Kevin Clary, a long-time educator at Jessie Clark Middle School, was named the 2013 Teacher of the Year by Junior Achievement of the Bluegrass. He was recognized at Tuesday’s JA Adopt-A-School breakfast reception and awards program on March 19
JA piloted its financial literacy series in Clary’s seventh-grade classroom about five years ago, and childhood friend Todd Sallee has volunteered to teach it there ever since. “He’s very passionate about each lesson and contributes as much as I do, which is critical to the class’ success,” said Sallee, a JA board member who works at Kentucky Employers’ Mutual Insurance.
This year, JA is reaching nearly 3,000 seventh-graders with its financial literacy program.
Junior Achievement of the Bluegrass educates young people about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and basic financial matters such as household budgets and balanced checkbooks. JA, which offers sessions in 11 of its 18 coverage counties, has about 500 volunteers active in more than 770 classrooms this year. In the Adopt-A-School program, companies provide student materials and volunteer training for a particular school. Additional partners sponsor the financial literacy programs.