Trish Hagen Photograph:Shelley Coffey

THEY WHEEL, THEY DEAL. They buy and sell shares. They raise money for charity and keep the shareholders happy. However, these business hotshots are not Wall Street tycoons but students from Lethbridge schools. Junior Achievement, an international, non-profit program with a goal of bringing the real world of work into the classroom, has been operating in Lethbridge for 11 years. Regional Director, Suzanne Ramsey-Green, MA, says involvement gives the students a new outlook and boosts their self-esteem.

Because teamwork plays a big part in successful business operations, high school students are offered an opportunity to work cohesively in the 16-week Company Program. “They divide into groups and everyone always has an important role,” Suzanne says. “Last year’s program, called Present Productions, was a huge success. Students worked together to form a company which they themselves named. They decided on a product to market, in this case gift baskets bought with nest egg money raised from shares they sold. They then marketed the product as a team. They oversaw the financial aspects, compiled a shareholders’ report and gave the proceeds to charity. The Kids’ Help Line was the recipient.”

In its early years the Company Program, voluntary and free of charge to students, was geared for business-minded students but the times and the thinking have changed. “Last year we were very fortunate to get the whole gamut. We had kids who were interested in working with other kids,” says Suzanne.

For the full story pick up the current issue of Lethbridge living Magazine