PURPOSE
Junior Achievement of Central Maryland’s (JA) mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. Our goal is to empower, enrich, and inspire the next generation of innovators—enhancing their workforce readiness skills, helping them explore career pathways, and helping them create a dynamic vision for their future. A BRIEF HISTORY
Established in Maryland in 1957,
JA is one of hundreds of local affiliates that comprise Junior Achievement’s worldwide network and share a history of providing renowned, experiential learning opportunities in the areas of workforce readiness, financial education, and entrepreneurship. In its original years, programming focused on entrepreneurship through the JA Company Program, which provided high school students with the knowledge and skills to run their own company from start-up to liquidation. While continuing this program, over the following decades, JA expanded activities and broadened its scope to provide K-12 students a sequential, integrated curriculum, which utilizes a variety of hands-on activities to help youth bridge the gap between what they are learning in the classroom and its application to the real world. Our strategic approach is focused on meeting the specific needs of students by creating equitable access to high quality financial education and workforce readiness opportunities for our most vulnerable students. Our educational programs seek to prepare young people for the real world by showing them how to generate wealth and effectively manage it, how to create jobs that make their communities more robust, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. We accomplish this through systemic partnerships with school systems and multiple touchpoints, so concepts are imparted and reinforced throughout a students’ educational journey. Our vision is to see youth graduate well-prepared to pursue a pathway leading to a living wage and fulfilling career. VOLUNTEERS
Junior Achievement of Central Maryland’s volunteers come from all walks of life, including; business people, college students, parents, and retirees. These dedicated individuals are the backbone of our organization. PROGRAM REACH
Since its founding, JA has provided programs to more than 1 million Maryland young people in 12 local school systems. Annually, we provide programming to more than 30,000 K-12 students. JA programs are taught by volunteers in inner cities, suburbs, and rural areas throughout Junior Achievement of Central Maryland’s twelve county footprint which includes: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore City, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Kent, Queen Anne's and Washington. PROVEN SUCCESS
Junior Achievement is one of a few non-profits to use independent, third-party evaluators to gauge the impact of its programs. Since 1993, independent evaluators have conducted studies on JA’s effectiveness. Findings prove that JA, at all levels, is preparing students to develop successful financial management habits, empowering them to explore the potential of becoming an entrepreneur, and providing them the skills necessary to succeed in a global economy.
