JA Interns Connect Across Borders

August 27, 2026

During June and July, 32 interns from across the JA network expanded their internship experiences beyond their JA locations.

Through JA Interns Connect, interns from Saudi Arabia, China, Lithuania, Oman, Argentina, Tunisia, Germany, Uganda, Brazil, Mexico, the United States, and Hong Kong SAR–China came together virtually to meet peers, learn from JA leaders, and build professional connections across borders.

Designed by JA Worldwide as a global virtual experience for interns at JA locations, JA Interns Connect included five interactive sessions. The program gave participants opportunities to exchange ideas, grow their professional networks, and gain perspectives beyond their day-to-day internships. It also introduced them to the scale and reach of the global JA network.

The sessions explored topics ranging from leadership and communication to career development and the experience of working within JA. Interns also heard from JA Worldwide leaders and professionals, including Chief People Development Officer Erin Sawyer, Chief Development Officer Leo Martellotto, and Senior Director of Youth Advocacy & People Sarah Rapp, who facilitated the series.

Mercy Namatovu, JA Uganda intern

Finding Common Ground

For Mercy Namatovu, an intern with JA Uganda, one of the most valuable parts of the program was connecting with interns whose lives and workplaces looked different from her own: “Although we may work in different environments, we share similar opportunities, challenges, and aspirations.”

Those conversations were central to the idea behind JA Interns Connect. Over five sessions, they became part of an international cohort of young professionals, learning from one another and discovering what it means to work within a network that spans the world.

Mercy said the experience exposed her to “new ideas, experiences, and perspectives” from other interns across the JA network.

Building Skills to Take Forward

JA Interns Connect also focused on professional skills that participants could use beyond their internships. For Mercy, communication and collaboration stood out. She identified active listening, confidently sharing ideas, asking questions, and staying open to feedback as important skills for professional growth. She also saw these lessons as something she could pass along to colleagues and other young people.

By the end of the series, Mercy said JA Interns Connect had strengthened her confidence, communication, teamwork, and professional skills. She planned to apply what she learned in her work at JA Uganda and share that knowledge with others.

Connecting to Something Bigger

JA Worldwide created JA Interns Connect to help interns see their JA work experience as an entry point into a much larger community. In addition to peer connections and professional learning, participants got a deeper look at JA's work around the world. They also joined the JA alumni ecosystem, extending those connections beyond the end of their internships.

For 32 interns across 12 JA locations, it meant that an internship at JA also became an opportunity to build cross-cultural relationships, learn alongside peers thousands of miles away, and begin developing a professional network that spans the global JA community.