Scholarship Money Announced; High Schoolers Invited to Compete

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (December 12, 2023) – Junior Achievement of Wisconsin – Portage & Wood Counties Area announced today its search for the next round of winners to receive scholarship money through its annual Titan Business Challenge competition, to be held February 28, 2024.

The Junior Achievement (JA) Titan Business Challenge is an online game-based competition in which high school students compete as business CEOs in the phone industry, experiencing first-hand how an organization makes decisions, analyzes outcomes, evaluates alternatives, and strategizes against competitors.

Teachers of business-savvy students are invited to register teams of 2-3 players to compete against other student teams from high schools across Portage, Wood, Adams, and Juneau Counties. There is no charge to participate. Teams placing first and second from the Portage and Wood County Area advance to the Wisconsin state-level competition where state winners move on to nationals.

Student teams are paired with local community mentors to run a virtual manufacturing company using JA Titan, an online business simulation. Mentors provide teachers and students with game support and share personal knowledge and experience that helps bring the game to life.

Mentors also create a real-world connection between lessons learned in the classroom and how that learning translates into success as a leader beyond graduation. It was “cool to get to work with smart, young women,” said a previous participant whose team was mentored by an early-career young professional.

“We work hard to create meaningful connections between classroom and career,” said Mari Stein, Senior Regional Director for Junior Achievement of Wisconsin. “Volunteer mentors enjoy getting out of the office and making an impact in their local communities. Students appreciate working together in teams and with new faces from local businesses.”

The regional event in the Portage and Wood County Area receives support from UW-Stevens Point and Mid-State Technical College and will be held in-person for the first time since the pandemic at AIG, 3300 Business Park Drive in Stevens Point. To become a sponsor or for more information on other ways to support the event, businesses may contact Junior Achievement’s North Central office.

JA programs support national and state standards in reading, mathematics, social studies, and work and career readiness. JA Titan is part of Junior Achievement’s Financial Literacy Pathway recommended for high school students in grades 9-12. The competition teaches students the decisions needed to develop a successful company and provides the opportunity to practice skills like critical thinking, strategic development, and teamwork. Win or lose, the JA Titan Business challenge provides an understanding of how management decisions affect a company’s success.

Teachers can register their teams directly online or by contacting Junior Achievement for more information by phone, (715) 842-1056, or email, mstein@jawis.org. The deadline for registration is February 23, 2024.

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