It’s all business at Pomerado Elementary

By Emily Sorensen

Students at Pomerado Elementary School got the opportunity to dip their toes into the world of finance, business and employment thanks to a visit from Junior Achievement on Nov. 19.

Students from kindergarten through fifth grade participated in skits, activities and lessons tailored to their grade level to teach them how to get jobs, how money works and how to start businesses by volunteers from Bridgepoint Education and Ashford University.

“(Junior Achievement) believes that investing in kids now will create a better San Diego workforce,” said Kristi Zimsky, the public relations manager for Junior Achievement of San Diego County.

Junior Achievement is a non-profit organization that has been around since the 1950s, and the San Diego chapter works with many K through 12 schools in the Poway Unified School District, and other districts around San Diego County. “Our goal is to be the missing link between schools and the community,” said Zimsky. “If we don’t invest in our Poway students now, we won’t have a strong workforce in the future. It’s so rare that students get a chance like this to learn.”

“(Junior Achievement day) is a great day for the kids,” said Erik Elderson, who teaches fifth grade at Pomerado Elementary. “It’s excellent for the kids. The partnership with JA is awesome for the kids.”

Elderson’s students were learning about economic concepts, such as opportunity cost and supply and demand.

“The students get a sense of how businesses are run and what their parents do,” said Gina Pini-Savoie, who teaches fourth grade. “How the economy works, logos, regions in the United States and how advertising works.”

Pini-Savoie said her students enjoyed getting up and doing activities. “It’s not pencil and paper. It’s active. They’re getting up and doing something new every 20 minutes.”

Kerry Araiza, a second grade teacher at Pomerado, said her students enjoyed the interactive, hands-on activities. “Second graders really need to be involved,” said Araiza, whose students were learning about producers and consumers through an imaginary donut factory, and how a community works through various jobs. “The hands-on learning through play is a really important part of how they learn. They’re learning this now, and later may be able to relate in the community.”

Sarah Bacerra, the community relations specialist for Bridgepoint Education, said that Bridgepoint had been partnered with Junior Achievement for about seven years. “The Junior Achievement program is just so robust, and I know students look forward to us going out (to their schools),” said Bacerra. “JA connects the business community to schools. It gives hands-on, real life experience, and allows students to learn about careers.”

More than 40 volunteers from Bridgepoint Education and Ashford University came out to teach lessons in the classroom, and were trained for two hours prior to the event to prepare them for teaching elementary students.