Casco Bay High School Students Participate in Junior Achievement “Be Entrepreneurial” Program with Portland Pirates

Portland, Maine – The Portland Pirates and Junior Achievement of Maine have partnered with Casco Bay High School again this year to provide students of Casco Bay High School the opportunity to learn what it takes to be successful in the world of professional team sales through a planned intensive academic course. This is the ninth consecutive year that the three organizations have partnered on this initiative.

Over the past 9 years, the partnership between the Pirates, Junior Achievement of Maine and Casco Bay High School has raised over $30,000 for Casco Bay High School. The funds have been used on technology upgrades, library books, and other projects. This year, the money raised by the students' will be used to support building renovations as the school undergoes a 3 year expansion from 280 students last year to about 400 students in 2015-2016.

This week, students from Casco Bay High School have spent the week learning about entrepreneurship and sales from local business leaders while Pirates ticket sales presentations for Junior Achievement Night on February 1st against the Binghamton Senators. Starting today, students are traveling to a number of businesses to pitch the ticket products in order to reach their sales goal for the course. A portion of all sales generated by the students will be donated directly to Casco Bay High School.

“Junior Achievement has very much enjoyed the partnership with the Portland Pirates and Casco Bay High School. Through our “JA Be Entrepreneurial” high school program we are able to equip the students with business knowledge as they prepare to come up with a business plan and pitch. It is also a great opportunity for the students to network with the JA volunteers who come in and teach each lesson. Each volunteer has a different work background and perspective, which is great for the students to be exposed to,” said Michelle Anderson, Marketing & Greater Portland Program Director for Junior Achievement of Maine.

“The Pirates are excited to partner with Junior Achievement of Maine and Casco Bay High School once again this season, and it has been great to work with both the Casco Bay students and Junior Achievement this week,” said Ben Locke, Account Executive for the Pirates and the Pirates’ program manager for the week long intensive. “The students have worked extremely hard this week and we’re excited to see them pitch the products in a real world scenario that benefits them not only with fundraising for Casco Bay High School but with real sales experience.”

“It has been exciting to see our students interact with local business leaders, the Pirates staff and members of Junior Achievement of Maine this week, and we’re looking forward to their sales meetings,” said Derek Pierce, Principal of Casco Bay High School. “We have a great group of aspiring entrepreneurs and I’m looking forward to seeing them apply what they’ve learned and the results of their efforts.”

For more information about the program, as a complete list of participating local businesses, and information on how to become a participant in this fundraising effort for Casco Bay High School, please visit http://www.portlandpirates.com/community/jr_achievement/.

Tickets are available for the Junior Achievement game through a special store, with $2 from each ticket sold going to Casco Bay High school. To purchase, please visit https://www.formstack.com/forms/portlandpirates-JA.