What is Junior Achievement

What is Junior Achievement?

Junior Achievement was founded in 1919 by Horace A. Moses, Theodore Vail and Winthrop M. Crane. Junior Achievement (JA) of Utah was established in 1956. It is the largest organization dedicated to giving young people knowledge to plan for the future, make smart academic and economic choices and skills they need for their own success. JA is a program that helps prepare young people for the real world. JA shows students how to be “work ready” with hands on projects. It helps students see the connection between what they learn in school and the working world and the value of staying in school. It teaches financial literacy and about entrepreneurship. The projects show students how to manage, create jobs, understand their communities, earn money and how to think in the work place, how to make goals and reach goals. JA teaches students the whys, hows and wows of opportunities in the world. JA works with local businesses and organizations and community volunteers give hands-on experience to students.

In November 2013, it was reported as the Nation’s largest peer-to-peer entrepreneurship education effort launched to help America’s high school students.

JA has more than 200,000 volunteers nationwide. JA has volunteers from the community to be mentors to Utah students. There are over 5,000 volunteers in Utah. These volunteers teach and share their experiences with over 4.4 million students nationwide, 70,000 students in Utah.

Junior Achievement has three different methods it uses to reach students.

In-class programs for Kindergarten through 12th grade

JA City for 5th and 8th graders

City Career Exploration Center for the public of all ages

JA teaches a want versus a need, how to balance a checkbook, ...

... middle of paper ...

... Junior Achievement. My mom volunteered for Junior Achievement 2nd grade last year. She said the children looked forward to her coming every week. She would take donuts every week. She said they were excited to learn and by incorporating the “treats” it motivated them to learn and try harder.

Every employer should pay for volunteer time. The world could change for those less fortunate or in circumstances of poverty or places of lesser education. And those people that are fortunate enough to have an education and even a job now-a-days would not feel like they are in a financial detriment and cannot afford to take off from work to volunteer or provide knowledge or services to other people in the community. Volunteering changes the life of the volunteer also. The volunteer leaves with a feeling of goodness in knowing they have helped someone, even if only one.