Junior Acheivement Nova Scotia
For the last 40 years, Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia has been inspiring and educating the next set of leaders in the province. With innovative programs reaching students from grades six to 12, Junior Achievement opens young minds to the possibilities that await them in the world of business and helps them realize their highest potential.
"We reach 15 to 17 thousand students each year, " says Lynn Coveyduck, President & CEO of Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia. "We're exposing them to business and entrepreneurship, helping them to think creatively and out of the box and ideally do that in Nova Scotia."
Junior Achievement is an international not-for-profit organization established by the business community. In Nova Scotia they offer four programs that explore different aspects of business and economics and help students cultivate their leadership and communication skills. It starts in grade six with "Our Business World", a program that uses hands-on games to teach students about organization, marketing and the value of teamwork.
Next, nearly every grade nine student in Nova Scotia will get to experience the "Economics for Success" program, which encourages students to dream about their perfect day in the future, learn how they can achieve it and understand the connection between this success and education.
"We ask where they might be working, what type of car they want to drive, what type of lifestyle they might like to lead - all to help them understand the cost of living and budgets," Coveyduck says. The students are then given sample pay cheques for different salaries, allowing them to modify their budgets and learn valuable lessons about money management.
In high school, students can also get a glimpse of the virtual business world on a global level through an innovative program called "JA Titan". It's an online business competition where students run their own virtual company for six weeks in schools across the province. JA Titan gives students a shot at provincial and national competition, culminating with the top eight teams in the world being brought together to compete. Just last year, a team from Auburn Drive High School in Nova Scotia went on to vie for the international JA Titan title.
Also in high school, Junior Achievement's "Company Program" gives students a chance to start up and run their own business. "They make all the decisions related to their company - from figuring out their product and developing a marketing strategy to holding executive meetings and selling shares to generate capital," Coveyduck says.
When grade 12 student Chelsea Broderick heard about the "Company Program" she knew she wanted to be a part of it. "The experience was absolutely fantastic! Even though it was my first year I decided to run for president and it opened up so many new opportunities to improve my leadership skills," Broderick says.
Broderick was one of five Achievers from across Canada this year to receive a national scholarship and a trip to Toronto for the Canadian Business Hall of Fame Gala Dinner. Both Broderick and the Titan team from Auburn Drive High School are proof that Nova Scotia's Junior Achievers are truly exceptional and represent Nova Scotia proudly on a national and international scale.
"All of these events in the last year have built a better understanding of the business world, and I only wish I had enrolled in the Company Program sooner," Broderick says.
From marketing executives to a recent initiative with Capital Health employees, Junior Achievement programs are delivered by volunteers from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. "It provides students with an opportunity to think about careers that might not have been presented to them before," Coveyduck says. "You meet accountants, bankers, teachers - you get exposed to a range of options and get excited about sticking around Nova Scotia."
And it's not just the students who reap the rewards of Junior Achievement - for volunteers the experience is unparalleled. "They see the potential in our students. They see there will be payback, because you are investing in the people who will be running our province," Coveyduck says.
Chelsea Broderick is now preparing for her next step, taking her Bachelor of Commerce at Queen’s University in Ontario. "Although I am going out of province for university, Nova Scotia is my home so I would love to one day be part of the Nova Scotian business community,” Broderick says. “I personally would like to work for or start my own business in Nova Scotia and develop it to an international scale.”
For students like Chelsea Broderick, Junior Achievement is both an investment in her future and in the future of Nova Scotia – an eye-opening experience to the possibilities and exciting challenges that lie ahead. Her words of advice to those thinking of taking part in Junior Achievement? “There are so many things to get involved in so don’t be afraid to grasp every opportunity,” she says.
