For the sixth consecutive year, the Silver Creek Leadership Academy (SCLA) Community Leadership Class partnered with Junior Achievement (JA) to bring financial literacy lessons to Alpine Elementary School. JA’s “JA in a Day High School Heroes” gives high school students the opportunity to be teachers for a day.
“Our inspiration to focus on financial literacy came from our partnership with JA and their programs,” said Julie Forbes, Social Studies and Silver Creek Leadership Academy teacher. “They train our leadership students to effectively teach financial literacy concepts to younger kids, making the subject engaging and fun.”
The curriculum provided by JA consists of four to five activity-based lessons, each designed to be age-appropriate and thematic for different grade levels. Topics covered included fundamental financial concepts such as distinguishing between wants and needs, understanding visible versus invisible money, saving and spending, entrepreneurship, community businesses, and career choices.
“We aim to make lessons as interactive and engaging as possible,” shared Kim McGrigg, Director of Communications at Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain. “JA provides students with a comprehensive kit of teaching supplies and a guidebook. The JA Day coordinator also visits our classroom twice to train students on the curriculum and effective classroom management and engagement techniques.”
The goal of the financial literacy program is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. “The purpose of this program is to provide elementary students with an opportunity to learn about financial literacy,” explained Forbes. “It also gives high school students a real-world leadership experience.”
This ongoing effort highlights SCLA’s commitment to financial literacy education at Alpine Elementary. “We’ve been coming here for six years to teach this one-day program,” said Frobes.
These student presenters are trained to lead engaging activities that connect classroom lessons with real-world applications, focusing on financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship. “Both the elementary and high school students benefit tremendously from this program,” stated McGrigg. “The younger students see the high schoolers as role models, while our students gain invaluable skills in public speaking, leadership, and critical thinking.”
Nia Pedrett, junior at Silver Creek High School, shared her enthusiasm for her participation, stating, “My favorite part of this experience was meeting all the kids and coming back to elementary school. It’s fun to see all the things I miss, and it’s good to relive it.” This collaborative effort between SCLA and Junior Achievement underscores the importance of early financial education and the power of student-led teaching to make a lasting impact on young minds.