Junior Achievement of Washington

Mission

Junior Achievement's (JA) purpose is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. Through cutting-edge, experiential learning programs focused on financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship, JA broadens the canvas of possibility for young people. JA programs are taught by more than 5,500 community & business mentors―individuals committed to the success of young people. JA will impact 120,000 K-12 students in Washington and Northern Idaho this school year.

Description

Since 1953, JA of Washington has been a part of local communities - working with schools and businesses to provide tangible pathways to academic, financial, and career success for young people.
How does JA continue to be relevant for today's youth? JA's powerful experiential and digital learning programs combine conceptual learning with hands-on activities and concepts that link to real-world applications. JA incorporates technology simulations, virtual learning, and the Internet to broaden its reach and mirror how today's youth learn. JA exposes students, at a young age, to smart saving and investing, thoughtful spending and credit, the role of taxes, the value of employment and the opportunities of global trade. JA students learn critical work skills-entrepreneurial thinking, collaboration, creativity, self-confidence, and discipline―that prepare them for college, trade school, or the workforce. JA programs also lead to an overwhelmingly positive attitude and self-concept―what we call the "I can" attitude―that ensures more positive life outcomes.
When young people succeed, everyone benefits: families that know how to save, invest, and avoid debt are more able to invest in their neighborhoods. Communities are more stable and prosperous when young people are job creators and reliable employees. Employers profit from a skilled and confident workforce that thinks like entrepreneurs. Teachers with access to a proven business curricula have more to offer in their classrooms. Volunteers report life changing experiences when mentoring JA students. And JA alumni are more employable, create more businesses, realize longer and better business results, and earn higher salaries than non-JA students.

"I've continued to work with Junior Achievement for most of my teaching career because of how adaptable, current and rigorous the curriculum is." Liz MacLennan, Roosevelt High School.

Washington State adopted financial literacy standards in October 2016 - and JA is at the forefront for delivering programs that meet the new state standards. JA's experience and capacity in providing financial education is reflected in the long history of working with schools, businesses, and community partners to provide financial literacy programs to young people. JA programs also correlate with many of Washington State's K-12 Learning Standards as well as the Common Core State Standards in English/Language Arts and Mathematics.