John Deere helps Junior Achievement of Central Iowa build students' financial literacy
At Junior Achievement of Central Iowa, we believe it’s critical for schoolchildren to build strong financial and economic skills.
“Kids need to know how to take care of money,” says Nick Colletti, President, Junior Achievement of Central Iowa. “Thanks to John Deere, we’ll be able to help thousands of local students become more financially literate.”
This year, John Deere donated $85,000 to help support Junior Achievement programs in Greater Des Moines (DSM). This includes sponsoring JA BizTown, which gives nearly 6,000 elementary students an opportunity to operate banks, manage restaurants and balance budgets in a simulated storefront environment.
“John Deere wants children to be successful in school, work, and life,” says Patty Dyar, Global Human Resources Director, John Deere , and Junior Achievement board member since 2014. “Working closely with Junior Achievement of Central Iowa means students in kindergarten to 12th grade will be prepared to enter a dynamic and competitive workforce. It also provides us a chance to make a positive impact in the communities where we live and work.”
The John Deere grant also supports Junior Achievement’s finance programs introducing students to entrepreneurship.
“We’re so excited that John Deere is committed to youth education, specifically, financial and economic literacy,” Colletti says. “21 percent of teens have credit cards and only one in three knows how to read a bank statement, balance a checkbook, and pay bills. That has to change. And together, we can make it happen.”
About Junior Achievement of Central Iowa
JA of Central Iowa's volunteer-delivered, kindergarten-12th grade programs foster work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills and use experiential learning to inspire students in our community to dream big and reach their potential.