Dart’s Junior Achievement Company “Island Totes” completed its foray in to the world of business with the successful sale of 82 tote bags and a donation of CI$600 to the Alex Panton Foundation.
“The decision to donate to the Alex Panton Foundation came from our 14 employees,” said Theola Williams, President of Island Totes. The Alex Panton Foundation is a local non-for-profit with the primary objective of “raising awareness of mental illnesses affecting children and young adults in the Cayman Islands with a particular focus on anxiety and depression”. Theola explained, “The members of Junior Achievement felt drawn to a subject so vital that affects peers and colleagues in such a close community”.
Courtney Yates, Dart’s lead advisor for JA stated, “Junior Achievement is a great programme. Young people learn how to run a business; create a product, engage customers, discuss financials, and make business decisions, which can affect their profit”. She continued, “After the 18 week program run, the achievers walk away with a better sense of business acumen and pride in what they have achieved for the year”.
Dart employees who served as JA Advisors to Island Totes were: Courtney Yates, Aly Hay, Jonathan McLaughlin, Richard Superville, Alanna Warwick – Smith, Nick Natale, Nick Jackson, Ophelia Manderson, Lotoya Smith, and Ravi Campbell.
Alanna Warwick – Smith, a JA advisor, spoke about her journey: “What attracted me to Dart as an employer was the constant opportunities provided to employees to give back to their community. When I heard about Dart’s involvement with JA, I rushed to sign up”. Alanna went into detail and explained, “The weekly commitment felt like an opportunity to hit refresh and remind myself of all of the ideals and dreams that I used to have when I was in high school. A lot of the time, it felt like our achievers were teaching us. Junior Achievement is an opportunity to nourish the best parts of a High School Student: their ambition, their drive and their innovative nature. It was an inspiring experience and I can’t wait to continue this journey for the 2018/19 year”. She encourages all to participate if possible.