More than 80 East Hawaii high school students are ready to sell locally made holiday gifts at the Junior Achievement Trade Fair this weekend. The annual event will be hosted 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the Women’s Macy’s
More than 80 East Hawaii high school students are ready to sell locally made holiday gifts at the Junior Achievement Trade Fair this weekend. The annual event will be hosted 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the Women’s Macy’s side of the Prince Kuhio Plaza. The students are part of the JA Company Program, the only one of its kind in the state, which provides a 15-week hands-on business learning experience.
This year, the three JA company teams are sponsored and advised by Bank of Hawaii, Big Island Toyota and Hawaii Electric Light Co., along with other volunteers from the business community and the University of Hawaii at Hilo. After an initial job interview, the students start in September by purchasing a share of stock in their company for $2. The companies then select leaders, decide on what products they’ll market, then manufacture and sell their products, all while accounting for expenses and revenues.
After they close their books at the end of the year, based on the success of their company, most students earn a return on their initial stock investment. All profits are returned to students in the form of dividends and awards, plus scholarships for graduating seniors in the program. The Trade Fair is an opportunity for the public to support these up-and-coming entrepreneurs and also purchase some unique products.
The Bank of Hawaii-sponsored JA company T.H.R.I.V.E. (“Teens Help to Reach Infinite Victories Everyday”) will be selling cookbooks, koa magnets and calculator notepads.
Aloha Supplied, the JA company sponsored by HELCO, is marketing several products suitable for holiday gift giving, including locally produced photo greeting cards, hand-crafted tie-dyed kitchen towels and embellished bangles.
Big Island Toyota’s sponsored team calls itself GX3, which stands for Generating Great Goods.
At the JA Trade Fair this weekend, GX3 will sell decorated plastic mason jars, rubber band bracelets in a variety of colors and styles, and a cookbook with recipes from the achievers entitled, “From Our Home to Yours.”
For more information about JA programs on the Big Island, please contact District Manager Susan Labrenz at ja-susan@hawaii.rr.com.
