Featured Charity: Junior Achievement of New York
"I can think of only a few organizations that are truly accomplished at inspiring and preparing young people for the real world - and Junior Achievement is one of them.” - Principal Gilberto Vega, Academy of Finance & Enterprise
What does your organization do?
There are many organizations that deliver financial literacy education, work-readiness education or entrepreneurship education. But there aren’t many that spe
cialize in all three of these areas. Junior Achievement of New York (JA New York) is the local affiliate of JA USA, the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. Unlike other institutions, Junior Achievement has a long history of providing vital economic education programs in the K-12 education space and the organization has an incredible reach both in the domestic USA and internationally.
JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteer role models in inner cities, suburbs and rural areas across the nation. JA volunteers are key to the success of our programs. They use the life and career experiences to enhance and bring our programs to life in the classroom. By combining the wealth of experience of our volunteers with financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship programs that provide relevant, hands-on experiences for students from kindergarten through high school, students are empowered to own their economic success.
Where is your organization located?
Junior Achievement New York is the local affiliate of Junior Achievement USA. Annually, we deliver financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship programs to nearly 70,000 K-12 students in over 260 school in the NYC and Long Island communities. As the nation’s premier bridge between business and education, JA USA’s 135+ local JA areas engage and involve more than 21,000 schools and host sites, representing nearly175,000 classrooms across America. Worldwide, JA reaches 10.6 million students per year in 406,000 classrooms and afterschool locations in 117 countries around the world.
How have you responded to the economic crisis?
At Junior Achievement, we give young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. Financially savvy citizens make good decisions that allow them to thrive and thus contribute more fully to their communities—and that contribution will have a “pebble in the pond” impact on the global economy.
As the nation recovers from the economic recession, former job positions are being replaced by those that require more technical skills or education. A significant gap exists between the skills employers need and the skills of high school graduates. In a survey of more than 400 employers in the United States, 42 percent rated the overall preparation of high school graduates for entry-level jobs as deficient — 73 percent rated their leadership skills deficient, 70 percent rated graduates deficient in both professional/work ethic and critical thinking/problem-solving, and 54 percent rated their creativity/innovation skills as deficient.
The knowledge and skills demanded by many employers today for entry-level jobs are at a higher level than the skills students are acquiring in postsecondary education. The “skills gap” exists in professions requiring higher level skills, particularly careers in science, engineering, math and technology (STEM) and among jobs that are often referred to as “middle skilled” occupations that require credentials between a high school degree and a four-year college degree. Bridging this skills gap and getting students prepared to work is where Junior Achievement excels. JA is uniquely positioned to equip 
students with the skills they need to be college- and career-ready by giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future and make smart academic and economic choices.
Our programs show students the value of an education, bridge the gap between what they are learning in the classroom with the real world, and equip the students with the skills and tools they need to be more successful in school and their future careers. JA programs empower students to make the connections between what they learn in school and how it can be applied to the real world – enhancing the relevance of their classroom learning and increasing their understanding of the value of staying in school.
Is there a time during the year when you need more help than usual?
The need to prepare our youth for a financially stable future is a year-round necessity. Your support of Junior Achievement provides a visible and meaningful demonstration of your commitment to youth in our community by helping them develop the competence, confidence and character needed to compete in today’s global economy. Corporate investors and individual donors can help us to meet these demands year round. Your financial and volunteer support for Junior Achievement will allow us to provide a JA experience for more students – we need your help to meet the demand for our programs. Our turnkey volunteer experience can support leadership development and employee morale. The school year – September to June 30th – is the optimum time for providing volunteer support.
Junior Achievement has year-round opportunities for you to get involved in our mission to inspire and prepare young people young people to succeed in a global economy.
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Volunteer to teach a class: A financially literate citizenry and economically stable communities affect us all. You can register to volunteer with Junior Achievement locally in NYC and Long Island, or in your state. Get your friends, neighbors and colleagues involved; organize a group volunteer effort. Junior Achievement has a diverse volunteer base. There are opportunities
to suit every age group or work schedule. - Join our online community: Want to stay abreast of news and developments connected to Junior Achievement’s three core areas of expertise – Financial literacy, work-readiness and entrepreneurship? Join JA New York on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
- Host a JA volunteer event at your company for JA kids: Help young people to discover their career calling by hosting a JA Job Shadow experience.
- Sponsor a party with a purpose: Not ready to volunteer yet, but committed to supporting the JA cause? – Get your company or your professional group to host a JA Bowl-a-Thon fundraiser in your community to support the delivery of free economic education programs.
- Invest in a the economic stability of our communities: Donate to Junior Achievement of New York to benefit the students of NYC and Long Island; or make a donation to your local community JA affiliate.
In NYC and Long Island, over 100 local businesses support Junior Achievement of New York through volunteer and fundraising partnerships, fiscal and pro-bono support. There are many ways that local businesses can get involved with JA New York:
- Build company morale by participating in a company-sponsored volunteer program like JA-in-Day, which can improve team building within your organization.
- Attend one of our exciting fundraising events like the annual JA New York Awards Dinner, or one of our annual golf outings.
- Sponsor one of JA New York's special programs like the JA New York High School Heroes.
- Host a JA Job Shadow experience: Invite students to visit your company where they can explore career choices and make connections between what they study and learn in school and how it's applied in the real world.
