Erie Area Students Learn in Specialized Courses Taught by Volunteers
ERIE, P.a. (March 22, 2005) -- For the second straight semester, GE Elfun Volunteers are partnering with Junior Achievement of Southwest Pennsylvania to bring a piece of the corporate world into classrooms. JA is a national non-profit organization that strives to educate and inspire young people to value free enterprise and understand business and economics in order to improve the quality of their lives.
Last semester, GE Elfun Volunteers taught the first ever JA classes in Northwest Pennsylvania. 30 GE volunteers were instructors to over 300 students in 4 local schools.
"I am grateful to GE Transportation for taking the initiative to bring JuniorAchievement to the Erie area. Without the continuous support of the GE Elfun Volunteers, JA would not be able to ensure that all Pennsylvania students learn the fundamentals of the free enterprise system on which our country is based," said Dennis Gilfoyle, Senior Vice President of JA in Warrendale, PA.
During the spring semester, elementary school students will learn about "Our City. Our Region", and "Our Nation." These courses are designed to illustrate how people assume roles as individuals, workers, and consumers in an expanding environment. Second grade students at Edison will learn about "Our Community" while third graders at Pfeiffer-Burleigh will learn about "Our City."
Personal economics, International Marketplace, Enterprise in Action, and the Economics of Staying in School are the available courses for the middle school program. These courses emphasize the value of an education and help students understand the correlation between education and one's future success. Seventh graders at Pfeiffer-Burleigh will learn about the "Economics of Staying in School" and sixth grade students at Wayne will learn about "Our World" throughout the current semester.
The High School program features an economics course that examines the fundamental concepts of micro, macro, and international business and a "Success Skills" course that develops the knowledge, skills, and personal characteristics needed to succeed in the workplace. Currently, GE Elfun volunteers are teaching ninth and twelfth grade students at East High School about "Success Skills" and Economics".
GE Elfun Volunteer Cinda Beach is heading the JA program. "I am proud to be part ofthe team that brought JA to Erie. The program is providing students of all ages with a unique skill set which will set them apart from other students. The advantage that JA provides is an invaluable asset for these students in an ever changing economy," said Beach
GE will continue the pilot program this semester and is looking to further expand JA in the Erie Area. Next month, GE will host a breakfast for local community leaders in hopes of bringing a JA chapter, with involvement from many local businesses, to Northwest Pennsylvania.
About Junior Achievement
JA is the worlds largest and fastest growing organization dedicated to educating young people about business, economics, and free enterprise. Classroom volunteers from the business community in the United States and 112 countries worldwide teach JA's programs
About GE
GE Transportation, a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), delivers technology solutions for the aviation, rail, marine and mining industries. Products and services include jet engines for military and civil aircraft, freight and passenger locomotives, diesel and gas turbines for marine and industrial applications and motorized systems for mining trucks and drills.
Through its volunteer force and with the help of the GE Foundation, the philanthropic organization of the General Electric Company, GE invests in initiatives that improve educational opportunities and strengthens organizations in GE communities around the world.
Chris Banocy