Looking back to fuel the future
Junior Achievement of Central Ohio had the opportunity to connect with Katherine Fedun, a former Columbus City Schools teacher that facilitated one of the first JA BizTown’s in Central Ohio.
After celebrating the 200,000th student to walk through the doors of our Experiential Learning Centers, we are looking back at our history as we fuel the futures of the next generation.
How It All Started
“When I see former students, the first thing they talk about is when they came to JA BizTown. That’s the one highlight of their whole elementary school that they remember”
Back in 2001, permitting issues were pushing back the opening of JA of Central Ohio’s Experiential Learning Center. Despite this, Katherine knew the impact that JA BizTown would have for her students and pushed for implementation of the program. When JA Staff said, “If you can find a location and figure out how to make the storefronts, we’ll do it,” she got to work. She secured the Everal Barn in Westerville, and the art teacher made storefront creation his entire curriculum. Using refrigerator boxes from appliance stores, the kids built everything themselves. “The enthusiasm built all year for it,” she said. “And parents would hear about it because kids would come home and talk about it.”
Before that, it was hard to get parents to volunteer. But this project changed the way parents engaged in their children’s learning.
Katherine was thrilled about the hands-on curriculum: a full day of job interviews with outside teachers, lessons on professional behavior, and real-world financial literacy. “They got a checkbook and had to balance it throughout the day. That was probably something they had not done before.”
Keeping the Program Alive
Field trips come with costs. The school didn’t have the resources to cover each child, so Katherine looked to her community. She was able to convince the urban transportation company NetJets to donate bus rides for students and parent volunteers. After seeing the impact of the program in real time, the company agreed to volunteer every year. She taught students to write thank-you notes, including their favorite part of the day and their job title. “That’s what you do when somebody helps you out.”
The Impact on Students
“These kids have had a rough life, and they do appreciate it when you do something like this.” She believes the experience taught them that hard work is rewarding, and that honesty and integrity matter. “It gave them skills their families couldn’t teach them. You want to set them up for success as much as you can.”
In 2016, she returned to JA BizTown as a volunteer with her granddaughter. “It was really neat to see the differences and come in a different role. A full circle moment.”
If you’d like to help us celebrate the 200,000th student to visit our Experiential Learning Centers, please consider donating or sharing your story about how JA impacted you.
