City of Coconut Creek, Florida – On Wednesday, June 19, in Washington, D.C., the teen entrepreneurs of Junior Achievement of South Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School company team, “Pure Serenity”, won second place among 15 JA student companies. Teams competed to win the JA Company of the Year at Junior Achievement’s (JA) 2019 National Student Leadership Summit (NSLS).
The South Florida teens representing their student company in Washington D.C. were awarded a scholarship. The scholarships provided to the five students represent each of the top three finishing teams. Pure Serenity team members were each awarded a $1,000 scholarship by the Achievement Foundation.
The annual JA Company of the Year Competition is a contest of business skills, ingenuity, and innovation that focuses on the accomplishments of U.S. JA Company Program ® students, ages 15-18. Reaching more than 10,000 U.S. students during the 2018-19 school year that created nearly 500 start-up companies, JA Company Program gives teens the skills to start and run their own businesses under the mentorship of local business volunteers. The teens develop a product/service designed to fill an unmet consumer or community need/service, they secure investments, produce, source, market and sell their product or service.
Junior Achievement of South Florida is proud to have two JA Fellow Company teams selected as part of 15 finalist teams to compete in Washington, D.C. for four consecutive years.
“I am very proud of our team! The JA Fellows Company program has allowed us to learn how a business operates, and we have gained firsthand experience in running a profitable business. Thanks to Junior Achievement of South Florida, our teacher and mentor advisors for this incredible experience,” said Lexi Ofstein, President of Pure Serenity.
Pure Serenity produces and markets fashionable lava bead diffuser bracelets that provide a simple and convenient way to maintain well-being and reduce stress through the power of essential oils. Some of the proceeds from sales were donated to Parkland Cares, a local resource to help individuals cope with the tragedy.
In addition to Pure Serenity, Junior Achievement of South Florida’s NSU University School company team VIBEzzz was invited to the National Student Leadership Summit. VIBEzzz is a smartwatch that connects to a user’s cellphone via Bluetooth and detects heart rates, tracks exercise and most importantly, vibrates to keep drivers from falling asleep behind the wheel.
“Congratulations to the JA Fellows students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and University School for being selected as two of the top fifteen teams in the country! Both teams did an incredible job representing Junior Achievement of South Florida and our community and special congratulations to Pure Serenity for bringing home second place. We are proud of the deep impact this program has on over 500 students in 25 high schools across Broward and south Palm Beach counties,” said Laurie Sallarulo, President and CEO. “These students have developed the skills it takes to run a company, including consensus building, fostering relationships, team work, accountability, perseverance, hard work and adaptability. This program is nothing short of transformational!”
The student companies competing at the JA NSLS were assessed on their financial performance, individual team members’ personal and professional development, on a self-produced commercial about their product or service, on their team’s live presentation to a panel of business leaders, and on their company’s performance at an Entrepreneurship Expo on Capitol Hill attended by Members of Congress.
About Junior Achievement of South Florida
Junior Achievement of South Florida (JA) inspires and prepares youth to succeed in a global economy. JA provides real-world training in financial literacy including budgeting, spending, investing and the use of credit; offers cutting-edge skill-building opportunities that enable young people to explore meaningful, productive careers; teaches students how to start businesses; and introduces entrepreneurial values that strengthen workplaces. Last year, with the help of over 7,100 trained corporate and community volunteers, JA delivered over 20 various programs to almost 50,000 students in classrooms throughout Broward and south Palm Beach counties and at JA World Huizenga Center at the Lillian S. Wells Pavilion, a first-class facility housing JA BizTown and JA Finance Park. For more information about Junior Achievement of South Florida, visit www.JASouthFlorida.org.
About Junior Achievement USA® (JA)
Celebrating its centennial in 2019, Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches more than 4.8 million students per year in 107 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.2 million students served by operations in 100 other countries worldwide. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.
Jack Kosakowski, President, and CEO of Junior Achievement USA, with the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Pure Serenity received 2nd place in National JA Company of the Year competition.
