Junior Achievement/Deloitte & Touche Launch National Program to Promote Business Ethics to Young People

Colorado Springs, Colo. – Thirty-three percent of teens would act unethically to get ahead or to make more money if there was no chance of getting caught, according to a new Junior Achievement/Harris Interactive Poll of 624 teens between the ages of 13 and 18. Twenty-five percent said they were “not sure” and 42 percent said they would not. The poll was conducted between July 14 and 25, 2003, as part of the national roll out of Excellence through Ethics, a $1 million initiative of Junior Achievement and Deloitte & Touche to promote business ethics among today’s young people.

“These results confirm our belief that ethics education must begin in elementary school,” said Barry Salzberg, U.S. Managing Partner of Deloitte & Touche. “We have teamed up with Junior Achievement to help communicate a clear message to our nation’s youth; ‘it’s never okay to act unethically.’”

"Even though some of these numbers are disconcerting, the poll also showed that 56% of teens do believe that people who are ethical are more successful in business,” said David S. Chernow, president and CEO of Junior Achievement Inc. “We have a way to go, but there is an underlying optimism among students that honesty is still the best policy. We’d like to reinforce - and build upon - that belief. JA is pleased to work with Deloitte & Touche to do just that.”

Excellence through Ethics is a business ethics curriculum designed to teach young people that responsible, ethical behavior is the cornerstone of the American free enterprise system. It is being woven into all 13 JA programs that are utilized in grades 4-12, and will reach more than three million students each year. The curriculum was piloted in select markets in the spring of 2003 and is being rolled out nationally in the fall of 2003.

Excellence through Ethicsactivities are designed for classroom use and are valuable tools to help teach students about ethics. Content of the lessons include: examining the concept of intellectual property rights, learning the importance of presenting yourself accurately and truthfully during a job search, making ethical decisions, learning why insider trading is illegal, exploring ethical accounting practices and understanding why ethical standards are important for business people.

About Deloitte & Touche

Deloitte & Touche, one of the nation's leading professional services firms, provides assurance and advisory, tax, and management consulting services through nearly 30,000 people in more than 80 U.S. cities. The firm is dedicated to helping our clients and our people excel. Known as an employer of choice for innovative human resources programs, Deloitte & Touche has been recognized as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For in America" by Fortune magazine for six consecutive years. Deloitte & Touche refers to Deloitte & Touche LLP and its related entities. Deloitte & Touche is the U.S. national practice of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is a Swiss Verein, and each of its national practices is a separate and independent legal entity. For more information, visit www.deloitte.com/us.

About Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to educating young people about business, economics and free enterprise. Through a dedicated volunteer network, JA offers in-school and after-school programs for students in grades K-12. JA programs focus on seven key content areas: business, citizenship, economics, entrepreneurship, ethics/character, financial literacy, and career development. Today nearly 150 JA offices reach four million students nationwide. Through its international operation, JA reaches another two million students in more than 100 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.

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