Junior Achievement of Greater Cleveland, a volunteer educator program, is currently looking for student volunteers for its business and financial programs. 

Junior Achievement is a national organization that served more than four and a half million kindergarten through grade 12 students across the United States in the 2013-14 school year. More than 213,000 volunteers worked with the program. 

“Junior Achievement is looking for volunteers to teach students K-12 about financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship,” Michael Kelly, representative for the volunteer program, said. 

The program provides training to students, and any student can volunteer. Volunteers teach five 30-45 minute seminars in one of the three areas in a day of volunteering. 

“Volunteers can teach to elementary, middle or high school students,” Kelly said. This is great for education majors who need to prepare for student teaching. 

Jessica Biggs, senior business management major, has volunteered for Junior Achievement for two years. She teaches the work readiness section to high school students.

The work readiness program instructs students on skills necessary to be a productive member of the work force. It also teaches students proper interview attire and how to dress.

Junior Achievement is partnered with schools in the Canton area. Biggs has volunteered to teach public school students in this area through Junior Achievement. 

Biggs said volunteering was not only a great addition to her resume but excellent practice for public speaking. With about 30 children in each class and five sessions in a day, volunteers get plenty of practice with their public speaking skills. 

“It takes a lot of preparation to volunteer. You have to put together slides, and you have to understand your itinerary,” Biggs said. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s really fun.” 

While volunteering can be difficult, it is a good experience as well. 

“I really liked the kids. You could tell they were really absorbing what we were saying and I thought that was cool,” Biggs said. 

Haylee Kill, senior mathematics major with minors in business and finance, said she believes this program would have been extremely beneficial when she was in high school. 

“It would have taught me more. I wouldn’t have been so new (to finance and business basics) when I got to college,” she said. “I would have actually had a background in things I would have to do.” 

Interested volunteers should email Michael Kelly or go to https://www.juniorachievement.org/web/ja-grcleveland.

Contact Ellie Enselein at [email protected].