From Junior Achievement of Central Texas, this month's spotlight nonprofit:
Junior Achievement’s (JA) purpose is to inspire and prepare young people to reach their full potential through entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work readiness JA experiences in and out of the classroom. JA heightens students' appreciation for education by connecting school work to real-world concepts and long-term aspirations. Educational gaps that existed before the pandemic—in access, opportunities, achievement, and outcomes—are widening. The impacts are falling disproportionately on students who went into the pandemic with the greatest educational needs and fewest opportunities—many of them from historically marginalized and underserved groups. We fiercely believe that JA helps to close these educational gaps by connecting young people with mentors, JA experiences, and exposure to the wider world around them. When students develop the vision to see what's possible in their future, and are taught the skills they need to get there, then they will have a better chance to achieve their dreams.
We want to help drive economic equity in our region. We live in one of the most entrepreneurial areas in the United States, if not the world, yet being able to participate in that economic engine and being able to afford to live here is becoming increasingly difficult, and out of reach for many of our region's young people. JA serves as a conduit between the business community and schools. These connections along with delivering impactful, highly vetted, JA experiences are key assets for building economic equity and better outcomes for not just the individual but our community as a whole. Link to Annual JA Alumni Survey Data to learn more about JA outcomes.
How to Get Involved:
Volunteer- Whether you have one-hour, one-day, or one-hour once a week we have a volunteer experience for you. Volunteers are what bring our programs to life. When students are able to connect with an adult and hear about their life experiences, students see opportunities and pathways they often have never envisioned before.
JA volunteers serve as mentors helping to show students how concepts learned in the classroom are applied in everyday life while in an environment that allows them to test out those scenarios in a hands-on experience.
We provide volunteers with training that is clear and relatable; programs that are engaging and fun; and students who are ready to learn from you! JA’s classroom volunteers inspire, prepare, and empower.
Invest- Give the gift of JA. Your investment supports providing life changing JA experiences for our community's young people in grades K-12. An investment in JA is an investment in not only providing access to the tools for economic upward mobility for all but for the future of the greater Austin area. Every $50 gives the gift of JA. Invest in JA.
Connect- Keep in touch for volunteer opportunities, news, and celebrations.
Website: https://www.jacentex.org/
Socials: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
Phone number: (512) 710-5437
Email: programs@jacentex.org
Newsletter sign up: https://bit.ly/JACTXNewsletter
