CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 1, 2015 – Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas (JACC), a premier organization dedicated to educating the state’s youth on financial literacy, entrepreneurship and workforce readiness skills, partnered with North Carolina Treasurer Janet Cowell and Charlotte-Mecklenburg (CMS) Schools Superintendent Ann Clark to highlight the need for financial literacy education for all students and kick off JACC’s newest initiative to bring all 11,000 CMS students to JA BizTown®. The event, held on Friday, May 29 from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m., took place at the JA BizTown® facility in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Treasurer Cowell addressed an excited crowd of 115 fourth graders and discussed the importance of financial literacy. Superintendent Clark spoke to representatives from area financial institutions about the importance of supporting financial literacy education in the local community, specifically within CMS, and introduced JACC’s new initiative to bring all 11,000 CMS students to JA BizTown®. This school year, JACC has brought in more than 4,800 CMS students. Through this initiative, JACC hopes to raise $320,000 in order to bring in an additional 6,000 students through JA BizTown® by as early as 2016.

Through interactive lessons and hands-on activities, JA BizTown® helps students connect the dots between what they learn in school and how it can be applied to the real world. Designed to support differentiated learning styles, this program combines in-class learning with a day-long visit to BizTown’s fully interactive simulated town facility to help students develop a strong understanding of the relationship between what is learned in school and successful participation in a worldwide economy.

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“Managing money and being able to plan financially are essential life skills,” said Clark. “We are so grateful to our partners at Junior Achievement and in the financial industry for enhancing and enriching our students’ financial literacy.”

“We are thankful for our time today with Superintendent Clark and Treasurer Cowell, and the ability to come together with local financial leaders in celebrating the incredible opportunity all of us have to ensure that our local youth possess a strong foundation surrounding financial literacy,” said Steve Gress, Board Chair, Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas. “As we look to the future of our community, it’s our duty to be concerned with providing the next generation the resources necessary to become financially literate, innovative members of society.”

“Helping young people stay in school and make smart financial decisions is a group effort. I laud creative partnerships between schools, banks and organizations like Junior Achievement that help students be better prepared to make good decisions about money,” said Cowell.

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JACC Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/JACenCarolinas

JACC Twitter account:

https://twitter.com/JACenCarolinas

ABOUT JACC:

Junior Achievement (JA) is the world’s largest organization dedicated to providing young people in grades K through 12 with the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for the future, and make smart academic and economic choices. Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas (JACC), headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, operates offices in Asheville, North Carolina, and Rock Hill, South Carolina, and serves more than 33,000 students annually through its hands-on and experiential educational programs. Delivered by corporate and community volunteers, JA programs provide relevant, engaging experiences that educate and empower students in the areas of financial literacy, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship. For more information, visit http://www.jacarolinas.org/.

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