Bridgepoint Education is proud of its involvement with the worldwide volunteer organization known as Junior Achievement. "From day one, that's been the case," says CEO, Andrew Clark. "Ever since the company's existence, Bridgepoint Education has participated in the Junior Achievement program and we absolutely plan to continue that involvement."

More than 50 Bridgepoint employees stepped up recently when asked to participate in a Junior Achievement activity that would give directly back to the community. Bridgepoint volunteers served as a "teacher for the day" in a Kindergarten through 5th grade classroom. Volunteers gave their time to Poway's Valley Elementary School and Morning Creek Elementary, located near the company's San Diego headquarters.

Bridgepoint employee Jacqueline Armstrong said she loved the experience. "I had a ton of fun teaching the students and they were so eager to learn and enjoyable to be around. I look forward to doing it again and again and again," she says. Disability Services Coordinator, Poppy Fitch, couldn't agree more. "What a fantastic experience Junior Achievement was!" she says. "I think the concept of bringing the real life application of what is being taught is so powerful for school-aged children (for all of us, really!) It was a treat to be able to work in a Special Needs classroom; the kids were so happy and engaged. It was particularly exciting to ask, "who here wants to go to college?? and to then be able to tell those kids that it is possible."

Indeed, that's the whole point of Junior Achievement - to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. The Junior Achievement organization believes in the "boundless potential of young people" and, as an organization of volunteers, is committed to "ensuring students understand and value free enterprise, business, and economics." To accomplish this goal, Junior Achievement uses hands-on experiences to help students learn the economics of life. In partnership with businesses and educators (such as our Bridgepoint employee volunteers), Junior Achievement brings the real world to students, opening their minds, at an early age, to their own unique potential.

As volunteer teachers, Bridgepoint employees were provided with age-appropriate curricula and training. They were then given the opportunity of a lifetime to teach a number of local school children lessons about how they, alone, could impact the world around them as individuals, workers and consumers. Bridgepoint employee, Art Gonzalez, summed it up best. "My time in the classroom was as much fun for me as it was for the kids," he says. "It was a very rewarding experience to be able to give back to the community. It's nice to know that I could make a difference. Each letter I received from those wonderful kids alone was a reward in itself. Thank you, Junior Achievement!"

Bridgepoint Education

Based in San Diego, Bridgepoint Education was founded on the principle that anyone who is academically prepared deserves access to higher education without sacrificing quality, transferability of credits, accessibility, academic standards, or credentials. As an independent, private higher education company, Bridgepoint is committed to servicing the millions of adults seeking an affordable alternative to high priced higher education. Bridgepoint Education subsidiaries provide both traditional and online education offerings, in addition to recruiting and admissions services. Our comprehensive education services have helped thousands of students improve their lives and careers through higher education. Bridgepoint Education was named by Inc. magazine as the fastest growing private education company in the United States. For more information, please visit us at www.bridgepointeducation.com or contact: Shari Rodriguez, Director of Public Relations, at 800.798.0584, extension 2513.