Junior Achievement Big Bend

Economic empowerment through education. Junior Achievement (JA) is a nonprofit that inspires and prepares young people for success in a global economy. We envision a world in which young people have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities. 

Junior Achievement’s proven lessons in financial literacy, work and career readiness, and entrepreneurship are shown to positively impact the lives of young people. These lessons align with national and state educational standards and are delivered to millions of students across the country with the help of our education partners, volunteers, and donors from the local communities JA is based in.

JA Big Bend is the local office that serves the Florida Big Bend area. Currently we are active in Leon, Gadsden, and Jefferson counties. JA Big Bend has reached nearly 30,000 students in the Big Bend area and reaches around 3,000 students annually in 15 area schools. One of our main goals at JA Big Bend is to partner with underserved, under-represented, and rural communities in our area. JA’s belief is that students should have the power to own their economic success regardless of where they come from.

Junior Achievement's workforce preparation, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy programs were taught to 2,722 local K-12 students this year by over 100 business community volunteers. Of the total number of students, 1,999 low-income students (Title I school students) or 72% of the students are being reached. This is a significant impact for the local community. This project, Youth Workforce Development Education Programs for Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) K-12 Students in the Big Bend area of Florida, includes the continuation of support to the 1,999 LMI students of the Youth Workforce Development Education Programs that we have already in place in in Leon, Gadsden, and Jefferson Counties. It also includes expanding the programs to include an additional 200 students in rural Gadsden County High School which has 62.74% of it’s students on free or reduced lunch.

JA Big Bend has served the Big Bend area since 2012. Over ten years 30,000 students (approximately 3,000 yearly) have gone through JABB programming and the total number of LMI students served has yearly increased from 51% to this year’s 72%. Not only have we grown our total footprint in our community but are making a sizeable impact with our underserved students.

The cost to JA Big Bend for program materials is $40.00 per student. This funding will support providing educational materials for JA's professionally prepared programs focusing on youth workforce development. The JA programs are age/grade-level appropriate and are designed for a volunteer to participate with students in the classroom. Teachers are also provided supplementary material that they can use when the JA volunteer is not present.

The challenge is before us but there is strength in numbers. You can be an important part of the movement to build economic stability that multiplies for generations. Through the A Community Thrives grant your donation will be DOUBLED as a match.

Your donation:

1. Provides JA materials for our community students
2. Helps empower young people to own their economic success
3. Makes a direct impact in your community

Help us by making a gift that helps create the thriving, flourishing community we all want. Together we CAN Inspire Tomorrows!