Junior Achievement of Central Maryland to Launch Summer Program

Junior Achievement of Central Maryland Inc. (JA) and the Maryland State Department of Education Division of Career and College Readiness are partnering on a three-week program this summer. The summer program is designed to retain and motivate up to 200 special population and non-traditional students to complete their career and technical education. Perkins V defines special population students as individuals from economically disadvantaged families, individuals preparing for non-traditional fields, single parents, individuals with disabilities, homeless students, and other individuals with barriers to educational achievement.

Junior Achievement has received an $80,000 grant from the Maryland State Department of Education to launch the pilot program aimed at middle and high school students who are enrolled or will enroll in Business, Management, and Finance career programs of study.

“We are thrilled to be working with the Maryland Department of Education on this exciting summer program that will benefit so many students in the region,” said Jennifer Bodensiek, President, Junior Achievement of Central Maryland. “The program will focus on intensive instruction on creative problem solving, rapid business planning, and thinking like an entrepreneur. We believe this program will have a positive impact on the lives of students who might otherwise receive little attention.”

“The Maryland State Department of Education is committed to preparing our future workforce through robust CTE programming,” said State Superintendent of Schools Karen B. Salmon, Ph.D. “Together with Junior Achievement, we are preparing students to become business owners and entrepreneurs. With the program content aligning with Business, Management, and Finance CTE programs of study, students will be able to apply what they learn over the summer in their middle and high school courses.”

The program, called JA Entrepreneurship Summer Experience, runs from July 12 to July 30 and aims to recruit students entering grades 8, 9, and 10. Junior Achievement and the Department of Education will recruit students currently pursuing and who may have an interest in the Business, Management, and Finance careers.

The first week of the program will focus on problem-solving. Students will learn and apply ‘Design Thinking,’ an innovative process for problem-solving used by entrepreneurs to brainstorm customer-centric ideas. Week two will challenge students to think like entrepreneurs, where they will be tasked with learning entrepreneurial principles, strategies, and skills and apply them to their own lives. Students will practice rapid business planning during the final week to learn about business planning foundations using the Lean Canvas, a streamlined, one-page business plan template.

In addition, industry experts, business executives and volunteers will participate and bring the content to life by coaching the students through the business plan process and sharing their experiences.

The program will take place virtually and in person. In-person instructions will be held at Junior Achievement’s newly built Regional Workforce and Innovation Center at 1725 Twin Springs Road in Baltimore.

About JA of Central Maryland

Junior Achievement of Central Maryland is part of the largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, JACMD provides hands-on programs that show more than 30,000 K-12 students each year the realities of how careers, money, and business ownership work. JA experiences are proven to give students access to economic opportunities, that give them the edge in post-secondary education completion, work readiness, earning potential, and business start-up. For more information, visit www.jamaryland.org.

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