The school based, multi-class event also had the largest number of volunteers from a single organization.
May 12, 2021– Over 20 British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) team members, including portfolio managers, investment strategists and financial analysts, volunteered their time to deliver financial literacy education to almost 300 students at Spencer Middle School, in Langford, B.C. on May 7, 2021. With materials and support provided by JA British Columbia (JABC), this half-day event in School District 62 was delivered through a virtual platform due to pandemic protocols.
The multi-class presentations began with an opening address by Daniel Garant, BCI’s Executive Vice President and Global Head of Public Markets. Next, BCI team members facilitated JA’s Economics for Success program in 10 separate classrooms at the school. This program prepares students to enter the world of work, including a focus on goal setting, budgeting, and financial planning. By the end of the session, students discover which career path best suits their needs, as well as how to get to where they want to be as adults.
After a short break, a special investing module, collaboratively developed with BCI, was delivered by 10 BCI executives and senior leaders to each of the classes. This interactive segment was designed to improve the investment knowledge and skills of the grade eight students, and covered topics such as savings accounts, stocks and bonds, investment risk, investment time horizons and compound interest. One student commented, “I thought learning about stocks and bonds was interesting because of the interest you earn over the years.”
Technology played a pivotal role in bringing together the largest number of volunteers from one organization to facilitate a JA program. Because the experience could not be delivered by volunteers in the physical classroom, it opened the doors to bring in BCI’s talented team members from multiple locations.
“It was a pleasure to participate in the Junior Achievement event with Spencer Middle School. This program is a great opportunity to enrich students with the basics of financial literacy and give back to our community,” said Daniel Garant, BCI’s Executive Vice President and Global Head of Public Markets.
“We are grateful for BCI’s partnership and their investment in the future of B.C.’s youth,” said Sheila Biggers, President and CEO of JA British Columbia. “Thanks to their ongoing support, students get the unique opportunity to learn critical financial skills directly from the experts. This can make an incredibly positive difference in their lives.”
About JA British Columbia
JABC is a member of JA Canada and JA Worldwide. As the first JA charter in Canada and JA’s first international chapter, JABC has been a leader in youth business education programs for 65 years. We are dedicated to preparing people who will create and shape the jobs of the future, foster stable economies, contribute to a healthy community and enjoy lifelong success. Our programs focus on financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship and are requested by educators across British Columbia. Thanks to the funding of generous donors, programs are delivered, free of charge, by local volunteers who provide their real-life experiences to students.
About BCI
With $171.3 billion of managed assets as of March 31, 2020, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) is a leading provider of investment management services to British Columbia’s public sector and one of Canada’s largest asset managers. BCI generates the investment returns that help their institutional clients build a financially secure future. With a global outlook, BCI seeks investment opportunities that convert savings into productive capital that will meet their clients’ risk and return requirements over time. BCI invests across a range of asset classes: fixed income; mortgages; public and private equity; real estate; infrastructure; and renewable resources.
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