On December 1, Junior Achievement of Rock River Valley in Illinois will close its doors due to the economy. They touched approximately 2500 students last year alone and if you multiply any portion of that by the fifty years they were in business, you quickly see how great an impact this program had on this community.

Overall JA touches more than 9.3 million students a year…9.3 million! (Minus 2500 from now on). I’m left to wonder how many other offices are in the same trouble forcing them to close their doors and why is it that in tough economic times it’s the kids that always take it in the shorts?

When in banking, I volunteered for JA and had a blast in the classroom. It was in an inner city high school and the kids were great. All were interested in ‘making money’ and I truly felt the importance of showing them an alternative to the street life that surrounded them. 

And that’s the importance of Junior Achievement. It’s not to turn them into instant entrepreneurs or to save them, but to give them insight into our world of business. Think back to your youth and consider who and what crossed your path that peaked your interest in business. Heck, I have more mentors than can be remembered and each added something to the mix that’s become my business career and I’ll bet you have the same.

In my last blog I wrote how entrepreneurs don’t flock but we do love to talk about what we do and teach. So maybe we should flock en masse down to our local Junior Achievement office and volunteer to teach a kid about business. 

The future of your community depends on it.

Dwain – The BusinessBiker

As always – these are my thoughts on the matter, I could be wrong.  So, if you disagree or simply want to pile on, please do so either here on the BLOG or email me directly at Navigator@BikersGuidetoBusiness.Com  I look forward to hearing from you. www.bikersguidetobusiness.com

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