Congratulations to Best Buy District 48, led by JAHV Board Member Michael Doyle, for being recognized by their corporate foundation for their outstanding support of Junior Achievement. Through individual fundraising, and Best Buy’s TAG Award program which recognizes individual store locations for their participation in the community, Best Buy has succeeded in raising over $11,000 for Junior Achievement. Best Buy associates have spent a total of 203 hours in the classroom, reaching 343 students (1,715 educational hours) along with several Job Shadowing experiences, a Career Fair, and attending the Spirit of Achievement Awards Dinner and the Bowl-for-Kids in November and June. What an accomplishment!

Local High School students recently returned to their elementary roots when they participated in a High School Heroes JA in a Day. Students from Gorton and Saunders High School in Yonkers taught the JA program at three Yonkers elementary schools. 1,068 students from School 9, Foxfire School, and Family School 32 in Yonkers received the JA program, totaling over 5,300 educational hours with the High School Heroes. The young students looked to their older mentors as they learned about the JA fundamentals – business and economic basics, while doing teamwork activities, using their reading and math skills to problem-solve, and pick up concepts dealing with financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and careers. The High School students, most of them graduating seniors, have had JA experience through their economics classes as well as Job Shadowing opportunities, connecting their learning and their mentoring into a full circle effect.

JA would like to recognize the foundations which have helped support JA programs through grants this year:

Students from the 9^th Grade Academy at Mt. Vernon High School went to Best Buy in November, and NBC Studios in December. Spearheaded by Social Studies teacher Dimitrius Mihailidis and classroom mentor Charlene Morriseau, the ninth grade students had two different opportunities to experience the workplace.

The behind the scenes and insight into careers at Best Buy was as much of a spectacular production as the NBC careers. In November, the students stopped by the Mt. Vernon Best Buy store. The different departments interacting with each other as they strive to excel in service, sales, and knowledge of products was like clockwork. Mike Matisi, General Manager of the Mount Vernon Branch hosted the 9^th graders, taking the students through a typical day at Best Buy, emphasizing the skills a successful team member would have. Students paired up with team members in the customer service, security, and sales, and got to meet some of the Geek Squad as they assisted with technical questions.

In December, the students got a different career perspective at NBC Studios, where they went on a behind the scenes tour of the broadcasting network, and participated in an interactive workshop with some of the team members who make NBC a great place to work--the Human Resources Department, followed by a community service project with other NBC employees. Hearing different stories of the path to the career they are in, students got the chance to brainstorm ideas, while learning more about the connection with their education and future careers.