“Megan Sturges Stanfield used to come into our classroom and teach JA classes with our kids, so it all started with her. We actually got to visit JA BizTown (presented by CommunityAmerica Credit Union) while it was being constructed,” Kristina said. “Megan kept coming back, kept volunteering in our class and building relationships with our district, even after she became the President and CEO of JAGKC.”

As teachers at T.A. Edison Elementary School who have worked together for fourteen years, Kristina and Michelle have the JA BizTown preparation process down to an art form: Start daily lessons a month ahead of time, use the JA BizTown workbooks to teach their students about bank accounts, deposits, and other economics basics, and wrap up with the filling out of job applications ahead of their big day.

“It’s really fun to watch the kids who normally don’t step up really embrace their jobs as leaders and role models,” Michelle said. “At JA BizTown, we saw students finish their breaks early because they were CEOs and wanted to make sure their companies were running correctly. It helps us see a different side of them, more like mini adults than the 10 and 11 year-olds we see in class.”

This experience proves especially impactful when you take into consideration the background of many T.A. Edison students.

“With our populations and the socioeconomic circumstances in our area, most of our kids don’t know this kind of information,” Michelle said. “Many of their parents work in the hospitality sector, and some don’t even have bank accounts because of limited accessibility, so being able to explore this type of work and tap into this knowledge base is a big eye opener for them.”

Earlier this fall, Keyson was one T.A. Edison fifth grader who fully embraced every aspect of JA BizTown. So when it came time for Kristina and Michelle to choose which of their students would be invited to speak at the JA Business Hall of Fame luncheon a few short weeks later, he was top of mind.

“People flock to Keyson for his personality and his outgoing attitude. But to be honest, we were hesitant to ask him to speak because, while he has so much heart and potential, he also has a need to be the top dog which can get in the way of his efforts to be a role model,” Kristina said. “So to see him up on stage, as nervous as he was, and to see him do such an amazing job with his speaking – I hope that this sticks with him for a very long time.”

One of the most memorable moments of the 2023 Hall of Fame celebration was entirely unscripted. During his acceptance speech, Chase McAnulty, Owner and CEO of Charlie Hustle, brought Keyson back on stage in order to share the limelight and pass along some hard-earned wisdom.

“This is our third time bringing students to the luncheon, but this was the most impactful and intimate luncheon out of them all,” Kristina said. “I especially think the these specific laureates were impactful for our kiddos because they saw them as people that they can relate to. We have a lot of Hispanic students, we have a lot of soccer lovers, we have a lot of fashion and clothing fans, so all of that combined to show our students that they can really pursue whatever they want to.”

The feeling was certainly shared by Keyson, who teared up as he recounted this unscripted moment.

“I felt loved and honored to be on stage with Chase because he’s such a caring person,” Keyson said. “When I grow up, I want to be just like Chase.”

Now, this exchange – Chase’s recognition of Keyson’s potential, and the earnest young man’s visible enthusiasm – has continued to have ripple effects in the Charlie Hustle and T.A. Edison communities. Thanks to some behind-the-scenes planning from the Charlie Hustle and JAGKC teams, Kristina and Michelle’s students will be visiting the Charlie Hustle offices in December.

“The students were so excited and shocked when we told them that we’d been invited to Charlie Hustle. Their eyes lit up and they’re all just so excited to go,” Michelle said. “And the first words out of Keyson’s mouth were, ‘Will I get to see Chase again?’”

These transformational moments wouldn’t be possible without the support and generosity of those that give to Junior Achievement throughout the year. Because of our supporters, students feel more empowered to create their limitless futures, inspired to explore their entrepreneurial spirits, and informed to make sound financial decisions.

Will you join us in this season of giving to ensure more students, like Keyson, have access to opportunities? Give today.

Honored at the event were newly inducted Hall of Fame Laureates Chris and Angie Long of Palmer Square Capital Management and Kansas City Current; Chase McAnulty of Charlie Hustle; and Oscar Monterroso and CiCi Rojas of Tico Productions and Tico Sports, LLC. 

The event welcomed over 150 supporters from around Kansas City, including fifth grade student hosts from T.A. Edison Elementary School from Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. These student hosts helped to welcome attendees, shared lunch with all of the guests, and some even gave speeches as a part of the event’s program. 

