Dónal Óg Cusack with students from Glasheen Girls National SchoolJunior Achievement Ireland (JAI) was joined by Cork businesses, teachers, students and special guest All Ireland Cork Hurler Dónal Óg Cusack to celebrate 20 years of industry-education partnerships. in Cork. This event was kindly hosted by Ronan Daly Jermyn Solicitors, Citygate.
The morning event focused on the JAI mission to inspire and motivate primary and second level students to make the most of their potential by valuing education and understanding how to succeed in the world of work. Special guest Dónal Óg Cusack reflecting on the JAI mission quoted Albert Einstein “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
Business Volunteers play the Global Connections Activity The breakfast briefing attendees experienced first hand the learning impacts of a Junior Achievement (JA) programme as 6th class students from Glasheen Girls National School shared their experience of the ‘Our World’ programme which was delivered by business volunteer Siobhan Bowden from Johnson Controls. The students demonstrated their newly-acquired knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). They shared their learnings on how technology and communications are critical growth areas in the global marketplace and demonstrated their knowledge of entrepreneurship and global trade connections.
Dónal Óg Cusack with Jennifer Cashman of Ronan Daly Jermyn and JAI CEO Helen RafteryHosting the event, Jennifer Cashman, partner at Ronan Daly Jermyn applauded the work of Ronan Daly Jermyn staff in Cork classrooms, “We are delighted to celebrate Junior Achievement’s 20th anniversary. All of our volunteers greatly enjoy the Junior Achievement experience. Without exception our staff have found working with students in the classroom environment to be fulfilling and inspiring It is wonderful to get involved with the local community while empowering the next generation to be the best they can be.”
CEO of Junior Achievement Ireland, Helen Raftery said “We at Junior Achievement Ireland truly appreciate the generosity of business leaders in the Cork Region in enabling almost 11,000 students to participate in JA programmes and events during the 2015/16 school year”. In highlighting why JA programmes are so impactful, she said: “research shows us that helping young people to see the relevance of their academic studies to their everyday lives is a vital factor in persuading them to stay in school and to take maximum advantage of the opportunity that education offers. More than 800,000 students nationwide have benefited from JA programme over the past 20 years.”