- Host your own company-wide Bowl-A-Thon, and have a great time while supporting a good cause.
- You can also provide direct funding, which will enable JA New York to provide our programs cost-free to NYC schools and community organizations.
- Set up a Company Donor Matching Program. If you already have one, encourage your employees to double their individual donor gifts to JA New York.
What kind of impact will my donation have?
Donations to Junior Achievement are used to deliver vital, free financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship education programs, experiences and volunteer resources to high need schools in our communities. We recruit and train 
volunteers for free and we provide free grade appropriate curricula to schools and community organizations.
Your financial support allows us to develop relevant, engaging, hands-on curricula, and provides learning opportunities for more students. We need your help to meet the demand for our courses which teach skills like personal finance, career readiness, owning a business and the importance of community and public service. JA students also learn about the economy and how it works.
Even a modest contribution can make a real difference for children in our community.
For example, your donation of:
- $50 = Helps a Student Discover their Career Path with a JA Job Shadow Experience
- $100 = Purchases a JA Program Kit for a Class. One kit serves one classroom of 25-30 students
- $150 = Recruits and Trains a JA Volunteer
- $500 = Funds the Program and Material Costs for a JA Academy Scholar for 6 months
What do you wish more people knew about your organization?
JA Programs Reinforce the Importance of Staying in School and Prepare Students for the Real World.
Participation in JA reinforces the value of an education. In recent program evaluations conducted by an independent research firm, an average of 8 out of 10 high school students report that Junior Achievement programs helped reinforce the importance of staying in school. In longitudinal studies, JA students were significantly more likely than their peers to believe that they would graduate from high school, pursue post-secondary education and graduate from college.
95% of teachers report that students who participate in Junior Achievement have a better understanding of how the real world operates, and nine out of 10 teachers and volunteers agree or strongly agree that JA programs connect what is learned in the classroom to the outside world.
What makes your organization successful?
JA programs and experiences are proven to work:
Nearly one hundred years of providing economic, entrepreneurship and work-readiness education to students and fifteen years of program research, including approximately 50 comprehensive, nationwide evaluations, consistently confirm our impact on students’ knowledge, skill development and attitudes. Our programs prepare students to:
- Proactively manage their finances.
- Become entrepreneurs
- Develop skills that will be recognized and valuable in a global workforce.
When asked if being a JA student positively affected their future, 92% of JA alumni responded with a resounding “Yes.”
We live in an information and relationship driven world. The power of Junior Achievement’s success is in our ability to reach and collaborate with a broad constituent base. Collaboration and partnership with business, schools and community groups at the local and national level is vital to our ability to impact the communities we serve. Through partnerships, we address and provide solutions for pressing issues around youth development, economic development and education development. Our advice to other charities is to build partnerships and utilize collaboration to sustain and grow the impact of your cause.
Do you have any current or upcoming events?
JA Bowl-a-Thons: Year-round
Each year, Junior Achievement partners with more than 25 leading New York companies for Bowl-A-Thons which generate revenue to fund the free programs that teach NYC and Long Island students about personal economics, the importance of staying in school and workforce readiness. Bowl-A-Thons are fun team-building events that ensure that JA can make a difference in the community.
JA Volunteer Opportunities: During the School Year
As role models, volunteers bring "real world" experience into the classroom and show young people the importance of staying in school. Our volunteers come from diverse occupations, backgrounds, and age groups, including business professionals, parents, retirees, and college students. You will help students develop the skills they need to experience the realities and opportunities in the 21st-century. With JA New York, you get an opportunity to share your personal insights with students who look up to you and who are eager to learn from your experiences. And JA New York makes it easy for you. We provide structured lessons and a supportive environment, along with the flexibility for you to add your own personal touch. The result? JA New York volunteers often feel that they get just as much out of the experience as their students do.
- CLICK HERE: For NYC/Long Island volunteer opportunities.
- CLICK HERE: for nationwide JA volunteer opportunities.
Second Chance Prom – Thursday, June 7, 2012
If you are in the NYC/LI area, JA New York invites you to attend a fun, brand new, fundraising event - Second Chance Prom - Thursday, June 7th. Go stag for $100 or with a date for $175. Tickets include admission, bottomless spiked punch bowl, wine, beer, hors d’oeuvres, dancing and disco balls. Visit http://www.jany.org/promfor more information.
Annual Golf Classic – Monday, June 18, 2012
The JA New York Golf Classic is the perfect occasion for exposure to some of New York’s most influential companies. Foursome’s will spend the day on the beautiful green fairways of Westchester Country Club with 200 executives from companies such as: Accenture, American Express, AT&T, Avis, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, Minyanville Media Inc., Oracle, Pfizer, PwC, Turner Broadcasting, U.S. Bank and others. It’s a great way to reward a valued employee or provide a fun and productive outing for entertaining clients. Visit: http://www.jany.org/support/golf.shtml for more details.
Want to learn more about Junior Achievement of New York?
Web Site: www.jany.org or www.ja.org
Phone: (212) 907-0046
Mailing Address: 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 205, New York, NY 10170
E-mail: info@jany.org
Connect with Junior Achievement of New York on:
www.facebook.com/JuniorAchievementofNewYork
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Junior-Achievement-New-York-JA-1800743?gid=1800743&trk=hb_side_g