One student, Gracie, used her time on stage to summarize her experiences with JA BizTown, presented by CommunityAmerica Credit Union. 

“Younger students are introduced to Junior Achievement in the classroom, then in 5th grade, we get to come to JA BizTown for a field trip!” she said. “Because of Junior Achievement, I know better how I can create my own future and be a game changer too.” 

Rae Daniel, KSHB 41 Action News Morning Anchor and Reporter, served as emcee for the event, helping to celebrate the laureates’ unwavering commitment to Kansas City. 

“Their outstanding achievements serve as a testament to the enduring importance of instilling personal finance skills, preparing for the workforce in a global economy, and nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit,” Daniel said. “Each of our laureates have left an indelible mark on our community, embodying the principles at the heart of Kansas City – and the heart of Junior Achievement.” 

One overarching theme of the laureates’ speeches was teamwork. The Longs dedicated their speech to the teams behind both Palmer Square Capital Management and Kansas City Current, while Monterroso and Rojas brought their full Tico Productions team to the event. 

After thanking his own team, McAnulty shared the story of his first introduction to JA BizTown, and the sentiments that inspired him to have a Charlie Hustle storefront in the simulated Kansas City learning environment. 

“From the moment I walked in, I knew that this is a happy place,” McAnulty said. “It takes you back to elementary school and the joy of being a child and learning and growing. So, right away, I said, ‘Yeah, we’re in.’” 

It was a day to remember, as five individuals were honored for exemplifying the guiding principles of Junior Achievement day in and day out. 

To view pictures from this celebratory event, you can visit our photo album. 

We are an organization focused on inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy, which means that we are especially interested in what financial literacy and personal finance data looks like both inside and outside of Kansas City: 

• In 2019, 53% of college students in the United States reported that they are least prepared to manage money, compared to any other challenge they may face in undergraduate education. 
• Across the U.S. today, 78% of adults live paycheck to paycheck, and only 33% of families have any emergency savings set aside. 
• A 2018 study of financial outcomes for young adults ages 18 to 22 found that students who completed financial literacy programming in high school had better credit scores. 

While there are many nuanced conclusions that can be pulled from this research, one thing is very clear: Financial literacy has a positive impact on future financial decisions and financial confidence. 

Here at JA of Greater Kansas City, we’re proud of how our financial literacy curriculum and related programming are helping Kansas City youth create their own choice-filled futures by…  

• Igniting passion within youth and cultivating entrepreneurial mindsets in order to spark their economic development and eventual economic mobility. Learn more about JA BizTown, presented by CommunityAmerica Credit Union, an opportunity for students to learn and grow in a simulated Kansas City. 
• Increasing access and opportunity through enhanced classroom experiences with 3DE by Junior Achievement. We’re re-engineering high school education to be more relevant, experiential, and authentically connected to the complexities of the real world. 
• Bringing JA to your classrooms in order to support academic communities that wouldn’t otherwise be able to access this level of financial education or community mentorship. 
• Creating at-home tools that supplement other JA programming by reinforcing student confidence, public speaking skills, and the ability to take initiative. 

This quarter alone, we had 92.5% of teachers observe their students demonstrating and applying real world knowledge – and experiences – as a result of their JA lessons. We also saw the percentage of students who think it’s important to use a personal budget grow from only 49.5% to more than 82%! 

These are the exact types of targeted interventions that help young people disrupt intergenerational poverty by increasing their economical know-how, developing their understanding of financial behaviors, and expanding their workplace skill sets. 

As our students progress through their education, we are confident that we are helping build a future where the talent pipeline is filled with adults who are confident in their ability to make healthy financial decisions.

At school, Joe’s fourth grade son had been learning about JA BizTown for weeks. 

“They’ve been preparing for JA BizTown for about a month and a half, so he’s talked quite a bit about it at home,” Joe said. “He told me that every student would have a specific job in the town, and since I’m actually the Mayor of Spring Hill, he was really hoping to be the Mayor of JA BizTown.” 

While Joe’s son didn’t end up being appointed as mayor, he was chosen to be the Election Commissioner, another position in JA BizTown’s City Hall. 

“Since he’s seen me run for election, it gave me the opportunity to explain to him what an Election Commissioner does in the real world,” Joe said. “I got to tell him how they’re responsible for making sure that elections are safe and secure, and how they encourage all members of the community to vote.” 

