After six weeks of the Junior Achievement program, both Mattlin and Plainview-Old Middle School students have successfully graduated.

The Junior Achievement program was run by Plainview DECA members under the guidance of Gloria Jones with the help of Henry Montag, Lori Arloff, three senior DECA members, Staci Deutsch, Lindsay Rutter and Amanda Hoffman, and the support of middle school principals, Lynne Manouverier and Dr. Edward Metzendorf. Students in Mattlin and Plainview-Old Bethpage Middle Schools seventh and eighth grades were offered to participate in this initial program.

One day every week, for six weeks, DECA members went to the middle schools to give the younger students workshops about different business concepts and ideas. These workshops were about entrepreneurship, marketing, advertising, budgeting, selling and purchasing, a new topic every week. In addition, guest speakers came to mentor the students. This was a fun and exciting way for the students to learn about business. The middle school students and DECA members both enjoyed participating in this unique program together and learned a lot from one another. It gave them a great way to connect with each other since they attend different schools. It was Plainview's first venture with the Junior Achievement program, for which there is hope to continue on with.

At the last session, each middle school student was awarded with a certificate of completion, pizza party, and the satisfaction that they are more educated about the business world and had fun doing it.