Central High School Students - High School Heroes

May 02, 2008

[Springfield, MA] On Wednesday, May 7, 2008, 24 students from Mr. Cedric Cunningham’s Career Development class at Springfield Central High School participated in the second t JA High School Heroes JA in A Day event. The students in teams of two will present JA programs to all Kindergarten, First and Second grade students at Daniel Brunton Elementary School in Springfield. The program begins at 9:00am with a break for lunch and concludes at 1:00pm with an assembly.

The High School Heroes Program was developed by JA Program Manager, Rebecca MacGregor to improve the students’ interpersonal skills, problem-solving and teamwork skills as well as boost their self-image. The students completed four hours of JA Volunteer training. Jennifer Murray, from Six Flags and Amanda Huston from Junior Achievement began working with the Central High School students in March presenting JA Success Skills. The program is part of a partnership pilot program with Six Flags of New England. The goal is to better prepare students to enter the workforce and to provide summer jobs and possible scholarships to students who qualify for a position at Six Flags. During the final activity of the Success Skills program, the Central High School students will participate in interviews for positions at Six Flags.

As part of their commitment to the young people in western Massachusetts, twelve employees from Six Flags New England will be presenting a JA in a Day program on May 7^h at Dorman Elementary School, teaching JA to all Kindergarten, First and Second grade students. This is the first time Junior Achievement will conduct two JA in a Day events at two separate schools.

Once the High School Heroes have completed the JA Volunteer training they are ready to present JA elementary grade programs.

The JA High School Heroes Program was funded by grants from The Davis Foundation and The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. As part of the program the High School Heroes received polo shirts in recognition of their extra efforts.

“We started the JA High School Heroes Program, so our high school students can see they can make a difference and to help improve their self-confidence. These young High School Heroes are going to be great future leaders.” noted Jennifer Connolly, President of Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts. To learn more about JA and how you can become involved, visit our web site at www.jawm.org

About Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to educating young people about business, economics and free enterprise. Through a dedicated volunteer network, JA provides in-school and after-school programs for students in grades K-12. JA offers educational programs that focus on seven key content areas: business, citizenship, economics, entrepreneurship, ethics/character, financial literacy, and career development. Today more than Junior Achievement Worldwide reaches almost seven million students in 98 countries. For more information, visit www.jawm.org.