As the day went on, their shared passion for civic duty became increasingly evident. 

“Before he actually got to JA BizTown, I think he knew it would be fun, but he didn’t fully understand what his job would look like. Now, he’s really gotten into it, and he’s already come over to me at least three times to say, ‘I love my job! This is awesome!’” Joe shared. 

As an active entrepreneur in his own community, Joe’s especially excited about the entrepreneurial and independence aspects of JA BizTown. 

“I own a small business – construction companies, actually – which is my main job besides being Mayor of Spring Hill,” he said. “That makes it extra interesting to see the kids going into these businesses, receiving services, paying their bills, checking on taxes – and I’ve seen so many smiles on these kids’ faces while they’re doing all of it.” 

While volunteering in JA BizTown, Joe made a point to provide mentorship and support to the fourth grade girl that was appointed to be mayor for the day. 

“As she’s running around, doing all of her responsibilities as Mayor, she said to me, ‘This is a lot of pressure,’” Joe said. “And I was able to affirm that, yes, it’s a lot of pressure – but there’s so much reward in it, too.” 

All in all, Joe is thankful for the opportunity to share his wisdom as a father, an entrepreneur, and an elected leader during his JA BizTown volunteering experience. 

“I’m posted in City Hall today, so I got to be a part of the students’ decision making for the pricing of dog and cat adoption fees,” he said. “I enjoyed being able to support their ideas, while also reminding them of the business loan they want to pay off, and the profit they want to make.” 

He’s also grateful that elementary school students are being exposed to these concepts in such an engaging environment. 

“At this young age, I think it’s awesome for them to get these experiences with jobs, responsibilities, and rewards,” he said. “I think there’s a sense of financial security and confidence that students are getting out of this experience because they’re learning how to provide for themselves, while also getting to take advantage of rewards when they have the money to do so. They’re getting so excited about working hard, too, which I think is really cool to witness.”

According to Hanna Hochstetler, Youth Programs Coordinator at the Front Porch Alliance, the nonprofit organization is located on the east side of Kansas City and has been working closely with nearby communities since the 1990s. Today, the Reel Collectors is a program that annually brings together students from area high schools to learn about professional level filmmaking from start to finish. This includes every step in the process, from ideation to creation to production, and every other task in between. But how do students learn to leverage these skills? 

“Starting that first summer, we brought in Junior Achievement’s entrepreneurship curriculum because we want to help students take the skills they’re already learning and be able to make them into a real business,” Hanna said. 

A key part of the Front Porch Alliance team since 2021, Hanna’s helped lead the partnership between FPA and JA since that same year. Rather than run the programming entirely on our own, JA provides supplemental programming and curriculum to FPA to help further their goals. Since day one, Hanna has worked closely with JA to grow this partnership’s reach from five students studying personal finance curriculum to more than 140 students in the 2022-2023 academic year. 

This growth has been made possible by FPA’s decision to integrate numerous JA programs, including personal finance curriculum and interactive programming like pitch competitions and JA Company Pop-Up. 

“There’s an entrepreneurship mindset that students have these days, and it’s something I wish I’d had when I was younger,” she said. “Our hope is that students can take these hard, creative skills in film and entrepreneurship in order to start businesses in marketing, filmmaking, and anything else at that intersection of art and technology.” 

One unique aspect of this particular partnership is the fact that students involved in certain Front Porch Alliance programming actually earn a cash stipend for their dedication and hard work. This means that, in real time, students are learning to earn, save, invest, and spend real money that they’ve earned through creative and entrepreneurial pursuits. 

“I get to see students turn their passions into paychecks and learn how to budget wisely, which I hope they’ll continue to do in their future careers,” Hanna said. 

Ultimately, as far as Hanna’s concerned, the JA and FPA partnership continues to bring value to multiple facets of her work. She sees the ways that students are building social networks, asking candid questions of local professionals who are pursuing career paths that students are interested in, and seeking out answers to the tough financial questions they don’t feel they can ask anywhere else. 

“I love working with JA. Every time we meet, we’re figuring out how we can help each other, and we’re also brainstorming together to make the best programming possible for the students that we’re working with,” she said. “It’s exciting – and it makes my job a lot easier – to be in a creative space where we’re both going after the same goals.”