​On the first of June, students from Floral Park Memorial’s National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society took a trip to John Lewis Childs Elementary School thanks to the Junior Achievement program. Junior Achievement is a program that allows students and adults to introduce a bit of entrepreneurship to children in kindergarten. The purpose of the trip was to bring out character and leadership skills in the young adults on the trip and to introduce business concepts to young children.

Although the focus was the benefit for the elementary students, there was a greater learning experience for the high school students from FPM as well. They got to see a day through the eyes of a teacher of kindergarteners. This experience was one that was extremely valuable since it helped many of the leaders get out of their comfort zone and allowed them to experience the sense of accomplishment teachers get when their students understand a lesson. The student leaders were able to leave an imprint on these young children but also felt a sense of déjà vu. Seeing the young kids eager to learn was reminiscent of learning in elementary school and how exciting it was to want to grow up quickly and “be like the big kids.” The experience with Junior Achievement was simply outstanding.

When the student leaders first arrived in the classroom, the children’s eyes lit up with curiosity and excitement, which helped calm initial nerves and fears. However, the warm welcome led to a rise in confidence for the presenters. The Junior Achievement lesson focused on how to save money and the value of choosing what one wants versus what one needs. The day was absolutely wonderful since the children were so precious and so eager to learn. The event ran smoothly. Hopefully, Floral Park Memorial will be able to extend this opportunity in the future.