Company Program

Aspiring Hawai‘i Island Entrepreneurs Recognized

Junior Achievement of Hawai‘i Island applauded more than 70 outstanding young entrepreneurs and awarded $4,500 in scholarships at its 40th Annual “Futures Unlimited” awards banquet on January 28, 2020 at Sangha Hall.

The Junior Achievement company program encourages high school students to develop leadership and entrepreneurship skills by guiding them in the creation of a small business. The awards recognize the hard work of the students and their advisors over the 15-week program.

The three student companies participating this season were Ohana Products sponsored and advised by Big Island Toyota and Central Pacific Bank, Eco-Aloha supported by HFS Federal Credit Union, and Aspire sponsored and advised by HPM Building Supply and Bank of Hawaii.

Over the course of the program, the three companies in total manufactured, marketed and sold over $40,000 in merchandise. The top-selling company this year was Ohana Products with nearly $19,000 in total receipts. Tristen Cullio was the top individual salesperson with $3,173 in sales, and Savannah Christensen won for Best Sales Presentation. Ohana Products also received the coveted Company of the Year recognition, posting an impressive return on their stock value of $119 per share.

Much of the sales happen during the JA Trade Fair each Black Friday weekend when the community comes out to support the JA companies and find unique holiday gifts. Mystery shoppers also drop by to score the students on their product displays and salesmanship. This year Aspire was recognized for having the most compelling Trade Fair presence.

In addition to learning about sales, manufacturing, finance and human resource management, the companies also are introduced to public relations and encouraged to perform community service projects. This year Eco-Aloha won the outstanding community service company award.

Funded from the “profits tax” charged to the JA high school companies, seven participating Seniors were awarded scholarships. This year’s scholarship recipients were: Mikaela Durch – $250, Iain Klegner – $250, Wilmer Agpaoa – $600, Savannah Christensen – $600, Dayci Oshiro – $600, Jaylen Mae Arzaga – $1,100 and Corbin Warmbier – $1,100.

During the event local entrepreneur Kris Speegle of Nakoa Kai Insurance Professionals and Aloha Pawz, shared advice on writing down dreams, putting in extra effort and the importance of giving back to the community. Through a song on the ukulele, Speegle also shared his experience of finding ways of remaining connected to Hawaii, such as when he was away from the islands during his military service.

Send Your High School Students to Start a Business

We’re gearing-up for the start of the fall 2019 JA Company Program. From September through December, East Hawaii high school students will meet on Tuesday nights to create their company, manufacture and market products, give back to their community, make friends, and hopefully also make some money.

If you know of high school students who may be interested in the program please have them contact their social studies teacher or school office for a JA application, or signup online here. The deadline to apply is (EXTENDED TO) Friday, August 23rd and Application Night is Tuesday, August 27th from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at Waiakea High School. The program itself is held on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 9:00 pm at Waiakea High School from September 3rd through December 10th.

If you have questions about the program, or if you are a business professional interested in helping to advise one of the teams, please contact JAHI district manager, Alan Shiraishi at jahilo@jahawaii.com or 808-292-0570.

Sign Up for JA’s High School Company Program

UPDATE: Due to weather impact, the registration deadline has been extended to Friday, August 31st (for application by online form–see original post for link, or by email to jahilo@jahawaii.org or text to 808-292-0570).

The JA Company Program is gearing-up for fall 2018. From September through December, East Hawaii high school students will meet on Tuesday nights to create their company, manufacture and market products, give back to their community, make friends, and hopefully also make some money.

If you know of high school students who may be interested in the program please have them contact their social studies teacher or school office for a JA application, or signup online here. The deadline to apply is Monday, August 27th and Application Night is Tuesday, September 4th from 6:00 to 8:30pm at Hilo High School (note new location for Application Night only). The program itself is held on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 9:00pm at Waiakea High School through December 11th.

If you have questions about the program, or if you are a business professional interested in helping to advise one of the teams, please contact JAHI district manager, Alan Shiraishi at jahilo@jahawaii.com or 808-292-0570.

Young Hawai‘i Island Entrepreneurs Recognized At 38th Annual Junior Achievement Awards Banquet

2018 Scholarship Recipients

Junior Achievement of Hawai‘i Island congratulated outstanding young entrepreneurs and awarded $3,500 in scholarships at the 38th Annual “Futures Unlimited” Awards Banquet on January 30, 2018 at Sangha Hall.

