DSU to host over 120 youth for JA-in-a-Day

March 18, 2024

Dakota State University’s College of Business & Information Systems (BIS) will host over 120 youth from rural schools near Madison on Thursday, March 28 for a Junior Achievement (JA) Day learning about entrepreneurship.

Junior Achievement is an organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people for success. The event exposes middle school students to entrepreneurship concepts through Junior Achievement programming, “It’s My Business.”

The event continues to expand in its third year, with eighth-grade students from Chester, Colman-Egan, Oldham- Ramona-Rutland-, Arlington, and Sioux Valley set to attend.

“Through the good work of our DSU Foundation, we have secured a large portion of the financing for the project for the coming years from SBS CyberSecurity,” said Dr. Wendy Simmermon, Lecturer in the College of BIS.

DSU faculty and staff and SBS CyberSecurity employees will teach the sessions. From DSU, Dr. Patti Brooks, Dr. Yenling Chang, Dr. Brenda Merkel, Rose O’Brien, Dr. Michael Roach, Christine Souter, Leslie Stover, Dr. Deb Tech, and Julie Wulf Plimpton will lead sessions as volunteers. Cindy Oberg and Janet Reider from SBS Cybersecurity will also lead sessions.

Students will rotate through six sessions on entrepreneurship, market and need, innovative ideas, design and prototype, testing the market, and seeking funding. These sessions help students develop an idea into a business.

Simmermon is also excited to introduce middle school students to Dakota State University. Simmermon teaches accounting, business, management, and QuickBooks Online courses at DSU.