Junior Achievement educates and inspires students, to succeed in a global economy: Alaska Business Hall of Fame Jan. 28.

• Author: Wilson, David, Sr.
• Position: JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT 2010 SPECIAL SECTION

Alaska Business Hail of Fame

Junior Achievement of Alaska's 24th annual Alaska Business Hall of Fame unites the business community to honor outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to the Alaska economy and whose efforts have been key drivers of economic growth in Alaska.

Junior Achievement of Alaska and Alaska Business Monthly would like to congratulate the class of 2010 laureates: the Bailey family, Vern McCorkle, Matthew Nicolai and former Sen. Ted Stevens.

This year's event will take place Jan. 28 at the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center. We invite all past laureates, Junior Achievement alumni and all who care about Alaska's continued success to join in honoring the laureates.

The Need for Junior Achievement

As evidenced by the economic upheaval on Wall Street and on Main streets across the country, it is imperative that we improve the level of financial literacy in America. If banking and lending institutions can crumble, so can our respective personal financial frameworks. The long-term guarantee that or economy will remain the strongest in the world depends on the education of our students. For the last two years, consumer spending has outpaced after-tax earnings, and we carry approximately $2.5 trillion in debt, excluding home mortgages. We can, and must, teach the next generation to save and invest wisely.

Many parents assume--incorrectly--that their children learn money-management skills in schools. In fact, fewer than half of U.S. states require even basic economics courses, much less personal financial literacy education. This means that it is even more critical for schools to work with organizations such as Junior Achievement to provide relevant financial literacy education.

An investment now in teaching Alaska's youth how to earn, save, manage credit, and budget will pay dividends in the long-term. Financially literate individuals are more likely to be self-supporting; to prepare for financial setbacks and emergencies; and to increase their standard of living through wise spending, saving, planning and investing, according to the U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission.

Providing Solutions in Alaska

Junior...