On June 5th, fifth grade students from Hampstead Hill Academy visited Junior Achievement (JA) of Central Maryland's BizTown site in Owings Mills, courtesy of Legg Mason.
Students spent the day role playing what a typical day in the life of an adult may be like. Responsibilities included operating a healthcare center, conducting bank business, serving as Mayor, and more.
As business owners, students were required to use teamwork, critical thinking and decision making skills to ensure that their businesses were able to turn a profit for the day.
As citizens, students had to consider giving back to their community and learned to balance their own personal finances.
Teachers from Hampstead Hill Academy and volunteers from ADP, Business Volunteers Maryland, KatzAbosch, and One Main Financial assisted students throughout the day.
"The energy of the students at BizTown was palpable," said BCP Executive Vice President Larry Schugam.
"Students were fully engaged in running their city. I even had the honor of meeting BizTown's Mayor, who took time out of her busy schedule for a photo op."
Preparing for the Big Day
Preparations for the big day began months ago. Using the JA curriculum, teachers taught students about financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship.
Students gained practical knowledge about how an economy works and their role as producers and consumers. Students also interviewed for jobs available in the "city," elected a mayor, worked in teams to create a business plan, and learned about personal financial responsibility as citizens of JA BizTown.
Thank You
We would like to thank Junior Achievement and Legg Mason for providing this wonderful opportunity for our students. Special thanks to the HHA teachers and volunteers from ADP, Business Volunteers Maryland, KatzAbosch, and One Main Financial for helping to make this day a grand success!