Front row, from left, Erica Hitchcox (International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme coordinator), Alyssa White, Emily Fischer, Lauren Burchell, Addison Duplantis, Abigail Clark and Emelia Burden. Back row, from left, Justin Proctor, Luna Omeragic, Shea Thompson, Emily Childress, Nicolas Emmanuel-Henderson, Neveah Ben-Moshe, Mafer Bougrat, Aria Lowery and Dana Wells.
Addison Duplantis teaching
Aria Lowery on left
Neveah Ben-Moshe on left
Mrs. Erica Hitchcox and her students from Ooltewah High School took on the Junior Achievement High School Heroes Service Project and gave the young students at Wolftever Creek Elementary an image of what they too can accomplish when they grow older. The High School Heroes Service Project requires the high school students to share the JA lessons to Kindergarten through 2nd grade classes in a local elementary school.
The kids in Mrs. Hitchcox’s class were responsible for training, preparing and finally teaching the lessons to the younger students. She tells us that “this particular program allows students to actively learn. They are not sitting and listening to someone talk for an hour, but they can talk about what they are learning and apply it through action.”
Junior Achievement officials said they were proud of these students and it was incredible to see the students take leadership roles as they became role models for the classes and bonded with their students.
Each high school student was assigned a classroom in which they were responsible for completing five lessons. Over the course of four hours, the students both young and teens, worked together to invest in one another. The elementary school students learned the basics of money, decision making and taxes, while the high school students learned presentation skills, planning ahead, public speaking and civic leadership. Mrs. Hitchcox reiterates how impactful this program is saying, “Life changing for some students.”
She said her “favorite memory is seeing the smiles on [her] kids’ faces and listening to their stories about the classroom.”