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Junior Achievement of Central Virginia Junior Achievement of Central Virginia

Empowered Through Ethics

Chairman – Thurston Moore, Esq., Chairman, Hunton & Williams Lead Sponsor – Robert W. Woltz, Jr., President, Verizon Virginia, Inc.

Project Description

Junior Achievement of Central Virginia (JA) piloted a new program entitled Empowered Through Ethics in October, 2005 throughout the Greater Richmond region. Through the use of 90 executives and business owners, over 1,800 high school seniors received the program. Last year the program grew and JA served over 2,300 students. The one-day ethics blitz requires executives to have an hour long dialog with a classroom of students, in more of a personal conversation format. If an executive is unavailable on the day of the event we work to schedule an alternative date and time for them to participate. Our goal for this year is to reach close to 3,000 students with this successful program.

What is Empowered through Ethics?

Key community leaders, Challenging discussions, Dynamic activities, Engaging students!

The goal is to engage a minimum of 130 top level executives from area companies as well as business owners to deliver the Empowered Through Ethics program to area high school students. These community leaders carry the message of the importance of doing what is legal and right even when it means losing a business deal, or acting on information that can provide great financial gain.

The Goals of Empowered through Ethics

  • Help students understand that ethics is doing what is right – even if no one is watching, even if it goes against the majority.
  • Help students understand the consequences of unethical decisions.
  • The program is to learn from businesses and figures that have made bad decisions.
  • Expose area high school students to a positive workforce atmosphere and the multitude of careers that they can achieve.
  • Instill integrity, respect, and excellence through the curriculum.
What is the Empowered through Ethics Curriculum?
  • Lead discussions of ethics.
  • Explain the role of ethics in business.
  • Share examples of decisions they have made in their own careers.
  • Examine the ethical issues related to competition.
  • Demonstrate why insider trader is illegal.
  • Share the consequences of mismanaging personal debt.
  • Explain how written policies alone do not guarantee ethical conduct.
  • Curriculum/discussion options (materials) are provided by Junior Achievement and will be NEW for 2008.
What is the Need for Empowered through Ethics?

To remind students of the proper way to conduct business and that in order to succeed in business you must make ethical decisions. Recent national polls show that fewer than one out of four Americans trust CEOs of large corporations, and those who see “Big Business” as an actual threat to our nation’s future has doubled, to 38%. USA Today/CNN Gallup poll revealed that nine out of ten teenagers would not work for companies they deem unethical.

How Can I Participate?

We are currently working with the respective school administrators to get classes signed up for the Academic Year of 2008-2009. We need TOP LEVEL Executives and business owners to teach! Contact the Junior Achievement office if you are interested in volunteering for this event! Please offer an hour of your time to share your experience and knowledge on the important topic of ethics on October 21st, 2008.

A one hour training session and breakfast will be held at the Jefferson Hotel on Friday October 10th from 7:30am-8:30am in the Flemish Room.

Junior Achievement of Central Virginia

For more information on Empowered Through Ethics, please visit our Student Center.




© 2004, Junior Achievement of Central Virginia