Over 50 Students, Part of the JA’ Dallas High School Heroes Program, Present Lessons On Financial Literacy to the Next Generation of Future Leaders At Eladio R Martinez Learning Center
(Dallas, TX) – NAF Academy of Finance students from Woodrow Wilson High School put their presentation and leadership skills to good use as they prepared Junior Achievement lessons and addressed grades K-5 – right in the classroom — at Eladio R Martinez Learning Center. Over 50 students from the Academy of Finance (AOF) spent the day with the elementary school students and used their knowledge, training, and skills to inspire the next generation of future leaders on important topics such as understanding finances and the importance of saving, as well as anticipating the needs of the ever-changing business landscape.
Woodrow Wilson AOF is a member of the NAF national network of education, business, and community leaders who work together to ensure high school students are college, career, and future ready. The JA Dallas’ High School Heroes program places students with a passion for making a difference in the lives of elementary school students into classrooms to deliver hands-on financial literacy programs. It gives elementary school students the opportunity to benefit from seeing high school students as role models as well as experiencing the Junior Achievement’s curriculum — all focusing on workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy.
The hands-on lessons were approximately 35 minutes in length for five different lessons and also provides activities for the elementary student to utilize in the classroom. The themes of the lessons were specifically targeted to the appropriate age-levels — with storybook characters used to teach kindergartners about money and the importance of giving, and lessons on identifying businesses’ needs for workers and an overview of the global job market for the older grades.
Denise Tucker, Director/Teacher, Woodrow Wilson High School Academy of Finance, said, “The motto for the Woodrow Wilson Academy of Finance is ‘Enhancing the Global Financial Future One Young Mind at a Time!’ We truly believe with this shared partnership with Junior Achievement and the High School Hero’s curriculum that we truly give back to the community and meet our desired objective.”
“I have worked with Denise Tucker and her JA High School Heroes for the past four years and every year, I am truly impressed by how prepared her students are to present the JA sessions. Her students bring enthusiasm and a sense of caring for the elementary students that they have the opportunity to spend the day with. It is definitely a very positive experience for everyone involved,” said Barbara Nolan Ingoglia, Education Director, Junior Achievement of Dallas.
The high school students spent 25 plus hours preparing for the lessons and were specially trained to present to the elementary grades. In addition to sharing their knowledge and inspiring their peers at an early age, the JA Dallas’ High School Heroes were able to strengthen their presentation and leadership skills with real-world experience in the classroom.
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About JA: Junior Achievement is a nonprofit organization founded in 1919 to inspire youth to dream about their future. Established in Dallas in 1954, the volunteer-delivered kindergarten through 12th grade programs foster work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills, using experiential learning to inspire students to dream big and reach their potential. With the help of more than 4,200 volunteers this year, JA Dallas students develop the skills they need to experience the realities and opportunities of work and entrepreneurship in the 21st century global marketplace.
About NAF:
NAF works with high need communities to transform the high school experience through an educational design that includes industry-specific curricula, work-based learning experiences, and relationships with business professionals, culminating in a paid internship. NAF academies fit within and enhance school systems, allowing NAF to become an integral part of a plan for higher achievement at a low cost. NAF academies focus on one of five career themes: finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, engineering, and health sciences. During the 2015-16 school year nearly 89,000 students attended 716 NAF academies across 36 states, including D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In 2015, NAF academies reported 98% of seniors graduated with 92% of graduates with post-secondary intentions. For more information, please visit https://naf.org/