Junior Achievement of Southwestern Indiana

Junior Achievement (JA)’s mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy.  JA's in-school, volunteer-led curriculum delivers age-appropriate material to students K-12. Each grade level emphasizes on one of JA’s three pillars of success: Work Readiness, Financial Literacy, and Entrepreneurship.  JA helps students go from "I Can't" to "I CAN" by fostering a sense of purpose and a belief in themselves.

According to a 2020 survey by Ipsos, 4-in-5 JA Alumni credit Junior Achievement for:  

• Influencing their decisions about further education 
• Impacting their professional and personal development 
• Affecting their self-confidence and belief-in-self  
• Motivating them to succeed professionally 

The research also shows that JA alumni are more likely to finish college, start a business, and have confidence in managing money. JA’s curriculum empowers students and makes an impact on a number of societal issues, including poverty, educational disparity, achievement gap, lack of a talent pipeline, youth self-efficacy, and equality. Experts agree that people who miss out on financial literacy training are more likely to suffer economically. JA programs address some of these root causes: a lack of financial literacy, employability and life skills, and workforce and career-based opportunities. By instilling these concepts through JA programs, youth are better prepared to make smart academic and economic choices, leading to financial security.