For the eighth consecutive year, BlumShapiro volunteers participated in the ‘JA in a Day’ program as teachers at West Hartford’s Webster Hill Elementary School.

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At 9 a.m. sharp on Friday, June 2, more than two dozen BlumShapiro employee volunteers reported for work.

However, rather than attending meetings and working on projects for clients, on this day they arrived prepared to teach more than 230 Webster Hill Elementary School students in grades 2-5, providing interactive lessons about the fundamentals of work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy.

Trading in their briefcases for lessons plans and worksheets, these BlumShapiro volunteers served as teachers in Junior Achievement’s “JA in a Day” program for the eighth consecutive year at Webster Hill, an experience just as rewarding for them as it is for the students.

“Serving as a teacher for an entire day in front of elementary school students is a demanding yet very rewarding experience,” said Andrew S. Lattimer, partner of BlumShapiro. “Seeing the interest and appreciation from these children for hands-on lessons that I provide is the reason for me volunteering every year. With JA’s curriculum, I make the business world a little more understandable in their minds.  And, the amount of creativity shared by the students continues to amaze me every year.”

“The JA in a Day program is one of the many ways that we add to the knowledge and understanding of financial matters of people of all ages,” said Lattimer.

The JA in a Day Elementary School Program consists of curricula that helps students understand business and economics, and provides lessons and learning tools focused on the three grades:

• JA Our Community (second grade) explores the interdependent roles of workers in a community, the work they perform, and how communities work.
• JA Our City (third grade) studies careers, the skills people need to work in specific careers, and how businesses contribute to a city.
• JA Our Region (fourth grade) introduces students to entrepreneurship and how entrepreneurs use resources to produce goods and services in a community. Students solve problems by weighing risks and rewards.
• JA Our Nation (fifth grade) provides practical information about businesses’ need for individuals who can meet the demands of the job market, including high-growth, high-demand jobs. Students will learn that businesses need workers with skills that are in demand, such as STEM skills – science, technology, engineering and math.

BlumShapiro volunteers followed each classroom’s schedule by proving instruction in the morning, followed by lunch and returning for an afternoon session. Most classroom activities ran from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

BlumShapiro employees volunteer at Webster Hill Elementary School in West Hartford for the annual JA in a Day. Photo courtesy of Webster Hill Elementary School

BlumShapiro employees volunteer at Webster Hill Elementary School in West Hartford for the annual JA in a Day. Photo courtesy of Webster Hill Elementary School

BlumShapiro employees volunteer at Webster Hill Elementary School in West Hartford for the annual JA in a Day. Photo courtesy of Webster Hill Elementary School

BlumShapiro employees volunteer at Webster Hill Elementary School in West Hartford for the annual JA in a Day. Photo courtesy of Webster Hill Elementary School

BlumShapiro employees volunteer at Webster Hill Elementary School in West Hartford for the annual JA in a Day. Photo courtesy of Webster Hill Elementary School