Women can vote. It’s okay for guys to wear pink. All races are considered equal and worthy of living fulfilling lives. The overwhelming barriers that used to divide humanity have seemingly been demolished, and along with them racism, sexism, and discrimination.
You may think that our world no longer suffers the burden of these cruelties, but in their place, new obstacles have arisen. That’s right – while the issues of our past have been diminished, brand new barriers have subtly yet prominently formed. Stigmas such as, well, teenagers are inseparable from technology and you can’t be doing work and having fun at the same time.
Now let’s backtrack a bit there – yes, a barrier between fun and work is now affecting us all. I’m sure none of us are overly thrilled to be back at school, because on what scale does school compare to summer? School and work in general has become so overly-stereotyped that a wall has formed, banning all positive thoughts from being related to it.
You read the title of this article, so you’re probably wondering where I’m going with this rambling about barriers and walls and human rights and whatnot. Well my friends, I am proud to present to you the boulder that breaks the wall between fun and work – Junior Achievement.
What is Junior Achievement?
(Besides the best business program you could ever join, of course.)
Junior Achievement is an impressive program in which passionate Youth combine a number of life skills and work together as a team to create a successful business simulation. This program is free, of course. For 18 weeks, youth from all over the city are given the privilege to experience all the stages of having a business. Yes, including gaining the profits. This year, in JASA (Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta) , there will be 23 teams, each with 20-25 members. Each person is given a unique and important role in the company, and everyone is essential in creating a successful company. If you’re feeling ambitious, run for president. Or, if you simply want to experience this unforgettable program, go for attendance taker! The meetings happen once a week, and you can choose which day and which venue you would like to attend.
Why should you join Junior Achievement?
I don’t know about you, but at my school, people are constantly talking about what clubs they’re part of. And I’m not going to lie, I can see how it gets a little tiresome. We all know the “popular” clubs: debate, green club, leadership, and so on. But sometimes, you just don’t feel like those are for you. And that is why we should all be thankful that Junior Achievement was founded in 1919. The thing is, if you’re even remotely interested in anything related to Business, this program offers it. If you’re interested in accounting, innovating, dealing with the problems of society, or leading, JASA has something for you. You could almost think of this program as your next step to success. Along with playing to your talents, Junior Achievement is one of the most effective ways to get to know not only other people, but your youth community here in Calgary. I guarantee you that by the end of the program, you will have at least 20 new friends. On top of that, the Company Program offers so much that I couldn’t sum it up in a paragraph or it would’ve gone on for quite a while, so check out this list!
Student Benefits:
- Earn high school credits
- Put on your resume
- Participate in events during the program
- Get to know people your age from all over Calgary
- Develop key employability skills
- Gain Leadership skills
- Work with mentors from the business community
- Improve Communication skills
- Build self esteem and confidence
- Win up to $40k in local and national scholarships
My personal experience with Junior Achievement:
I’m not sharing this program with you just from a glance at the website– I myself actually had the chance to participate in the company program in my grade 1o year of high school , and I’m pleased to be participating in it once again in grade 11.
Back in the day when I was in grade 10, I had no idea what to expect of my first year in high school. My school is filled to the top with over achievers, and it made me a little stressed out that I didn’t have anything impressive to put on my resumes and applications. So you can imagine I was pretty interested when I heard of this “Junior Achievement” – even the name of it sounds pretty impressive. However, I wasn’t completely sure if I wanted to join- you see, I’m kind of a shy person, so I didn’t know how it would work out for me. Thinking back, I now realize that joining Venue 3 on Tuesdays nights in JGDHS for Junior Achievement is a large part of what made grade 10 my favorite school year. Ironically, I signed up for the Diefenbaker venue to meet new people. It turned out that everyone else who signed up for my night was actually from my school, but we were all participating in Diefenbaker.. However, despite that coincidence, I now have 24 new and solid friendships, all formed over the bond of our company- Infinity (we made Infinity scarves, so that’s where the name came from).
Our Company Logo
Our Company Product
I will say that the Company program has work, but as I mentioned in the beginning of this article I was never more excited to go to my “job.” The people were amazing, our product earned a lot of money, and the overall experience is something that will last me for a very long time. Although every moment and meeting of my Company Program experience was a lot of fun, my favorite part would have to be the Celebration of Achievement. This Celebration, in one word, is a spectacle. You and your team get the unique chance to listen to Successful entrepreneurs speak, appreciate both your hard work and what JASA stands for, and eat delicious food! Here’s a photo of some friends and myself from the COA.
This was taken at the photobooth at the Celebration Of Achievement 2015!
If you think that you have what it takes, here’s how to sign up:
Visit www.jasacompanyprogram.com
Click the “Students” link at the top of the page
Click the “Sign Up” link on the left sidebar
Check out the map with the time and location of each team and decide which one you want to be a part of
Fill in the registration form, including name, grade, school and your chosen team
Also, don’t forget to Check out JASA Company program on Twitter and Facebook!
See you in the company program – hurry, a lot of venues are already full.
