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Junior
Achievement and Blue Ridge PBS
partner to
teach kids financial literacy
Broadcasting a new TV series for kids about making, managing money
(Roanoke, Va.)-Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia and Blue
Ridge PBS are teaching children how to make and manage money with
"Biz Kid$," a fun, new, fast-paced TV series from the creators of
the PBS/Disney series "Bill Nye the Science Guy." The new show,
airing Sunday's at 6 p.m. on Blue Ridge PBS, features compelling
stories from real-life young entrepreneurs such as a skateboard
designer, a candy store owner, and a hip-hop music producer.
 "There is a growing concern among educators and parents that too
many children are not learning the basics of personal finance,"
said Katherin Anderson Elam, president of Junior Achievement of
Southwest Virginia. "'Biz Kid$' is a great program for helping
children improve their financial literacy."
According to "Biz Kid$" Executive Producer Jamie Hammond, the
ultimate goal is for the program to do for financial literacy what
"Bill Nye" did for science. With "BizKid$," making and managing
money is cool.
 The show teaches the fundamentals of saving, budgeting, investing,
and giving back to the community, and it does so through clever
skits and educational segments. Spoofs of old TV shows and comedy
sketches performed by a humorous cast of characters make the
series a hit with both kids and parents alike. The King of Ka-Ching,
a cheesy lounge singer, and Francine Fairtrade, a world traveler
with extensive knowledge of all things exotic and financial, are
two of the characters who add to the fun. Supplemental lesson
plans are correlated to Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs).
At a time when only 10 percent of youth in America are graduating
high school with any kind of instruction in personal finance, "Biz
Kid$" helps kids understand the importance of saving and starting
good financial habits early on. In fact, of the many young people
who now drop out of college, more than half leave because of
bankruptcy, not bad grades. (Shown to the right: "Biz Kid$"
features young business owners and philanthropists like Chris "Kharma"
Kazi Rolle, who created a program that teaches kids about social
entrepreneurship and overcoming personal obstacles through hip
hop)
With a clear mission to educate young people about finances and
help reverse this trend, the producers worked in partnership with
JA Worldwide (Junior Achievement) to create a strong curriculum
for the series. Each 30-minute episode of "Biz Kid$" has companion
materials developed by JA Worldwide to be used in classrooms,
homes and other community locations. These materials and other
resources are available at no cost on the show's web site
bizkids.com. The site also features clips from the series and
invites kids to apply to be on the show. Visitors can sign up for
the show's monthly newsletter, The Vault, which offers ideas on
how kids can start their own businesses, plus hints on earning
money and tips on making their money grow.
There are a total of 26 episodes planned for "Biz Kid$." Check
television listings and blueridgepbs.org for additional broadcast
times. Major funding for "Biz Kid$" is provided by a coalition of
America's credit unions.
About Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia
Junior Achievement is committed to inspiring and preparing young
people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated
volunteer network, JA teaches work readiness, entrepreneurship,
and financial literacy to K-12 students, both in-school and
after-school, through hands-on learning. Today, 140 individual
area operations reach approximately four million students in the
United States, with more than 3.5 million students served by
operations in 114 countries worldwide. Over the past 50 years JA
has worked with the business community and area school systems to
reach over 309,000 students in Southwest Virginia. For more
information, visit ja.org or
swvirgina.ja.org.
About Blue Ridge PBS
Blue Ridge PBS, founded in 1967, is the sole public multimedia
enterprise serving 2.5 million individuals in portions of five
states. The station's 26,000 square-mile coverage area includes
southwestern Virginia and bordering counties in Kentucky,
Tennessee, West Virginia, and North Carolina. As the region's
storyteller, Blue Ridge PBS offers outstanding informational,
educational and cultural programming, along with an award-winning
local production team devoted to regional issues and interests.
Further, over 200,000 schoolchildren and their teachers benefit
from the station's education services that provide a safe, trusted
environment for innovative on-air and online learning. Blue Ridge
PBS is comprised of WBRA-TV/DT in Roanoke, WSBN-TV/DT in Norton,
and WMSY-TV/DT in Marion, VA. V |
