After School Program At Reed Focuses On Business

By Eliza Hallabeck

The last after school class for the Junior Achievement program at Reed Intermediate School was held on Monday, April 2, and parent volunteer and class overseer Fran Wong helped the students remember everything they have learned in the class throughout the school year.

Junior Achievement is a nonprofit organization that brings real world experiences into the classroom.

Over six classes, Ms Wong and fellow Reed parent volunteer Tara Kortze taught the students about different aspects of business.

“Today, our last class,” Ms Wong said, “we learned about deceptive advertising.”

The Junior Achievement course at Reed began with the students learning about money, how to earn it and more; other topics covered in the six-class course included how to make business decisions.

“The kids were great,” said Ms Wong before the students participated in “Business Game.”

Sixth grade student Cassidy Kortze explained the game has players roll dice to land on different challenges, which can have consequences or gains.

“It’s fun,” Cassidy said about the Junior Achievement course, “and you learn a lot.”

Fellow sixth grader Elizabeth Wesgerber said the course taught her a lot about money.

“It’s really fun,” said sixth grader Jordan Williams, “because we get to play the games and make a business.”

After assisting Ms Wong with the course, Ms Kortze said she was impressed to realize after talking with parents how much of the information the students remember after each class.

“They seem engaged,” said Ms Kortze, adding the course teaches students the basic concepts of money.

Ms Wong said on Monday that she will probably offer the course again next year at Reed.

Before starting the program at Reed, Ms Wong was the Junior Achievement coordinator at Head O’ Meadow Elementary School.