Our Mission and Values
Junior Achievement’s Goal
JA’s goal is to improve student circumstances by giving them a belief in themselves and a sense of purpose. JA is committed to partnering with schools and community members to serve as a source of inspiration for students, helping them to take an active role in preparing for their futures by exploring careers, developing strong employability skills, and setting goals. Through engaging, experiential lessons and volunteer interactions, JA programs help students see the relevance of what they are learning in the classroom and its application to the real world, acquire or enhance the skills they need to be successful in the workforce or postsecondary institutions, and recognize the value of an education. This knowledge helps students learn to manage their finances, understand basic economic concepts, explore careers, and develop in-demand job skills. Consequently, as adults, they will be more prepared to enter the workforce, make informed financial decisions, and contribute to the success of their local economy.
Organization Overview
JA USA
A Brief History
Junior Achievement was founded in 1919 by Theodore Vail, president of American Telephone & Telegraph; Horace Moses, president of Strathmore Paper Co.; and Senator Murray Crane of Massachusetts. Its first program, JA Company Program®, was offered to high school students on an after-school basis. In 1975, the organization entered the classroom with the introduction of Project Business for the middle grades. Over the last 39 years, Junior Achievement has expanded its activities and broadened its scope to include in-school and after-school students.
Location and Leadership
Junior Achievement USA is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and provides strategic direction, leadership, and support to approximately 1,600 employees throughout the United States. Local volunteer boards of directors comprised of business, education, and civic leaders set the policy and direction for each local office.
Mr. James Carroll (Jim), Senior Vice President, Global Government Relations of Honeywell International, is chairman of the Junior Achievement USA board of directors. Jack E. Kosakowski is the president and chief executive officer of Junior Achievement. Junior Achievement USA board members represent a wide range of businesses and academic institutions around the world. In addition, approximately 3,800 board members lead JA Area Offices around the United States.
Program Reach
Nationally, Junior Achievement reaches over 3 million students per year in 127,817 classrooms and after-school locations. JA programs are taught by volunteers in inner cities, suburbs, and rural areas throughout the United States, by 102 Area Offices in all 50 states.
JASPCA
Location and Leadership
Junior Achievement of South Central PA is headquartered in downtown York, PA and serves students across our 14 county franchise.
Tom Russell/CEO and Allison Kierce/President & COO lead the JASCPA team. John Stauffer from Citadel Credit Union, is the Chair of JASCPA’s Board of Trustees.
Full listing of JASCPA leadership.
Markets Served
JA of South Central PA covers fourteen counties: Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Northumberland, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder, Union, and York. The combined area includes 95 school districts.
Program Reach
JA of South Central PA reached over 108,000 students in the 2023-24 school year. There are 360,000 students in our 95 school districts (this includes private and home school students). Our market share is 30%. The national average is 9%. Of the 102 JA offices in the United States, JA of South Central PA ranks in the top 10 of students served.
Volunteers
JA of South Central PA recruits over 8,000 volunteers each school year. The 2,600 classroom volunteers, 1,700 STEM Summit volunteers, 1,200 REAL Life volunteers, 1,000 YES! volunteers, and 1,500 JA BizTown® volunteers come from all walks of life and include business people, college students, parents, and retirees. These dedicated individuals are the backbone of the organization.
Proven Success
Junior Achievement is one of a few nonprofits to use independent, third-party evaluators to gauge the impact of its programs. Since 1993, independent evaluators have conducted studies on Junior Achievement's effectiveness. Findings prove that Junior Achievement has a positive impact in a number of critical areas.