Students at Mt. Diablo Elementary got a little smarter about money earlier this month when the Jr. Achievement Program sponsored their annual day of economics education.
The program brought city officials and members of the business community to the classroom to talk about where money comes from and where it goes.
In Mrs. Rogers’ second grade class, Police Chief Dan Lawrence introduced the students to city government and public finance. Several students “earned” $3 in wages for working in a donut shop. Minutes later, the tax collector made the rounds, collecting $1 for public service assessments.
“Hey, don’t take my money. I worked hard for that,” groaned a chorus of outraged “taxpayers.”
“The goal of the day is for students to go home and talk to their parents about money and careers,” says the program’s district manager, Jenni Beeman.
The Jr. Achievement Program is a non-profit, worldwide organization that educates students in workforce readiness and financial literacy. Jr. Achievement develops the curriculum and provides all the materials. Volunteers from the community are trained to teach the sessions. The program is funded through events and donations.
For more information on Jr. Achievement, visit www.ja.org.
