Welcome to JA BizTown®Volunteer Mentor Training

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Thank You!

Welcome to Junior Achievement of

Central Indiana’s JA BizTown!

• By volunteering to be a mentor for your child’s school, you will be an integral part of a memorable, exciting experience.

• The following slides will walk you through your day and answer questions you may have about JA BizTown.

• Completion of this training is required in order to participate on the day of the simulation.

Volunteer Training

ObjectivesBy the end of this training, you will

understand:

• the purpose of JA BizTown

• the role of a mentor in experiential learning

• the operation of the on-site JA BizTown simulation

• where to go and what to expect on the day of the visit to JA BizTown

What is JA BizTown?

JA BizTown is taught by trained teachers using a 4-6 week, in-class curriculum followed by a visit to the Gene B. Glick Junior Achievement Education Center.

While at JA BizTown, students (a.k.a. “JA BizTown Citizens”) operate their own mini-town while they act as producers and consumers.

Students experience the circular flow of goods, services and resources within a community as they practice the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

JA BizTown Citizens…

• Manage their own checking accounts• Seek business loans• Make purchases• Work in teams to operate successful businesses• Manage staff, financial resources, inventory and

customers• Earn paychecks• Pay taxes• Consider philanthropic contributions

…sound like a lot?

JA BizTown Citizens…

Prior to arriving at JA BizTown, students will have applied for jobs, gone through the interview

process and actually been hired into a business!

The day of the simulation is THEIR day to take all of that classroom preparation and have real-life

hands-on experience.

Remember – all JA BizTown businesses are owned and operated by the students!

The Mentor’s Role

A visit to JA BizTown allows students to apply knowledge they have obtained in the classroom by performing hands-on activities.

The role of the mentor is to serve as the link between JA BizTown and the real world…

…one of the most important steps in experiential learning.

Experiential Learning uses facilitated experiences and focused reflection to increase knowledge and enhance education.

Experiential Learning?

What Is

• Experiential learning leads students through a “What? So What? Now What?” cycle.

• Debriefings allow important connections between the simulation experience (or classroom lesson) and the real world.

Debriefings are important!

Experiential Learning?

What Is

Facilitating Experiential

Learning The following slides will show you examples of how to make use of experiential learning while at JA BizTown.

Ask Leading Questions

The Mentor says, “So, CEO, I see your business has customers, yet no one is at the counter to assist them. As CEO, how would you address this?”

The mentor’s goal is to encourage the CEO to find a way to solve the problem.

What happens next?

Possible Solutions

• The CEO might round up the employees to serve the customers

• The CEO may jump in and serve the customers him or herself if that is possible

• The CEO may not get the connection. If this happens, others may step up and take the leadership role.

Solutions are all part of the learning process…

The Learning Process

• What? We have customers and no one is serving them.

• So What? If we have no one assisting them, they may go somewhere else to shop and we will not make money.

• Now What? I will resolve the problem by serving my customers and do so with great customer service.

Share Your Own Stories

We’ve all had some interaction with workforce – share your personal experiences to make a real life connection.

Share current experiencesor think back to the past…

Sharing Experiences

A JA BizTown employee may be overwhelmed by the tasks he/she is performing – this is sometimes true for CEOs and CFOs.

CFOs have a great deal of paper on their desks from check stubs to invoices, etc. You offer some real life tips for handling stress.

But how…?

Sharing Experiences

• Begin by acknowledging that the student has a very important job and a lot of responsibility. Ask, “Does this make you feel a bit overwhelmed?” If yes, you might say,

• “Sometimes when I feel overwhelmed during my job, it helps me if I get myself organized…do you think that might help you?”

• You can sort through the paperwork and it offers the student a valuable real life tool to determine what has been completed and what still needs to be done.

More Mentor Suggestions• Help students stay focused on their tasks – all students have

a job description that will help them through the day. Reading through this description is necessary to understand what their role will be in that particular business.

• Applaud good teamwork/Offer encouragement – some students may be out of their comfort zones in leadership roles or may become overwhelmed. This is REAL LIFE! Share suggestions or let them talk through their challenges.

Remember – don’t do the work for the students. Simply guide them. If they make

mistakes, they will learn from those mistakes!

The Day of the Visit

The Gene B. Glick Junior Achievement Education Center

7435 N. Keystone Avenue

Indianapolis, IN 46240

(317) 252-5900

• Enter the Gene B. Glick Junior Achievement Education Center through the door with the black awning on the west side of the building facing Keystone Ave.

Where to Check In

• A JA BizTown staff member will invite all mentors to enter the JA BizTown simulation space

• There will be a registration table as you enter directly into the Restaurant area of JA BizTown.

• The students will be bringing sack lunches to JA BizTown and we ask that you do as well. Once you enter the simulation space, you will not be able to leave until the simulation concludes.

Getting Acquainted

Upon arrival to JA BizTown:

• A JA staff member will check your name off of a list and give you your business assignment for the day. You will be asked to fill out a nametag.

• You will be given a volunteer form to complete. On this form you will authorize that you will review the child abuse policy (located in your business) and estimate your driving miles to the facility. This allows JA to keep track of volunteer time.

• You will also be given a “friendly postcard.” You may write a brief note to your child. This card will be delivered through the FedEx delivery service.

Getting Acquainted

• A JA BizTown staff member will present a brief overview of the day and be available to answer questions.

• Before the students arrive, you will have the opportunity to explore your business and familiarize yourself with the paperwork and the schedule for the day.

• Prepare yourself – when the students arrive, it’s time to “get down to business”.

Inside JA BizTown!

Sample Daily Schedule• Welcome• First Staff Meeting in each business (mentors &

students)

• Business Start Up• Bank Loans• Opening Town Meeting• Employee Lunch Breaks (join your child)• Second Staff Meeting• Employee Shopping Breaks (stay in your

business)• Business Clean-up• Closing Town Meeting

Visual Aides

• Completing a Deposit Ticket

• Endorsing a paycheck

• Entering a transaction in a Checkbook Register

Throughout the day, JA BizTown Citizens will need to complete the tasks outlined above. Posters like the one you see are displayed in each business as references.

• Newspaper (JA BizTown Journal)

• Delivery & Supply Center (FedEx)

• Wellness Center (Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent)

• Fifth Third Bank• Restaurant (Steak ‘n Shake)

• Laboratory (Lilly)

• Print Shop (TKO Graphix)

• City Hall

JA BizTown Businesses

• Professional Offices (Price Waterhouse Coopers, Taft/, Duke Realty Corp.)

• Recycling Center (Ray’s Trash Service)

• Utility Center (Citizen’s Energy Group)

• JA Retail Center (Lids)

• Bank (PNC Bank)

• Radio Station (Radio Disney)

• JA Multi-MediaDetailed descriptions of each of these business can be foundby visiting www.jaindy.org

JA BizTown Businesses

Final Details

Click below for directions to JA BizTown

Map and Directions(if link is not active, simply right click on it to open hyperlink)

Thank you for agreeing to help Junior Achievement and

your school to enhance student learning - see you

soon at…