Crabapple Middle School Students Learn Business Values

students got a dose of the real world when it comes to business recently, thanks to Junior Achievement's "It's My Business" program.

The one-day program focuses on financial literacy, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship for students. The students learned about product knowledge, how to show creativity and confidence in starting a business and how to compete in the global marketplace.

Members of the local business community stopped by the school to boost career-awareness and incorporate their career experiences into lessons for sixth grade students last Friday.

But Junior Achievement staff know that students learn better when presented with a chance to put their new knowledge to use; so teams of students collaborated on business decisions, brainstorming, designing a business, pricing products, conducting market research and, finally, marketing their products. They then honed their presentation skills by trying to convince their peers to vote for their product design.

Students came away with a better grasp of economics and business, according to Crabapple Middle School staff and volunteers.