The Junior Achievement Programme, now being pilot tested in Anguilla, has been given assistance by Scotiabank in the form of initial start up funds to cover the cost of material for two programmes chosen for evaluation by the Steering Committee.
Scotia’s Managing Director, Kerwin Jn Baptiste, said the bank was pleased to be associated with the pilot programme.

L-R: Calvin Bartlett, Ethne Richardson, Lisa Bass, Wilma Vanterpool, Penny Hope-Ross and Mr. Jn. Baptiste

“What I know about the Junior Achievement Programme is that it affords the youth an appreciation to learn some of the skills that are required in running a successful business,” he said. “We are happy to get the programme going because it impacts the youth in a positive way and Scotiabank would like to identify with that.”

Spokesperson for the Junior Achievement Programme, Penny Hope-Ross, issued a statement in which she explained that the aim was to educate and inspire young people to value free enterprise, business and economics to improve the quality of their lives.

“This is done through a number of age-related projects that teach children about running their own business,” she stated. “The Junior Achievement Programme is already operating in many other Eastern Caribbean countries and the Optimist Club of Anguilla, with the support of the Anguilla Chamber of Industry and Commerce and a number of volunteers from the education and private sector, has identified two projects that they are going to try out in two of Anguilla’s schools. The volunteers who help lead the modules that make up the projects are usually successful business people. Each module teaches the students various skills related to entrepreneurship by a number of different fun activities.”

One of the two schools is the Road Primary. There Grade 4 students, led by Optimist Emma Ferguson, will form an after-school club to undertake a ‘Dollars and Sense’ project. It will teach them about earning, spending, sharing and saving money and businesses that they can start or jobs they can perform and earn money.

The students will do the project by playing games, doing computer-based quizzes and other activities. Optimist Emma will be assisted by a number of volunteers including Marisa Gumbs from the National Bank of Anguilla, Heather Wallace of Harney, Riegels & Westwood , Alex Ballin of Keene Enterprises and Dale Carty of Tasty’s.

The other school is the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, where Ethne Richardson, assisted by Indah Wallace, will be coordinating the company programme. “This is the most well-known of the Junior Achievement projects,” Mrs. Hope-Ross explained. “The students will actually form their own company and issue shares to provide operating capital to run their business. The students will need to decide what kind of products they would like to produce and sell.

“Courtney Devonish of Devonish Gallery has offered his skills and experience to help the students should they choose to produce a craft project. They will then do a business plan to identify their costs and market size. They will then produce the products and sell them. At the end of the project they will liquidate the company and produce a financial report.”

A number of persons have agreed to volunteer to lead the different modules. They are former Permanent Secretary, Kenn Banks, Fabian Proctor of JW Proctors, Erimel Franklin, Human Resources Manager at ANGLEC, Lawyer Lisa Bass, Marslyn Richardson of the National Bank of Anguilla and Wilma Vanterpool of the Anguilla Development Board.

The Junior Achievement Programme has been put in place by a Steering Committee comprising Lisa Bass, Calvin Bartlett, Wilma Vanterpool, Sally Randall, Indah Wallace, Carolle Devonish, Penny Hope-Ross, Ethne Richardson and Emma Ferguson.

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