The Tampa office of BDO completed a day of service with Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay on Friday, December 8th. Of the 20 BDO team volunteers, 10 team members volunteered in JA BizTown with the fifth graders of Graham Elementary. Imagine a city, JA BizTown where young consumers (10-12 years old) rush to the bank to deposit their paychecks, sales managers create merchandise displays and reporters interview local business leaders to get the most up-to-date story. BDO volunteers each worked in a business with 3 to 9 students and supervised as they operated their business for the day!
The remaining 10 BDO volunteers worked with eighth graders at Dowdell Middle School students in JA Finance Park. At JA Finance Park, students act as adults for a day and make personal financial decisions in a realistic simulation. At Finance Park, students receive life scenarios, complete with job title, marital and family status, income, credit score, and existing debt. They must purchase items to meet the needs of their family, such as insurance, clothing, transportation, housing, and groceries – without spending more than they earn. BDO team members each worked in a business, led discussions of taxes, savings, etc. with students and supervised as they created their budget and shopped for their life scenario.
Later, we all shared some lunch and stories, and agreed we looked forward to “resting up and recovering” in our day jobs. Our gratitude and deep respect go to the Junior Achievement staff and the school teachers and parents for their leadership and assistance, and for their wonderful work with students. Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay serves 13 counties including the entire Tampa Bay area. Junior Achievement is a volunteer-driven, non-profit organization and has been empowering the futures of our local students by giving them the knowledge and skills they need to manage their money, plan for their future, and make smart academic, career and economic choices. Make an impact today and volunteer your time at Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay!
