Students in fifth grade spent the month of February preparing to become global citizens through Junior Achievement. Junior Achievement is a nonprofit organization that creates curriculum and trains volunteers to help teach students and prepare them for our global economy. Students at Avon Elementary start with Junior Achievement classes in first grade. As fifth graders, we took it one step further and brought them to BizTown to put everything they have learned to practice. 

Prior to attending BizTown, students learned about financial literacy. Students were taught about different financial institutions, how to write checks, use a debit card, complete deposit tickets, and keep an up-to-date transaction registry. Students also learned about being an entrepreneur and how to be good global citizens. Students applied for jobs and had to work with their co-workers to complete paperwork and loans to start their business and create advertisements for the goods and services their business provided. A few businesses that we operated were the Construction Center, Great Clips Retail Center, the Cafe, BizTown Beats Radio Station, and the philanthropy center, a nonprofit organization. 

On Tuesday, March 5, Avon’s fifth graders boarded the bus very early to head to BizTown in St. Paul. Students were expected to complete their assigned job duties and get to act like an adult for a day. Students were given paychecks and were responsible for managing their own money, paying bills, and even getting to take breaks and shop with their friends. 

At our closing town hall meeting, we learned that our students raised $242.00 for Feed our Starving Children through donating their hard-earned money at the philanthropy center! 

This field trip and learning event would not have been possible without our 16 parent and family volunteers. Your leadership in our businesses was greatly appreciated. It was a very successful day and the students learned a lot!