“It’s a lot of work to start a business!” said a very cheerful looking 5th grader from MTS Elementary.

Whether they were CEO’s, financial officers, auditors, IRS agents, employees, chefs, or even the Mayor of their city, Banaadir Academy North and South Campuses and MTS Elementary 5th and 6th grade citizens spent the day at Junior Achievement’s Biz Town in St. Paul.

Banaadir Academy and Elementary School getting down to business!
Banaadir Academy and Elementary School getting down to business!
Banaadir Academy and Elementary School getting down to business!
Banaadir Academy and Elementary School getting down to business!

Businesses surrounded the open center, where MTS and Banaadir students had the entire floor to themselves, and students teamed up to run their specific business, from Deluxe, US Bank, Great Clips, to being government employees and broadcast company staff. “Please deliver this to the CEO!” hollered one very task oriented student.

Students made deposits, wrote checks, figured profits and losses, costs, worked together, even practiced philanthropy and giving back to their community with the day’s gifts going to Sharing and Caring Hands. They celebrated citizens of the day, they performed, and, well, they learned.

Banaadir Academy and Elementary School getting down to business!
Banaadir Academy and Elementary School getting down to business!
Banaadir Academy and Elementary School getting down to business!
Banaadir Academy and Elementary School getting down to business!

CEO’s lined up and gave speeches to the group, and shared a little bit about their business and its philosophy. The Broadcast Center played favorite request music to keep the group motivated (of course, that was one of their business’s revenue streams).

You would have been struck by the engagement and the focus of each one of these young people. In fact, I would go so far as to say you could really imagine them running their own businesses one day—which is the kind of belief MTCS has for each of our students and we are committed to providing these kinds of opportunities for students to learn in the real world and dream big for their lives.

Banaadir Academy and Elementary School getting down to business!
Banaadir Academy and Elementary School getting down to business!
Banaadir Academy and Elementary School getting down to business!
Banaadir Academy and Elementary School getting down to business!

It was a wonderful day of learning. This experience will not only fuel their dreams, but will give them real skills and knowledge for school and life. Thank you, Junior Achievement and Biz Town for an extraordinary day of real life learning and experience. And what a wonderful way for all three MTCS schools to come together in the ‘real world of work’!

Way to go Banaadir Academy and MTS Elementary!

Banaadir Academy and Elementary School getting down to business!
Banaadir Academy and Elementary School getting down to business!
Banaadir Academy and Elementary School getting down to business!
Banaadir Academy and Elementary School getting down to business!