VIPS Needs Volunteers for Junior Achievement Program in Elementary Schools

Falmouth Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) is seeking volunteers to help implement the Junior Achievement curriculum in elementary classrooms in Falmouth. Junior Achievement (JA) offers their wide range of economic education programs for K-12 students at no cost to schools. JA provides detailed lessons and engaging discussions on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and career readiness. The Falmouth VIPS-JA partnership has been a big success, allowing volunteers to bring these age-appropriate and relevant lessons and activities to the district. . While JA curriculum has been implemented in Falmouth schools for a decade, last year was the first year that all elementary schools participated. The feedback from classroom teachers, students, and volunteers has been so positive that we are hoping to add even more classrooms this year.

Volunteers need no prior experience. A one-hour training session will be provided, as will all lesson plans and materials. JA offers flexibility to volunteers in terms of scheduling and programming. For one classroom, the volunteer commitment involves presenting a lesson once a week for five weeks. The lesson is between 30-45 minutes, depending on the grade level.

The JA coordinator for VIPS is Beth Underhill, a veteran JA volunteer and VIPS board member. Beth owns Financial Fitness, a financial coaching and education business. Experienced in the fields of employee benefits and financial education, Beth finds the JA lessons to be engaging. “Having discussions about money and careers, coupled with the hands-on activities, allows students to make connections between what they learn in school and the world that awaits them,” she says. Meanwhile, “teachers find that the program closely aligns with their curriculum and provides an opportunity to bring this valuable information to students in a unique way through the use of community volunteers.”

If you, or someone you know, is interested in volunteering for Junior Achievement– even for one class– please contact VIPS by calling (508) 548-1621 or sending email to vips@falmouth.k12.ma.us. The program runs all year long, so interested volunteers can state preferences for time of year, grade, school, or teacher. To learn more about JA, visit: www.janewengland.org.