I have volunteered a lot, but one of my favorite places to volunteer is at a Junior Achievement Biz Town. I like to volunteer here because it affects the children that it contacts powerfully. Biz Town is a simulated town with jobs like adults have. It teaches the children how to balance their money and the importance of hard work and responsibility. There are CEO’s of each business that pay for the electricity, the phone and other bills that real businesses would have to pay. Each business has a quota for the things it sells, or vouchers for services like trash or medical. They have a mayor, judge and police to make the town run smoothly, and the construction workers end up building a bench. It helps impact problems of a lazy America, that does not know the rewards of hard work. This organization shows first hand that it is worth it. After the day is done the kids feel proud of their job well done. It is very expensive to run a town like this, and through donations and volunteers many under privileged schools are able to participate in hopes that this will instill in them a good work ethic and help them with a job in the future. Also individual children are sponsored for a summer program that would not know responsibility or have the privilege to be put in a situation to learn it. I have volunteered as a chaperon probably 5 or 6 times. I assist the children in their jobs and help them with things such as paying the bills on the computer, setting appropriate prices and break schedule. Many under privileged schools do not have parent support, and lack volunteers so the company brings in their own for schools like that, including me. As a volunteer I feel that I have learned as much as the kids do. Seeing the CEO’s take charge and the kids shine as a salesman is a joy and really shows what kind of worker they will grow up to be. This program is the best indication of how this young person will be, and it is a wonder to see them develop responsibility, and though I know none of the kids, at the end of the day I am proud of them. This is a worthwhile cause to help out, as it never turns a kid away from such an amazing experience because they are unable to pay. They host many events and have celebrity sponsors helping those schools who cannot pay and in order to create more Biz Towns so others may also have this joy.
Junior Achievement of San Diego is a fantastic organization. The importance for "real world" education- education for life in the real world after school ends- is underemphasized in our community. Children are always seeking role models and good examples to follow in order to step on the right path as they enter adulthood, and JA San Diego provides that necessary guidance and then some. JA San Diego provides more than just answers; they provide experience, which is priceless. And to be able to say that you're a part of that movement means a lot. The experience I have received while volunteering at JA San Diego will never be forgotten, by me or by the students.
I had such a great day volunteering in my company's shop at Biz Town in May 2012! The training JA offers is comprehensive (and a little overwhelming) because there is so much involved and we get 1 hour to learn what the students have studied for the past 6 weeks. Once the students arrive they get right to work - it is amazing to see how they can jump right into it. I enjoyed the interaction with the students in their different roles and watching them manage their time. They stay busy the whole day, like a real job, and leave BizTown with a new appreciation for their working parents. Even the most "stressed" child in our office left Biz Town announcing it was a fantastic day! JA does an outstanding job teaching the students about real world job scenarios and even opens the doors for careers the students might not have considered. The staff was always available to answer questions and made volunteering so easy and enjoyable! I cannot wait to volunteer again.
"The best field trip ever" is what all of the students reply when asked how they enjoyed their day at JA Biztown. This is a "working" miniature town where 5th graders are in charge from the Mayor down - they staff and run approximately 22 business operations from the TV station to the bank to city hall and much, much more. I have volunteered some 40+ times since Biztown started in San Diego 3 years ago. This "real working experience" should be a mandatory program for all schools and is a lesson the kids will and do not forget - for years to come. Biztown truly deserves our help.