ALBION, Ill. — Champion Laboratories says it wants to continue to exhibit its commitment to the communities in which it serves. One recent example of this commitment was shown when Champion employees volunteered through the Junior Achievement program to teach Edwards County, Ill., youth the importance of dreaming big to reach their potential. This is the third year that Champion employees participated in the program, with volunteers teaching at Albion Grade School and West Salem Grade School.

Junior Achievement is a non-profit organization that offers programs to help prepare young people for the real world by showing them how to generate wealth and effectively manage it, how to create jobs which make their communities more robust and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. Students put these lessons into action and learn the value of contributing to their communities.

“Our volunteers have exceeded our expectations again this year,” said Mary Blair, VP global procurement, Champion. “The benefit Junior Achievement brings to our children, schools and community is priceless. We are bringing additional dynamics of financial literacy to our community.”

Champion employees who took the initiative to volunteer included Ginger Boewe, Sydney Gracyalny, Amanda Groff, Christy Kieffer, Carol Knackmuhs, Kristie Kolb, Tiffany Larkin, Mark McDaniel, Connie McKinney, Tina Phelps, Ellen Sams, Jacob Smith, Jenny Spencer, Shelly Thomason and Kent Vinson.

“Junior Achievement continues to grow in Edwards County, with additional classes at West Salem Grade School,” said Theo Boots, president, Junior Achievement of Southwestern Indiana. “During the 2010-2011 school year, Junior Achievement provided 22 programs to students K-8 at Albion Grade School and West Salem Grade School, serving over 44 percent of the students, one of the highest penetration rates in Junior Achievement’s service area. Junior Achievement attributes the success of this organization in Edwards County to the dedication of the volunteers, advisory board and donors of the community.”