through Cleveland, Mankato, North Mankato, Eagle Lake, Lake Crystal, Maple River, St. Clair, St. Peter, JWP, TCU and Nicollet.
JA relies on volunteers, donations, grants and fundraisers to bring JA curriculum into classrooms at no cost to the school. Donors include the Davis Family Foundation, which supports Cleveland’s JA programming.
To learn more about Junior Achievement, visit www.janorth.org. To volunteer or make a tax-deductible donation to JA, please email Katie Mons at katie.mons@janorth.org.
Above: Charles Mons interviews with Nicole Traxler of HomeTown Bank.
Photos courtesy of Katie Mons.