SOUTH HOLLAND, IL–On April 27, 2015, over 300 students were impacted by the Teacher for a Day partnership between South Suburban College (SSC) and Junior Achievement (JA) of Chicago. Administrators, faculty and students from the college partnered with Junior Achievement in celebration of their 75th Anniversary. Junior Achievement has enjoyed a legacy in providing young people K-12 with economic education programs that focus on financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Junior Achievement’s mission of educating and inspiring young people to succeed in a global economy is in alignment with the strategic direction of South Suburban College.
Having already reached hundreds of students within the south suburban area, at the request of Junior Achievement, SSC committed to impacting a city school. SSC adopted Orville T. Bright Elementary School (located at 10740 S. Calhoun, Chicago) for a day as part of the program. The school has 11 open classrooms. The SSC volunteers led discussions and guided hands-on activities to help students understand business and economics.
In additional to the learning activities, students were given the opportunity to meet higher education professionals who shared their educational and career paths. Two of the volunteers were SSC students: Janet Herrera (majoring in Criminal Justice) and Berenise Villagrana (majoring in Sociology).
“Efforts such as the Teacher for a Day help promote educational attainment beyond high school completion,” said Don Manning, SSC President, and member of the JA Board. “We value our relationship with Junior Achievement to engage young people at both the elementary and high school levels. We have the ability to expose these students to opportunities that may hopefully lead to the successful, rewarding careers they deserve in the future.”
Manning added that SSC looks forward to partnering with other non-profit organizations with similar initiatives that promote life-long learning.
Established in 1927, South Suburban College is a fully accredited, comprehensive community college with a diverse annual student population of more than 15,000. With locations in South Holland and Oak Forest, Illinois, SSC offers instruction in more than 100 career paths leading to certificates and Associate Degrees and transferable credit.
For more information, please call (708) 596-2000 or visit www.ssc.edu
Pictured from left to right front row: Zubeir Haroun, faculty; Dr. Lynette D. Stokes, VP Academic Services; Miriam Anthony, Dean of Nursing; Rebecca Garcia, Director of Highway Construction Career Training
Back row: Chris McElroy, Transition Specialist Adult Education; Olus Smith, Instructor of GED; Jeff Waddy, Dean of Allied Health & Career Programs