Toni Rupe was a Junior Achievement kid growing up.
At his school just outside of Kansas City, a community volunteer showed up every year to talk the ins and outs of finance and business. One year, Rupe and his classmates even paid a visit to BizTown, a simulated city where students can run a bank, run restaurants, and even vote for mayor.
“That’s definitely the thing that stuck with me,” Rupe said.
So when the opportunity arose last year to serve as vice president of operations for Junior Achievement Lincoln, Rupe was on board.
“It sounded like something I’d like to do,” she said.
Now, after a year in that role, Rupe has been named the new president of JA Lincoln and has bold plans for the nonprofit that connects schools with volunteers from local businesses to teach financial literacy.
People are also reading…
They include growing JA Lincoln’s volunteer base – which has declined since the pandemic – expanding to other cities in the area, and one day looking for a facility to house Lincoln’s BizTown.
“Our hope is to campaign capital to actually buy or lease space to build it,” said Rupe, who took over from outgoing chair Tara Norris.
BizTown is a curriculum that combines classroom learning with a day visit to a simulated city where elementary school students run their own city: running businesses, electing leaders, writing checks. The Kansas City chapter has had one for decades, but it’s a new concept in Lincoln.
“Essentially, they make decisions all day long as if they were a consumer and a worker in a workspace,” Rupe said.
Junior Achievement, which places volunteers in public and parish classrooms when teachers request them, has been hit hard during the pandemic.
Before COVID, there were around 1,200 volunteers for 1,000 classes. There are now 1,200 classes requiring volunteers with only 550 around.
“We’re really desperate to get the word out and get the volunteers back in the classroom,” she said.
JA Lincoln also organizes a mock scholarship competition for Nebraska high school students. This year’s competition will be held in April at the Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Rupe wants to expand JA Lincoln’s footprint to nearby communities, such as Seward, Beatrice and York. In an age of workforce shortages, it’s a great way to connect companies with possible future employees, Rupe said.
“I think it’s a good local pipeline for Nebraskas to recruit Nebraskas,” he said.
Within the UNL Reading Center, students and prospective teachers get a head start
LPS looks to hire an additional advocate for Ukrainian families, students coming to Lincoln
Standing Bear will only take freshmen, sophomores in the inaugural year
From Shakespeare to “Don Quixote,” new reading curriculum engages students, Lincoln teachers say
LPS taps into new workforce to address shortage para: high school students
Photo: Students buy and sell in Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge
Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge, 11.13.18
Lincoln Lutheran students Grant Donovan (from left), Ben Moll and Isaac McCoy evaluate individual stock fluctuations on monitors before making buying or selling decisions Tuesday during the annual Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge at the Nebraska Innovation Campus. A team from Lincoln East won the 52-team competition. More photos @JournalStar.com.
Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge, 11.13.18
Trophies featuring a bull and a bear, metaphors for stock market movement, go to the winners of the annual Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge.
Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge, 11.13.18
Monitors show the daily changes in stock prices during the annual Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge.
Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge, 11.13.18
Stock traders roamed the floor buying or selling stocks for budding investors from 52 teams representing 22 schools during the annual Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge.
Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge, 11.13.18
Pranav Rajan (right), a member of a Lincoln East team, celebrates with partners Davis Penn (from left), Janidu Rathnayake and Sean Crimmins during the annual Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge. The group of budding investors beat out 51 other teams from 22 schools to take home first place.
Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge, 11.13.18
Members of a Lincoln High team — Drake Krogh (from left), Patrick Haen, Kaden Koerperich and Malik Fleming — watch stock prices change before making investment decisions during the annual Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge.
Pranava Rajan
Pranav Rajan (right) of Lincoln East participates in the annual Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge last November. On Tuesday, Rajan was named Nebraska’s top high school youth volunteer by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.
Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge, 11.13.18
Lincoln Lutheran team members Jacob Meyer (from left), Isaac McCoy, Ben Moll and Grant Donovan evaluate individual stock fluctuations on monitors before making buy or sell decisions Tuesday during the annual Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge.
Want to see more like this?
Get our local education coverage straight to your inbox.
