Mercer Credit Union, JA Give $10K to Hermitage School
HERMITAGE, Pa. – Mercer County Community Federal Credit Union, in partnership with Junior Achievement of Western PA, recently presented a $10,000 check to Ionta Elementary School to be used for JA lessons and a day at JA BizTown in Bridgeville, Pa.
The funds were made available through a grant from the CrossState Credit Union Foundation.
The JA BizTown experience begins with elementary students working through classroom lessons that teach personal economics, basic finances such as writing checks, applying for a job and working in groups. The concepts are then put into action as the students spend the day at JA BizTown where they operate a credit union, manage stores and work with their team to run successful businesses.
A total of 167 fifth-grade students from Ionta Elementary will travel to Bridgeville on May 10 and 11 to take part in the hands-on simulated community. Volunteers from the credit union, teachers, parents and JA board members will also attend to guide the students throughout each day.
“We’re thrilled that students from our community will have the opportunity to participate in JA BizTown exploring various careers and learning valuable lessons in personal finance,” said Dan Bell, Hermitage School District superintendent.
In addition to the $10,000 presented to Ionta Elementary School, Mercer County Community Federal Credit Union and JA will present matching funds for another $10,000 to Farrell Elementary School to help six classes of students visit JA BizTown in the fall.
Pictured at top: Front row, from left: Sophia Lewis-Bateson, an Ionta Elementary School student; Sandi Carangi, CEO of Mercer County Community Federal Credit Union and Junior Achievement of Western PA board chair; and Brody Smith, an Ionta student. Back row, from left: Dan Bell, superintendent of the Hermitage School District; Matt Ristvey, JA board member; Brad Mantzell, JA board member; Bill Lucas, executive vice president of Junior Achievement of Western PA; Elaine Patton of Mercer County Community Federal Credit Union and a JA board member; and Eric Horvath and Eric Trosch of the Hermitage School District.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
