Stay right there

BY NANCY KELLY

Kings County Register

Junior Achievement’s (JA) Economics of Staying in School program (ESIS) shows junior high school students how to go far by staying right where they are.

Reflecting on the advantages of remaining in school to acquire the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed for long-term career success is the goal behind the program.

During the first week of March Grade 9 students across the province took part in the half-day program, delivered by JA volunteers. Volunteers were prepared for the sessions through locally-held JA-sponsored training and were provided with all ESIS material.

Brenda Kenney, program manager for JA of Nova Scotia, reports the program, which has been offered for over 10 years, has now expanded to include nearly every school in the province. “It’s been getting bigger and better each year,” said Kenney. She explained it is targeted at the Grade 9 level to coincide with the time students are thinking about the transition to high school.

In the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board system, the program was offered at all junior and senior high schools with the exception of Wolfville school and Horton. The program was also expanded to the province’s French language school board this year. “We have been working to get it out to the rural areas, and a solid and growing volunteer base has helped us do that,” said Kenney.

ESIS helps students focus on “finishing what they have started” by creating direct links between further education and personal goals. It gives them a new perspective on how informed choices can jump-start their future.

Units in the curriculum-linked session examine educational opportunities that are a stepping-stone to success. Working in groups, students also develop a realistic picture of the financial constraints and demands of independence and identify resources needed to support a life-long career journey. “We want students to go away with a greater appreciation of the opportunities available through education and staying in school,” said Kenney, adding the program is supported by the provincial Department of Education. “Along with our other sponsors, we have the official endorsement of the department - which sees the value in getting this message out to the kids.”