For Immediate Release
For More Information Contact:
Christopher Miller, Marketing Manager
Junior Achievement of South Florida
(954) 979-7110
[email protected]
Social Media: @JASouthFLorida
LOCAL JA FELLOWS TEAM GERM GENIE WINS THREE NATIONAL AWARDS
NSU University School’s Germ Genie finishes in 2nd place among 15 student-run companies at JA USA’s 2020 National Student Leadership Summit
City of Coconut Creek, Florida – Junior Achievement of South Florida (JA) is proud to announce that Germ Genie, the JA Fellows Company Program team from NSU University School, won three awards at Junior Achievement USA’s 2020 National Student Leadership Summit (NSLS).
In addition to finishing in 2nd Place for the coveted National JA Company of the Year Award, Germ Genie won the Best Financial Performance, Delta Social Impact and EY Innovation awards. Teen entrepreneurs from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School’s Good Scents also competed.
“We are thrilled to see these two highly innovative teams represent Junior Achievement of South Florida at this prestigious competition for the 5th consecutive year,” said Laurie Sallarulo, President & CEO. “We applaud the students for their outstanding efforts, their teachers, mentors and our community partners who continue to support our entrepreneurship program.”
This year’s summit ran from June 15th-18th and will was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifteen JA Fellow company teams (out of more than 500 nationwide) were invited to compete at the JA NSLS. The student companies competing were assessed on their financial performance, individual team members’ personal and professional development, on a self-produced commercial about their product or service, on their team’s live virtual presentation to a panel of business leaders, and on their company’s performance.
Germ Genie won the Delta Social Impact Award by creating a solution to address a local, national or global social concern by connecting customers, stakeholders and community; demonstrating great customer service; advancing education in their company and creating value through innovation in all aspects of their business. The teens also had to describe the lessons they learned.
The ICE NYSE Foundation Best Financial Performance Award. The award was presented to the Junior Achievement (JA) student company that performed the best against criteria including profitability, investor expectations, employee earnings, product quality, leadership, and operational efficiency.
The annual JA Company of the Year Competition is a contest of business skills, ingenuity and innovation that focuses on the accomplishments of U.S. JA Company Program ® students, ages 15-18. Reaching more than 10,000 U.S. students during the 2019-2020 school year that created nearly 500 start-up companies, JA Company Program gives teens the skills to start and run their own businesses under the mentorship of local business volunteers. The teens develop a product/service designed to fill an unmet consumer or community need/service, they secure investments, produce, source, market and sell their product or service.
Good Scents started off with a citrus scented oil to help combat decreased energy and poor moods and to help improve daily functions. Their product line now includes an air freshener and they have expanded their scents to include lemongrass, peppermint, grapefruit, cinnamon and much more. These students were not only tasked with creating their product, but they also had to budget, plan, market and sell their finished product.
“JA has taught me numerous skills, including marketing a business, project management, and presenting myself professionally. It has allowed me to further enhance and develop my skills in hospitality, finance and marketing,” said Hunter Dorman, President of Good Scents.
Germ Genie came up with an airplane tray table cover to help limit the spread of tray table bacteria and viruses. Their product line has diversified as well, and now includes a travel pack with face masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, disinfectant wipes and a head rest cover. This student company has been successful in bringing in revenue and partnering with other businesses to bring awareness to their product.
“After doing much research, we discovered that tray tables are eight times dirtier than a toilet flush-button. There is nothing like our tray table cover on the market. In just four months, we have over $45,000 in revenue. In addition to individual sales, Germ Genie sold in bulk to AutoNation, BBX Capital and PTM Travel. We are currently in discussions with Delta Air Lines, Hudson News, Royal Caribbean and other large companies,” said Henry Hurowitz, President of Germ Genie.
The student companies that competed at the JA NSLS were assessed on their financial performance, individual team members’ personal and professional development, on a self-produced commercial about their product or service, on their team’s live presentation to a panel of business leaders and on their company’s performance.
About Junior Achievement of South Florida
Junior Achievement of South Florida (JA) inspires and prepares youth to succeed in a global economy. JA provides real-world training in financial literacy including budgeting, spending, investing and the use of credit; offers cutting-edge skill-building opportunities that enable young people to explore meaningful, productive careers; teaches students how to start businesses; and introduces entrepreneurial values that strengthen workplaces. Last year, with the help of over 7,100 trained corporate and community volunteers, JA delivered over 20 various programs to almost 50,000 students in classrooms throughout Broward and south Palm Beach counties and at JA World Huizenga Center at the Lillian S. Wells Pavilion, a first-class facility housing JA BizTown and JA Finance Park. For more information about Junior Achievement of South Florida, visit www.JASouthFlorida.org.
About Junior Achievement USA® (JA)
Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches more than 4.7 million students per year in 106 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.2 million students served by operations in 100 other countries worldwide. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide. Visit www.ja.org more information.
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