UPS Foundation awards grant to Junior Achievement program

March 31, 2010

SPRINGFIELD - The UPS Foundation has provided a $7,200 grant to Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts to sponsor six Junior Achievement Be Entrepreneurial Programs and host the first Student Business Plan Challenge.

During the first semester, nearly 150 students in Springfield, East Longmeadow, Wilbraham, Holyoke and Pittsfield participated in the new Be Entrepreneurial Program.

The program is designed to challenge students to start an entrepreneurial venture while still in high school.

Business and college volunteers presented seven 45-minute sessions to the students, introducing concepts such as advertising, developing a business plan, understanding competitive advantages, marketing and financing.

Students learned to analyze information, categorize data, evaluate alternatives, and express multiple viewpoints.

The program culminated in students having the opportunity to enter their business plan into the first Student Business Plan Challenge, which was held at Tower Square in Springfield last month.

Prior to the final business challenge, students submitted their PowerPoint presentation, one-minute video advertisement and one-minute video investor pitch to a group of judges, who provided feedback to the students to help them improve their business plans before the actual challenge.

Kathleen McGeer, a teacher at Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham, who hosted Be Entrepreneurial in her classroom, said, "The Junior Achievement Business Plan Challenge was a wonderful 'real world' learning experience for my students and a fun culmination to the Junior Achievement Be Entrepreneurial program."

McGeer partnered with Junior Achievement volunteer Charles McCarthy, president of American Cable Assemblies Inc., to incorporate the program into her curriculum.

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