As I have mentioned in my Weekly Wrap-ups, I have been volunteering for Junior Achievement in November.
Junior Achievement is a not-for-profit organization, the purpose of which is to "educate and inspire young people to value free enterprise, business and economics to improve the quality of their lives."
The Elementary School Program is for students in grades K – 6.
The program covers:
- Kindergarten – Ourselves
- First Grade – Our Families
- Second Grade – Our Community
- Third Grade – Our City
- Fourth Grade – Our Region
- Fifth Grade – Our Nation
- Sixth Grade – Our World
The Company I Work for sponsored employees to volunteer in a local elementary school with grades K – 5 (6th grade is middle school here so no one was involved with 6th grade).
I did five half-hour sessions, one per week, with a second grade class.
One might ask (surely anyone who knows me would ask) how and why I got involved with this. It's a good question.
Back in September, the Company HR manager brought a A representative to one of the regular Company meetings. She talked a little about JA and said that the Company was planning to "sponsor" a local school and employees were encouraged to volunteer.
Shortly after that, our HR manager sent
email around the company explaining a little more about the program and offering employees a chance to sign up. Or, if still undecided, to attend the initial briefing meeting. I read the email. I decided to attend the meeting.
At the meeting, everyone was asked to choose a grade level, then pick up the materials from the side table. As I was not yet committed, I held back until everyone else had chosen, then asked the presenter what materials I should look through. I was told to take one of the yellow color-coded satchels second grade.
We were given a short presentation, then everyone opened the satchels to look through the materials. Volunteers for all grades get a vinyl satchel with lesson materials enclosed, including two copies of the "Guide for Volunteers and Teachers", i.e. the lesson plans and activity guide.
By the end of the session I decided to try it (why not?) and to keep the second grade materials (after all, I had opened them. The next meeting would be the meeting with the teachers, at the school, in two weeks' time.
Slightly Off KIlter 