About JA :: What's New
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Junior Achievement and Deloitte Open Sixth Annual College Scholarship Contest |
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NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT AND DELOITTE OPEN
SIXTH ANNUAL Students Can Compete For $5,000 in
College Tuition by Colorado Springs, Colo. – Junior Achievement and Deloitte today announced the launch of their sixth annual "Excellence through Ethics" essay contest, in which high school seniors in the United States can compete for a $5,000 college scholarship by applying their knowledge of ethical decision-making and sharing their views on the importance of ethics in business. To enter, high school seniors must compose an original essay of 500 words or less in response to an ethical dilemma posted on Junior Achievement's Web site, located at www.ja.org. Entries must be submitted online and will be accepted starting today, until April 30, 2010. The winning essay will be selected by members of the Junior Achievement Blue Ribbon Panel on Ethics, comprised of corporate ethics officers and noted academicians. The essays will be evaluated based on criteria that include how well the student analyzes the situation, their presentation of a well-supported argument in response to the dilemma, and how thoughtfully they articulate the importance of ethics. This year, the scenario asks participants to analyze some of the ethical implications of social networking, specifically as it relates to information-sharing among the members of a study group created on a popular social networking site. The scenario was composed by Professor David W. Miller, ethicist and director of the Princeton University Faith & Work Initiative. The contest is part of Deloitte's $2 million commitment to Junior Achievement to promote ethical decision-making amongst young people. According to a recent poll conducted by Junior Achievement and Deloitte, online social networks have become central to teens' lives. Nearly nine-in-10 (88 percent) teens surveyed use social networks every day, with 70 percent saying they participate in social networking an hour or more daily and more than half (58 percent) saying they would consider their ability to access social networks at work when considering a job offer from a potential employer. Sean C. Rush, president and chief executive officer of Junior Achievement, noted, "This contest is a great opportunity for students to compete for $5,000 to help pay for college which, particularly in the current economic environment, could significantly reduce the financial burden of college tuition on families. And, perhaps even more importantly, the contest challenges students to apply ethical decision-making concepts to a real-world scenario which doesn't have a clear-cut, obvious solution, just like situations they'll likely face in college and in the workplace." Business leaders believe that practical application is one of the best forms of instruction. "We believe that learning is greatly enhanced when students have the opportunity to apply ethical decision-making concepts to real-life scenarios with which they can identify," said Ainar D. Aijala, Jr., global managing partner, Consulting, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and immediate past chairman of JA Worldwide. "Every student who thinks through the scenario, considers the various options, and writes a response will benefit from the exercise." Junior Achievement and Deloitte have co-developed two programs to help young people make ethical decisions. Developed to address the needs of high school students, JA Business Ethics provides hands-on classroom activities and real-life applications designed to foster ethical decision making as students prepare to enter the workforce. Students examine how their beliefs align with major ethics theories and learn the benefits and advantages of having a code of ethics. Additionally, Junior Achievement recently updated its original Deloitte-sponsored ethics program, Excellence through Ethics™, which is available online at ja.org free of charge and provides age-appropriate lessons for students in grades 4-12. To enter the college scholarship contest, students must have completed at least one Junior Achievement Excellence through Ethics lesson in ethical decision-making. Applicants can download a lesson at www.ja.org/ethics and complete the exercise, generally in less than one hour. For more information on the "Excellence through Ethics" essay contest, including the complete contest rules, please visit www.ja.org/ethics. About JA Worldwide® (JA) About Deloitte # # #
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