Hundreds of Colorado high school students are attending Junior Achievement (JA) Business Week, a residential business boot camp presented by Arrow Electronics, Inc., held at Johnson & Wales University in Denver from June 7 to 12. These 9th through 12th grade students are part of a growing group of young innovators who are anxious to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to the business world.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Colorado is the second best state for entrepreneurship and innovation. Students’ level of interest in JA Business Week suggests the potential for Colorado’s entrepreneurial nature to continue long-term.
JA Business Week is a unique project-based program that focuses on practical application and real-world problem solving. In addition to interactive workshops on marketing, business ethics and budgeting, the week culminates in a “Shark Tank”-style competition. Students attending JA Business Week for the first time gain first-hand experience in teams to develop marketing and business concepts for Otter Products, a Colorado-based global innovator of protective solutions for mobile technology. Returning students develop an expansion plan for Lola’s Sugar Rush, Colorado’s premier old-fashioned candy shop located in historic downtown Littleton.
JA Business Week also gives students the opportunity to improve emotional intelligence. By networking with successful entrepreneurs and students from across Colorado, JA Business Week students explore leadership concepts, learn to work collaboratively and build confidence.
More than half of the students attend JA Business Week on full scholarship thanks to our sponsors including presenting sponsor, Arrow Electronics, Inc. “Arrow guides innovators forward to a better tomorrow,” said Joe Verrengia, Arrow’s director of Corporate Social Responsibility. “JA Business Week teaches these students from all backgrounds how to be innovators. And when they launch their own start-ups, they will draw on the real-world skills they acquired in this innovative camp.”
For more information, visit www.JABusinessWeek.org.
