North Berwick Employee Marks 20 Years of Making a Difference in Students' Lives
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to educating students in grades K-12 about entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. Simply put, the Junior Achievement program teaches students about local government, touching on concepts such as decision making, paying taxes, working together and spending money. Junior Achievement provides students at every grade level a program by which they can begin to understand these concepts and work with them in and around their communities.
Maggie Moody, from Pratt & Whitney's North Berwick Materials Department, has been working with the Junior Achievement program in the North Berwick Elementary School System for nearly 20 years. Moody found the Junior Achievement program reminiscent of a program she was in as a teenager called 'Prep Club'. "When I was in high school, my dad was one of the business volunteers for the Prep Club. In Prep Club, students were grouped by career choices, touring various manufacturers along with attending classes," Moody said.
Moody has taught several sessions for second and third graders. She often teaches both fall and spring sessions to ensure she includes everyone who requests a Junior Achievement program for their classroom. The lessons are fun and easy for the kids to understand. They learn about government, taxes, production methods and money by pretending to work for restaurants, newspapers and donut shops.
"I am so thankful to Pratt & Whitney for allowing Maggie the time and flexibility in her work schedule to share her time with my students," said Patrice Abbott, second grade teacher, North Berwick Elementary School. "They always look forward to her visits and get excited over her lessons."
Moody has recently finished a second grade program and will almost immediately jump into another program in the fall. Junior Achievement provides a learning opportunity for both students and adults. Moreover, Junior Achievement offers the opportunity to mentor young minds by sharing personal experiences and lessons learned in the classroom.
"I am always impressed with how eagerly they soak up the information and contribute to the conversation," Moody said. "I have worked with a few of the teachers for years and they are all very supportive. The students are enthusiastic and enjoy the program. It's a great experience!"
Pratt & Whitney North Berwick is a financial supporter of the Junior Achievement program in the SAD 60 school system (Berwick, North Berwick and Lebanon). A donation of $10,000 a year for the last two years has been provided to SAD 60 to support the expansion of the Junior Achievement program within this school district, providing more classes at every grade level.
For more information about Junior Achievement in Maine, visit http://jamaine.org/.