Amy Rohler introduced John Crawford, the executive director of Junior Achievement in Western New York, whose career has focused on the well-being of the Western New York Community. Before joining Junior Achievement, John served as Operations Director at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Buffalo, providing life-changing services to those most in need. John also served as President of College Relations at Medaille College for ten years and as Director of Development at SUNY at Buffalo and the American Red Cross.
John described Junior Achievement's services in the eight counties of Western New York. He said the organization's goal is to empower young people by supplementing the education of students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Junior Achievement develops a curriculum on topics such as financial literacy. Complete packets of information about each curriculum are provided to teachers and volunteers. The agency trains the volunteers and teachers. These activities include games and activities in school, after school, and during the summer.
Joelle Washer Conti of Northwest Bank added that she and many other bank representatives have acted as volunteers. She noted that volunteers are well-trained and that the activities and curriculum are a “ton of fun.”
