1800 White Bear Avenue, Maplewood, MN 55109

LOCAL JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT BUSINESS SPONSERS AND EDUCATORS HONORED AT TASTE ST. PAUL, MN October 1, 2011Leading educators and local business sponsors came together Friday September 30, to help honor those who stood out as this years top contributors in the effort to educate local students on financial literacy. A special Junior Achievement reception was held at the annual TASTE event Friday night at the TCF stadium in Minneapolis. Educators recognized for the 10-11 school year are as follows: Elementary Teacher of the Year: Ingrid Martinez, Adams Spanish Immersion Magnet in St. Paul Middle School Teacher of the Year: Hayley Forrest, Anwatin Middle School in Minneapolis High School Teacher of the Year: Sayra Loftus, High School of Recording Arts in St. Paul Capstone Teacher of the Year: Melissa McPhee, Westwood Elementary School in St. Cloud

As our economy threatens to slip into yet another recession, the importance of teaching financial education to our youth is more critical now than ever before. Starting this 2011-2012 school an increased number of school districts across the country have begun mandating some form of financial education be taught in the classroom. Junior Achievement is the worlds largest non-profit dedicated to educating youth on financial literacy. Many local school districts receive curriculum offered free of charge. These programs are generously paid for by Junior Achievements business partners and taught by professional volunteers. "We are so grateful for our educators who helped us reach over 122,000 students in the Upper Midwest with over 1 million contact hours." said Gina Blayney, President of Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest. "We couldnt do it with out the support of every educator that welcomes our programming and volunteers into the classroom." About Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest: Junior Achievement is the worlds largest organization dedicated to educating students about college and career readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest, a regional chapter of JA, serves students throughout MN, ND, and western WI. Utilizing a committed network of more than 7,000+ volunteers, JAUM inspires and prepares young people to succeed in a global economy, reaching students with over 1 million hours of programming each year.

###