Teachers Susan Overton, Keith Schladenhauffen, and Marilyn Bernal have been working on this curriculum provided by Junior Achievement since the beginning of this school year. The students learn such concepts as community, economy, free enterprise, taxes and philanthropy.

Junior Achievement BizTown is an experiential based program, through which students learn important elements such as work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. At West Central this program enhances the core curriculum in social studies (e.g., citizenship, government) and the other core areas.

All WCES 74 fifth-grade students were assigned a job at one of the businesses for the day. The businesses included a bank, career center, city hall, educational and postal service center, hardware store, manufacturing, newspaper, professional office, supply center, utility company, and wellness center. 

The businesses assigned to the Monterey students were a restaurant, science and industry center, and a broadcast center.

West Central's teachers invited several members of the business community one afternoon last month to "interview" students for the jobs to which they applied. The participants were Stephanie Parish, Gertrude Slusser, Rebekah Overton, Doug Gutwein, Karen VanMeter, Mike Tetzloff, Jonn Bernal, Barb Schultz, Tom Brickley. Kirstin Mellon and Karen Fritz.