The Southern Tier Home Builders & Remodelers Association has launched the first Junior Achievement (JA) Program in the Southern Tier area. Fred Heisler of Southern Tier Permaside and Stan Howard of Howard Quality Windows represent STHBRA in the classrooms with ‘JA Success Skills’. Students participate in challenging exercises to help them develop personal strategies to achieve lifelong learning pursuits and career opportunities. Team-building exercises test their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, as well as their ability to communicate, negotiate and lead. Through engaging activities, they appreciate the importance of personal appearance, professional demeanor, punctuality, and written and oral communication. The first two JA classes have been supported through a grant from the Home Builders Institute (HBI) and conducted through a partnership with Broome-Tioga BOCES. STHBRA strives to be a leader in the education forum for our youth.