JA’s scalable, hands-on programs give K-12 students the opportunity to improve their financial capability.
Junior Achievement (JA) will be celebrating its centennial throughout 2019. JA was started in 1919 in Springfield, Massachusetts by Strathmore Paper Founder Horace Moses, AT&T Chairman Theodore Vail and U.S. Senator from Massachusetts Murray Crane. JA’s founding was in response to families moving from farms to the growing industrial cities. The goal was to provide young people with the skills they would need to be successful adults in their new communities.
JA of Arkansas reaches more than 14,000 students each year in over 500 classrooms across Central and Northwest Arkansas. Volunteers play a key role in bringing Junior Achievement to life. We are proud of the work of our volunteers. They share their personal and professional experiences and skills with our students from their communities, and help them make the connection between what they are learning in school and what they will need to succeed in work and life.
Ninety-two percent of our JA volunteers are satisfied with their volunteer experience and 75 percent of JA volunteers say their volunteer experience is a positive factor to their job satisfaction.
The Mission
Junior Achievement is part of the solution, laying the foundation for greater economic stability across all communities and fulfilling the promise of economic independence for today’s youth. JA’s scalable, hands-on programs give K-12 students the opportunity to improve their financial capability, understand the importance of staying in school, and expand their vision for their future.
What Would You Do with $5,000 and a Day of Service?
“Junior Achievement programs have been proven to increase our students’ understanding and confidence when it comes to financial concepts,” said Jack Kosakowski, president and CEO of Junior Achievement USA. The support of Regions Bank is essential to helping JA reach more young people with critical programs that better prepare them for successful futures. Regions’ financial support will allow us to expand our JA program in Garland County (Hot Springs) and provide learning experiences for more students to meet the demand for our programs.