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Getting down to business Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell North Medford High School juniors Daniele Spencer, left, and Amber Hudson practice their body language with guest speaker Jolie Johnson of the Junior Achievement program. The program uses people in the community to teach students the skills they�ll need in the real world outside the classroom. The ACCESS-run program has been going in the Rogue Valley since the mid-1990s. Project brings business leaders into classroom as reality check By Vicki Guarino Ordinarily, Jolie Johnson would be selling real estate. One morning a week, however, she sets down her briefcase in the video production room at North Medford High School and gives students a lesson from her own career. "I think it�s good for students to get a glimpse of business,�� Johnson says. A growing number of Jackson County students are getting a preview of the business world through volunteer teachers like Johnson, who are part of the Junior Achievement program. The ACCESS-run program, now in its sixth year, puts local business people in classrooms from kindergarten through 12th grade. Two new classes emphasize behavior and relationships Two new high school classes introduced this year by ACCESS� Junior Achievement program stress relationships and behavior. Teachers who have reviewed the program are lining up for a Junior Achievement volunteer to present the information because it covers issues outside the realm of standard academic curriculum. "These classes are very specially geared to helping kids develop their skills and talents," says Mary Holbrook, the ACCESS Junior Achievement coordinator. The Success Skills class includes topics such as building rapport, ethics, human resources, innovation, interviews, productivity, teamwork, wage determination. The Leadership class covers consensus building, critical thinking, public speaking, incentive, management, public service, social benefit and work-force readiness. Participation rose dramatically this fall with the introduction of two new high school classes that are proving to be highly requested by teachers: "Success Skills," which Johnson is teaching, and "Leadership," which will be starting in a few weeks. Johnson says the skills course focuses on daily interactions with people that can be crucial to success. Some are simple but too often neglected, she says. Show interest, show appreciation, Johnson tells her class one morning, and don�t forget the slouches and other body language that can be more telling than words. "So you�re screaming, �I didn�t say anything.� Well, you did ... your non-verbal communication is screaming at them." She peppers her talk with her own experiences, even the snap judgments that might not be accurate but can seal someone�s fate nonetheless. "Do I want to do business with this person?�� Johnson says, recalling one unfavorable introduction. "I don�t think so." And, though easier said than done, Johnson suggests that teens push aside their shyness and apprehension. "Every person walking God�s earth is insecure in some way," Johnson advises. "We�re all fearful. "I don�t know if parents talk about that," she wonders aloud. Students say Johnson�s lessons are new to them � and useful. Class member Jacqueline Moore, a junior, says students benefit from hearing from someone outside the classroom, someone whose experiences are instructive. "I think it helps us," Jacqueline says. "We get tips on how to act." "Our teachers don�t really go over that," adds North freshman Heather Dummies. As Johnson takes small groups of students through role-playing exercises, teacher Steve McDonald stays at the back of the classroom. He says the new Junior Achievement curriculum fits some key class goals. "One of our goals is employability," says McDonald. "The students lack the confidence and the skills." Through the lessons and the exercises Johnson introduces, students can begin to get some experience in dealing with work situations, and, on a personal level, with Johnson herself. "She�s the kind of person they�re likely to work with," McDonald says. South Medford High School business teacher Larry Williams also is introducing the new junior achievement curriculum because he sees its usefulness to all students, regardless of their college or work plans after high school. "The skills are universal skills," Williams says, "working with others, conflict mediation, interpersonal skills." So many teachers share Williams� opinion of the new program that Junior Achievement Coordinator Mary Holbrook already has had to stop promoting it for fear she would run out of business volunteers. Last year, her office ran nine high school Junior Achievement programs, all dealing with economics curriculum. This year 41 programs are planned, and 30 are one of the two new skill-building classes. "We knew the teachers would like the new curriculum," Holbrook says, "but we didn�t know how much.�� Access-run program needs more volunteers ACCESS has brought the business and economics curriculum of nationally organized Junior Achievement into Rogue Valley classrooms since the mid-1990s. ACCESS Junior Achievement Coordinator Mary Holbrook says the agency�s involvement grew from its community-building efforts. Although the agency�s main focus has been on emergency and food relief for the needy, ACCESS staff agreed that the agency should look beyond answering immediate crises. Through education, ACCESS staff members reasoned, youth would be better prepared to lead self-sufficient, productive lives. "This is proactive," says Holbrook. "Wouldn�t it be nice if none of those kids in Junior Achievement ever becomes an ACCESS client." To succeed, Junior Achievement relies solely on volunteers from the business community. Junior Achievement provides all of the teaching materials. "We always have more requests for Junior Achievement from teachers than we can fill," Holbrook says. Volunteers are needed in the following programs: Elementary grades: five weekly one-hour sessions on the role of business in society and opportunities for kids who stay in school, with activities, visuals and the visiting teachers� own experiences. Middle school grades: eight weekly one-hour sessions on the free market system, international business and trade, and personal economics including the cost of living and the difficulties of trying to live on a minimum-wage job. High school grades: about 12 weekly, hour-and-a-half sessions presenting a basic economics and market curriculum. New this year are the shorter session (about eight weeks) on success skills and leadership, which address behavior and relationships. In its first year, Junior Achievement reached about 600 students. Last year, some 4,100 students were involved. This year, more Junior Achievement classes are expected to be organized. "It�s the business community that has stepped up with the volunteers," Holbrook says. To volunteer, or learn more about the program, call Holbrook at 779-6691. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.