Employees of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems and Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake spent a day in the classrooms of Crestwood Elementary School in Elyria, Ohio, on Nov. 2 as part of Junior Achievement’s JA Blitz Day educational program. Twenty-five volunteers from Bendix, one of the largest Lorain County employers and a leader in civic outreach efforts in Northeast Ohio, taught kindergarten through fifth grade students at Crestwood.
Junior Achievement, which serves 45,000 students in Lorain, Cuyahoga, Geauga and Lake counties, provided the curriculum and teaching materials for each grade level. Junior Achievement’s classroom programs focus on financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship, aiming to empower young people to own their economic success. During the course of the academic year, 50 different Northeast Ohio companies, including Bendix, support the initiative through volunteer teaching at schools across the region.
Volunteers from a multitude of positions within Bendix taught lessons throughout the day with support from Crestwood teachers. Volunteers taught about everything from understanding community services, such as fire and police departments, to how money moves through a local economy. Each volunteer’s unique real-world work experience was used to offer examples and enhance the curriculum.
“We received enthusiastic feedback from the employees who took part in our first Junior Achievement Blitz Day, as well as the Crestwood students and teachers,” says Gwen Scott, benefits and work/life programs manager at Bendix. “Through volunteering and financial support, giving back to the communities in which we do business has always been an important part of our culture. We welcome the opportunity to once again positively impact the educational programs in Elyria’s schools and present students with a chance to better understand their community.”
