JA (Junior Achievement) Worldwide
Founded1919 (1919)
FoundersTheodore Vail
Horace A. Moses
Winthrop M. Crane
TypeInternational NGO
Legal status501c3
Focus
  • Prepare youth for employment and entrepreneurship
  • Mission: To inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy
Location
Area served
More than 110 countries
Websitehttps://jaworldwide.org/

JA (Junior Achievement) Worldwide is a global non-profit youth organization founded in 1919 by Horace A. Moses, Theodore Vail, and Winthrop M. Crane. JA works with local businesses, schools, and organizations to deliver experiential learning programs in the areas of work readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship to students from ages 5 to 25.[1][2][3][4][5]

History

Boys' and Girls' Bureau of the Eastern States was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1919, as a spinoff of the Eastern States Exposition, to help educate young people moving from rural areas to the cities about the means of production and free enterprise. The following year, the organization's name was changed to the Junior Achievement Bureau. The name was modified in 1926 to Junior Achievement, Inc.[6]

Following World War II, the organization grew from a regional into a national organization.[7] In the 1960s, JA began its growth into an international organization.[7]

Beginning in 1944, Junior Achievement organized an annual national conference, known as the National Junior Achievers Conference, NAJAC, to bring together student representatives of local programs to participate in contests. In 1949, the organization began allowing conference delegates to elect national leadership to play an active role contributing to program development, increasing public awareness and supporting fundraising.[6]

In 1975, Junior Achievement introduced its first in-school program, Project Business, to help volunteers teach local middle school students about business and personal finance.[7]

JA annually reaches more than 12 million students in more than 100 countries around the world. Programs are delivered by more than 450,000 JA volunteers.[8]

JA Worldwide has six regional offices: JA Africa, JA Americas, JA Asia Pacific, JA Europe, JA Middle East and Africa (INJAZ Al-Arab), together with its American headquarters, Junior Achievement USA.[8]

Notable alumni

Notable JA alumni include former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, U.S. Congressman Bob Clement, Subway restaurant founder Fred DeLuca, American actor Arte Johnson, journalist Dan Rather, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, comedian Amy Sedaris, and British Labour Party Politician David Lammy.[9][10][11]

Notable Canadian JA alumni include entrepreneur and television personality Manjit Minhas (Alberta),[12] marketing executive Jennifer Wilnechenko (British Columbia),[13] executive director of The DMZ at Ryerson University Abdullah Snobar (Ontario),[14] and young philanthropist Ben Sabic (Manitoba).[15]

In fiction

The July 1962 issue of Analog Science Fact & Fiction published a short story by William M. Lee called "Junior Achievement", about a JA group consisting of genius children who invent and sell products beyond the comprehension of their adult leader.[16]

Leadership

From its founding in 1919 until 1962, JA was managed by volunteers from the business community. In 1962, the organization hired its first, full-time, paid president.[6]

Notable Board Chairs have included:

References

  1. ↑ Daley, Suzanne (28 November 1990). "New World for Junior Achievement". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  2. ↑ Singer, Penny (18 May 1997). "For Junior Achievers, Volunteers Are Key". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  3. ↑ Heath, Thomas (13 May 2012). "Value Added: This English major prefers the language of money". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  4. ↑ Duchon, Dennis; Green, Stephen G.; Taber, Thomas D. (1 January 1986). "Vertical dyad linkage: A longitudinal assessment of antecedents, measures, and consequences". Journal of Applied Psychology. 71 (1): 56–60. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.71.1.56.
  5. ↑ Wagner, Jodie (16 November 2012). "Junior Achievement program teaches Jupiter students life skills". The Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on 19 September 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 "Junior Achievement Records, 1916-2002, Ruth Lilly Special Collections & Archives". Indiana University. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 Francomano, Joe (1988). Junior Achievement: A History. Colorado Springs, CO: Junior Achievement Inc.
  8. 1 2 "JA Worldwide Locations". Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  9. ↑ "Junior Achievement 100". Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  10. ↑ "Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee". Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  11. ↑ "Junior Achievement Looking to Re-Connect with Former Students" (Press release). Junior Achievement. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  12. ↑ "Alumni of Influence Award". JA Southern Alberta. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  13. ↑ "About JA Alumni BC". JA Alumni British Columbia. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  14. ↑ "JA Central Ontario Governors' Dinner (2018) - JA Alumni Panel". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  15. ↑ "2009-2010 Annual Report" (PDF). Junior Achievement of Manitoba. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  16. ↑ William M. Lee (July 1962). "Junior Achievement". Analog Science Fact & Fiction. Re-published by Project Gutenberg.
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