Students from seven area high schools earned the opportunity to compete in the Drs. David & Agnes Palmer Junior Achievement Titan Competition on Wednesday, March 4, at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport.
Held during Junior Achievement of the Heartland’s 70th anniversary year, the competition was made possible through the support of Vickie Anne Palmer, who sponsors the event in honor of her parents.
The Drs. David & Agnes Palmer JA Titan Competition is a business strategy tournament where high school students act as CEOs in the cell phone industry. Participants experience how organizations evaluate options, make decisions, analyze outcomes, and adjust strategy. With a focus on financial literacy and workforce insights, JA Titan brings business economics to life. Working in teams, students make decisions about production, marketing, research and development (R&D), and corporate social responsibility (CSR), learning how each choice affects a company’s success. The top three teams at the end of the competition are named the “Titans of Business” and receive scholarship dollars for post-secondary education.
Sixty-six teams competed in February during qualifying rounds held throughout JA of the Heartland’s 24-county territory. Each team included two to four students and one business mentor.
Schools with teams in the Scholarship Round on Wednesday, March 4, were: Galena High School, Keokuk High School, Mediapolis High School, Mendota Township High School, Pleasant Valley High School, Scales Mound High School, and West Liberty High School.
The Drs. David & Agnes Palmer JA Titan Competition is one example of how Junior Achievement is teaching entrepreneurship to students. The competition allowed students a hands-on opportunity to act as CEO of a cell phone company. As a team, the students worked to turn a new product into a profitable business. While at some of the Qualifying Rounds the students also had the opportunity for a college tour. Student survey results indicated 89% of the participating students said the Drs. David & Agnes Palmer JA Titan Competition was an exciting way to learn about business, and 66% agreed the competition made them think about their potential in starting their own business.
After competing in several business quarters during the competition at Palmer College, Pleasant Valley High School took first and second place. Each member of the Pleasant Valley team will receive a $1,000 scholarship for first place, and a $750 scholarship for second place, and each member of the third place team from West Burlington High School, will receive a $250 scholarship.
