News Room :: Fact Sheet
WHAT IS JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT?
JA Worldwide® (Junior Achievement) is an innovator in empowering young people to own their future economic success in the 21st-century global marketplace. Junior Achievement focuses on the impact areas of youth, education and economic development. Junior Achievement's volunteer-delivered, K-12 programs foster work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills. Junior Achievement uses experiential learning to inspire kids to dream big, reach their potential and contribute to the vitality of their local communities and the world economy.
PURPOSE
JA Worldwide's purpose is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in global economy.
PROGRAM REACH
JA Worldwide reaches 10.6 million students per year in 406,000 classrooms and afterschool locations. JA programs are taught by volunteers in inner cities, suburbs and rural areas throughout the United States and in 117 countries around the world.
VOLUNTEERS
JA Worldwide's 389,000 classroom volunteers around the world come from all walks of life and include business people, college students, parents and retirees. These dedicated individuals are the backbone of the organization.
PROVEN SUCCESS
Junior Achievement is one of a few global nonprofits to use independent, third-party evaluators to gauge the impact of its programs. Since 1993, independent evaluators have conducted studies on Junior Achievement's effectiveness. Findings prove that Junior Achievement has a positive impact in a number of critical areas. These results are available free upon request. Summaries of the findings also are published in the JA Programs section at www.jaworldwide.org.
LEADERSHIP
Ralph de la Vega, President and CEO of AT&T Mobility, is chairman of the JA Worldwide board of directors. Sean C. Rush is president and chief executive officer. A total of 62 JA Worldwide board members represent a wide range of businesses and academic institutions around the world.
A BRIEF HISTORY
Junior Achievement was founded in 1919 by Theodore Vail, president of American Telephone & Telegraph; Horace Moses, president of Strathmore Paper Co.; and Senator Murray Crane of Massachusetts. Its first program, JA Company Program®, was offered to high school students on an after-school basis. In 1975, the organization entered the classroom with the introduction of Project Business for the middle grades. Over the last 30 years, Junior Achievement has expanded its activities and broadened its scope to include in-school and after-school students.
ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
JA Worldwide is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. The National Office provides strategic direction, leadership and support to approximately 3,400 employees worldwide. Local volunteer boards of directors comprised of business, education and civic leaders set the policy and direction for each local office.
OUR VALUES
- Belief in the boundless potential of young people.
- Passion for what we do, and honesty, integrity, and excellence in how we do it.
- Belief in the power of partnership and collaboration.
- Commitment to the principles of market based economics and entrepreneurship.
- Conviction in the educational and motivational impact of relevant, hands-on learning.
- Respect for the talents, creativity, perspectives, and backgrounds of all individuals.
For More Information, Contact:
JA Worldwide Headquarters
One Education Way
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
719-540-8000
Web site: www.ja.org
Download this Fact Sheet (672k)