The Junior Achievement company program helps high school students develop leadership and entrepreneurship skills by guiding them through the creation of a small business, from product development to marketing and sales. The awards recognize the hard work of the students and advisors from local businesses.

A familiar face returned home to Hilo to keynote the awards banquet. Jimmy Chan, founder of the Hawaiian Chip Company, is a 1993 Waiākea High School graduate and a Junior Achievement company program alumnus. He shared his entrepreneurial journey with the audience, and spoke about the importance of the lessons he learned through Junior Achievement.

Continue reading “Young Hawai‘i Island Entrepreneurs Recognized At 38th Annual Junior Achievement Awards Banquet” →

Get Powered Up for the JA Company Program

Please share this great opportunity with all East Hawaii high school students:

From September through December over 100 budding entrepreneurs from East Hawaii high schools will form and operate mini-companies. With guidance from local business people, for over 12 weeks these students will experience business hands-on by analyzing markets and product opportunities, manufacturing and marketing their products, accounting for all revenues and expenses, and managing their company resources.

Companies meet every Tuesday night from 6:30 to 9:00pm at Waiakea High School. The Application Night is Tuesday, September 1st starting at 6:30pm. To be invited to the Application Night students must complete the sign up forms available from their school or available online at

2015 Company Program Application Night Sign-up Form

If you’re not quite sure but would like to learn more, send us an email at jahawaii@gmail.com. We are also looking for adults from the business community to serve as advisors to our student companies.

Company Program Annual Report 2015

 

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On January 13, 2015, our three high school Company Program teams presented their earnings and learnings to a panel of five judges. Company Presidents and Vice Presidents of Production, Marketing, Human Resources, Finance and Public Relations wowed the audience with smiles and PowerPoint presentations. [See more pictures from the event]

Overall the three teams’ total sales were down significantly from prior years; however, their net profit was equal or better than prior years.

“You’ve learned to work smarter,” complimented Susan Labrenz, JAHI’s District Manager.

All achievements will be celebrated during the Futures Unlimited Banquet at Sangha Hall on January 27th where the JAHI Company of the Year and senior scholarships will be announced. To attend the banquet or more more information about the JAHI Company Program, please contact Susan at JA-Susan@hawaii.rr.com.

Support Our Young Entrepreneurs – and get great gifts!

 

JA_Aloha_Flare

JA_ALOHA

Sixty-four students from five East Hawaii high schools are anxious to test their sales skills and show off the products they designed and manufactured, during the JA Trade Fair. This year the annual two-day event will be held at the Price Kuhio Plaza on “Black Friday” and Saturday, November 28-29, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm each day.

The students are organized in to three companies, each sponsored by a local business and advised by members of Hilo’s business community.

A.L.O.H.A. (Amazing Leaders of Hardworking Achievers) is sponsored by Big Island Toyota. Its President, Michael Mori, a senior from Waiakea High School says, “our company is working hard at producing handmade gift tags and decorative notebooks and journals, made from 70% recycled materials, to feature at this year’s trade fair.” A.L.O.H.A.’s Vice President of Production, Cici Luna, explains “our notebooks are colorful and have different themes.  They can be used for school, as gifts, and as recipe books or journals.  Our gift tag is a set of twelve that includes six Christmas-themed tags and six all-occasion tags.”

“Aloha Flare is a company with unique ideas and flare,” said company president Dayton Towata whose company is sponsored by Bank of Hawaii. The products that Aloha Flare will be selling are a cookbook, a clothes pin note holder, and a “Bravery Braid.” The company made the braided shoelace bracelet in different colors to recognize the different types of cancer and is donating five-percent of the net profit to the American Cancer Society.

The HPM Building Supply sponsored team, called Aloha Supplied, created limited-edition photography greeting cards, coasters, and a “PopATop” bottle openers complete with a mason jar to catch the bottle caps. The greeting cards and coasters both feature local scenery photographed and donated by Tom Kualii of Extreme Exposure Hawaii.

“Our photo greeting cards stick with our theme of spreading Aloha,” said Vice President Kenneth Kitahata. “As the holiday season approaches these greeting cards are a great way to stay in touch with family or friends who are off island.”

After an initial job interview the students started in September by purchasing a share of stock in their company for two-dollars. The companies then selected leaders, decided on what products to market, and manufactured their products, all the while accounting for all expenses and revenues. After they close their books at the end of the year, based on the success of their company, most students will earn a return on their initial stock investment. All profits are returned to students in the form of dividends and awards, plus scholarships for graduating seniors in the program.

