Article Display

Team Dover Airmen help teach important life lessons

  • Published
  • By Mauricio Campino, 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

A group of 30 Team Dover Airmen volunteered to teach ninth-grade students during their freshman orientation week on July 31, 2019, at Caesar Rodney High School in Camden.

Over 300 ninth-grade students participated in the event hosted by Junior Achievement of Delaware. Founded in 1919, Junior Achievement USA is a non-profit organization that teaches K-12 students lessons on financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, Junior Achievement USA has 106 offices across all 50 states, and their network of over 470,000 volunteers reaches more than 10 million students in over 100 countries worldwide annually, with over 16,000 students in Delaware alone.

The orientation was modeled after a typical day of high school: seven  40-minute class periods with a lunch period half-way through. During each class period, teachers provided a brief presentation, followed by discussions conducted by Team Dover Airmen and other Junior Achievement volunteers.

The discussions covered topics such as soft skills, professional attitude and ethics for the workspace and offered the Airmen the opportunity to share their unique military experiences and give the students real-world examples tied to the lesson plans. The students also got a chance to play Be a Success: an interactive board game that teaches players how to plot career paths, pursue education, enter the workforce and, ultimately, reach their financial goals. 

“These types of lessons are super important for students, because it helps them to get skills they may not normally get during a high school career,” said Michael McGay, Capital One project manager and Junior Achievement of Delaware board member.

To offer a small break from the structured lesson plans, Airmen from the 436th Security Forces Ravens section conducted a Red Man suit demonstration. Students were supervised in how to use baton tactics against the “aggressor” in the Red Man suit.

“It’s important for the Airmen to get out into the community and help bridge the gap between the perception of the Air Force and the reality,” said Tech. Sgt. Claude Wiggins, 436th Communications Squadron NCO in charge of plans and implementation section.

For more information about Junior Achievement of Delaware, visit: www.juniorachievement.org/web/ja-delaware/