LAFAYETTE, La. — Six schools in Acadiana have been selected to participate in Junior Achievement’s BizTown program, offering elementary and middle school students a real-world experience that teaches them entrepreneurial and life skills.
“We’ve already signed up for the waiting list, first and foremost,” said Acadiana Renaissance Charter Academy Head of Schools Kimberly Lemire, highlighting the program’s popularity.
Junior Achievement’s BizTown initiative combines classroom instruction with hands-on activities, allowing students to apply what they’ve learned about business, finances, and community engagement to practical scenarios.
“We really love our students, and we want to encourage them to become entrepreneurs, to follow their dreams,” said Reagan Robicheaux, the development director for Junior Achievement of Acadiana.
The program is designed to help students practice essential soft skills and prepare them to become future leaders in the Acadiana region.
“It’s important for these students to learn the soft skills, and the skills that they’re going to need in life, to really practice them early, so that they’re growing and they’re actually becoming the citizens that we need because they are the future of Acadiana, and we want to make sure this city is ready,” said Paula Dawson, the president of Junior Achievement of Acadiana.
With the Acadiana mobile unit now the seventh of its kind in the country, the organization aims to expand its mission and further develop young minds across the region.
“They’re like little sponges. They just want to learn, and we want to help them to do that while they’re excited to learn,” said Robicheaux.
Made possible through community partnerships, the BizTown program relies on volunteers to guide and mentor local students.
“Please come and volunteer for this amazing program. All of us have a skill set that we can pay it forward to our younger generation,” said Lemire.
Junior Achievement hopes the program will inspire Acadiana youth to dream big, preparing them for success both in the classroom and beyond.
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