Recognizing Student Business Success

In January we held the 34th Annual Futures Unlimited Awards Banquet and congratulated seventy-seven local high school students.

These students took a three-month-plus journey to image, create, and run their own small businesses. The three mini-companies formed this year included T.H.R.I.V.E. sponsored by Bank of Hawaii, GX3 sponsored by Big Island Toyota, and Aloha Supplied sponsored by HELCO.

Brianna Kaalakea from Kamehameha High School, Laurel Fongblatt from Hilo High School, Volandou Gronowski from Pahoa High School, Yan Ying Huang and Jennifer Taniguchi from Waiakea High School received scholarships
Brianna Kaalakea from Kamehameha High School, Laurel Fongblatt from Hilo High School, Volandou Gronowski from Pahoa High School, Yan Ying Huang and Jennifer Taniguchi from Waiakea High School received scholarships

During the banquet $3,500 in scholarships were awarded to five deserving students. The winners included, Brianna Kaalakea from Kamehameha High School, Laurel Fongblatt from Hilo High School, Volandou Gronowski from Pahoa High School, Yan Ying Huang and Jennifer Taniguchi from Waiakea High School. These scholarship monies and the other awards presented were paid for from the proceeds generated by “taxing” the earnings of the JA companies.

All of our sponsoring firms instill the value of community service in their employees and set excellent examples for our achievers. Students visited the elderly and veterans, made cards for the troops, packed operation Christmas child boxes, staffed various community events, sold wristbands to raise funds for charity and donated products to worthy causes. This year’s winner for Community Service was GX3 sponsored by Big Island Toyota.

The evening culminated in the prestigious, Company of the Year Award. It was an extremely close competition this year and all of the companies did a terrific job. Aloha Supplied sponsored by Hawaii Electric Light Company took top honors and President, Brianna Kaalakea and all vice presidents were welcomed to the stage with a roaring applause.

The excitement of the evening was shared by all parents, volunteers, board members and sponsors who helped make this program a huge success. Junior Achievement thanks Big Island Toyota, Hawaii Electric Light Company and Bank of Hawaii for their incredible support.

To get Junior Achievement in your K-12 classroom or to get involved yourself as a volunteer or a sponsor contact District Manager Susan Labrenz by phone at 966-8450 or by email: jahawaii@gmail.com.

Scholarship Applications Now Available

Hawaii Island high school seniors who have participated in Junior Achievement programs can apply for 2013-’14 JA of Hawaii Island Scholarships.

Download the JAHI Scholarship Application (To edit a soft copy of the application please download the file and open with Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

Junior Achievement of Hawaii Island General Scholarship recognizes and encourages the academic achievements of graduating seniors. This year again, we would like to encourage students to apply for our scholarship. The number of available scholarships and the amount of each scholarship is subject to change from year to year. Typically, there are two to five scholarships awarded each year, ranging in amount from $300.00 to $1,500.00.

To be considered, all applicants must:

  • be a high school senior who will graduate in the current school year;

  • be qualified, upon graduation, to enroll at an accredited college or university (Proof of enrollment/ class registration will be required prior to disbursement of the scholarship);

  • have completed a Junior Achievement High School Program, or taught a Junior Achievement program as a classroom consultant;

  • exemplify academic achievement, excellent extracurricular and community activities,leadership skills, and college and career potential;

  • complete and sign the application including co-signature of a parent or legal guardian;

  • attach a current transcript;

  • submit letters of recommendation or JA rating sheets from a JA advisor and school official;

  • write a one-page personal statement;

The application along with the required supporting documents must be postmarked by December 2, 2013 or hand delivered to the District Manager, Susan Labrenz by 9 PM December 3, 2013.

Good luck, seniors.

Hands-on Opportunity for High Schoolers

We’re gearing-up for another exciting High School Company Program.

From September through December over 100 budding entrepreneurs from East Hawaii high schools will form and operate mini-companies. With guidance from local business people, for over 13 weeks the students will experience business hands-on by analyzing markets and product/service opportunities, manufacturing and marketing their products, accounting for all revenues and expenses, and managing their company resources.

Companies meet every Tuesday night from 6:30 to 9:00pm at Waiakea High School. The Application Night is Tuesday, September 3rd starting at 6:30pm. To be invited to the Application Night students must complete the sign up forms available from their school or available online at

JA Company Program Form 2013

Please share this excellent opportunity with the high school students in your family.