The 33rd annual Putt for Education mini golf fundraiser will take place on Friday, Oct. 4, at the Village Greens, 1444 Village Road, Strasburg. Proceeds from the event will benefit Junior Achievement of South Central PA (JASCPA), which is gearing up for another year of educational programs it offers in schools across Lancaster County and the surrounding area.

Teams of four may sign up for one of three tee times, which will be 9:30 a.m., noon and 2:30 p.m. Twenty-four teams will begin golfing 24 holes at each tee time, and the team in each time slot with the best score will receive a trophy. Registration will include lunch and tickets for various prize drawings, which will feature gift baskets and items donated by local businesses and restaurants. Golfers may also participate in a contest to chip a ball into a hat to receive a prize. Different prizes will be offered during each time slot. Registration will be accepted until Friday, Sept. 27, while spaces are available. To register, visit http://www.jascpa.org/putt-for-education.

Putt for Education serves as JASCPA's largest fundraiser of the year. The event not only helps the organization sustain the many programs it provides schools throughout the year, but it allows JASCPA to offer its programming at no cost to schools. Specific programs are offered at different grade levels, but each activity falls under one of three educational pillars: financial literacy, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship. "Our main goal is to give students a taste of all the different things out there in the world," said Allison Kierce, chief operating officer of JASCPA. "We want them to realize not every pathway you go down requires a four-year degree. There's a lot of options available, and you can find a really exciting job."

One of JASCPA's many programs is Your Economic Success! (YESQ), a half-day educational event. The next installment will take place at Centerville Middle School on Wednesday, Sept. 18. YES is designed to familiarize seventh- and eighth-graders with the financial decisions and career choices they will face as working adults, and it incorporates activities such as budget balancing, working as a team and building a resume. JASCPA will also host a STEM Summit at Hempfield High School on Wednesday, Nov. 6, and Thursday, Nov. 7.

REAL Life, a program JASCPA offers for 11th-graders, will be held at Penn Manor High School on Thursday, Oct. 24, and Friday, Oct. 25. The program entails a full school day of educational activities that will help prepare students for job interviews, managing finances and maintaining a personal brand on social media. REAL Life will also take place at Lampeter-Strasburg High School on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, and the school will host a STEM Summit for its freshmen on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025.

Every year, JASCPA serves more than 30,000 students in Lancaster County with its programs, which require more than 9,000 volunteers to operate. Volunteer opportunities in nearly every school district in the county are available online at http://www.jascpa.org.

"We want to make sure students are prepared to join the workforce and learn about the opportunities available right here in southcentral Pennsylvania," Kierce said. "We're so fortunate to partner with so many businesses and organizations that realize this is an investment in all our tomorrows."