Junior Achievement Needs Spring Volunteers in Coulee Area

Junior Achievement of Wisconsin (JA) is looking for volunteers who are interested in teaching young people financial and career life skills. By showing students how to manage money and develop the skills needed for a successful career, JA volunteers help students become productive employees, successful business owners, effective managers of their personal finances, and engaged citizens of their communities.

The pandemic has shown that financial literacy and solid career planning have become essential survival skills, especially for students whose families struggle with financial mobility. Uninformed financial decisions and poor career planning can result in consequences that last a lifetime. The ripple effect is felt by individuals, families, and communities. By building skills and nurturing self-belief, JA prepares young people for the future of work, ensures they have the tools to be financially capable adults, and teaches them to think entrepreneurially.

“Corporate and community volunteers bring JA programs to life by sharing personal and professional experiences and skills with students. This interaction helps students connect what they learn in school and what they need to succeed in work, a career, and daily life,” said Melissa Gretebeck, La Crosse County Program Manager. Gretebeck added, “Becoming a JA volunteer is easy for you but life-changing for the students you teach.”

Local JA teams can share the kindergarten through 12^th grade classes that need a volunteer. Each volunteer can choose the class they want to teach, complete training, and receive the materials that show the key topics, games, and activities to be shared with students. Most JA programs use 3 to 7 classroom visits. Other volunteer opportunities exist for those who want to teach online or create pre-recorded videos about their careers.

Junior Achievement provides youth programs in La Crosse County. If you are interested in being a JA volunteer, contact Melissa Gretebeck at 608-789-4777 or mgretebeck@jawis.org.