IberiaBank volunteer completes JA program at Hogan Spring Glen Elementary

This spring semester Tanya Guydos, Vice President of Iberiabank in Jacksonville, spent time each week teaching a kindergarten class at Hogan Spring Glen Elementary. She volunteered to teach the Junior Achievement program, JA Ourselves, and shared her experiences with JA program director Melissa Covey throughout the Spring.

February 2017

“Today we did the voting  lesson and I was able to get the Supervisor of Elections office to donate I voted stickers, I registered stickers, ballots and other items for them as well. We all “voted” on doing a beautification project for their class and their home.  I brought in all the goodies to make flowers pots.  One of our clients graciously donated all of the seeds and we had a ball.  Ok…   we did have to watch the dirt, I would have hated to call the janitor!

Thought I would share with you. Great Friday and such a wonderful group of kids!!”

April 2017

“They were so excited that I was back and look at the card they made for me for my time I had spent with them!  I about started to cry!”

May 2017

“Today each child received their certificates AND a nickel and a quarter (Lesson #4) to put in their banks to save!” 

About JA Ourselves®

JA Ourselves uses storybook characters in read-aloud and hands-on activities to introduce the role people play in an economy. Through engaging, volunteer-led activities, young students learn about individual choices, money, the importance of saving and giving, and the value of work. Learn more about JA Ourselves.

If you are interested in becoming a Junior Achievement volunteer please visit JAjax.com.

Stay connected: Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // Google+ // Instagram // Website

Sandalwood High School students win FedEx Junior Business Challenge at THE PLAYERS Championship

Student company “Antibee” will advance to the business challenge finals at the TOUR Championship in Atlanta

On Wednesday, May 10 THE PLAYERS Championship hosted the second FedEx Junior Business Challenge qualifying event of the season, as students from Junior Achievement of North Florida presented business concepts to a panel consisting of 2014 FedExCup champion Billy Horschel and successful business personalities for a chance to advance to the FedEx Junior Business Challenge Finals at the TOUR Championship in Atlanta.

The competition consisted of three student-run companies:

• team Antibee from Sandalwood High School,
• team Lil Patriots from A. Philip Randolph Academies of Technology,
• and team Wolfpack Snack Shack from Samuel L. Wolfson High.

The companies presented their business to a panel of judges and an audience inside the Stadium Village alongside the 18th fairway during THE PLAYERS Championship.

The guest panel of judges featured:

• Billy Horschel – 2014 FedEx Cup Champion
• Kristi Dosh – Sports business writer, Forbes
• Tripp Davis – Managing partner, PwC Florida
• Mary Lynn Schroeder – CEO/Lead Designer, In Blue Handmade

In the end, Sandalwood’s Antibee won the judges over. Antibee aims to increase awareness of bullying within schools; a real problem, according to the company, that no one wants to talk about for fear of embarrassment and/or retaliation. As a solution the students created an app that can be downloaded on Apple or Android devices. The app allows students to share positive messages, look for resources,  and connect with other students who have experienced bullying or who might just want to offer up encouragement and positivity.

Their win at THE PLAYERS Championship means they advance to the FedEx Junior Business Challenge Finals at the TOUR Championship in Atlanta.

Billy Horschel helps kick off the FedEx Junior Business Challenge at THE PLAYERS Championship on Wednesday, May 10, 2017, in Ponte Vedra Beach Fl. Junior Achievement students will present business concepts at PGA TOUR tournaments this season for a chance to earn a $75,000 donation for their local JA chapter on behalf of FedEx. (Rick Wilson/AP Images for FedEx)

Billy Horschel helps kick off the FedEx Junior Business Challenge at THE PLAYERS Championship on Wednesday, May 10, 2017, in Ponte Vedra Beach Fl. Junior Achievement students will present business concepts at PGA TOUR tournaments this season for a chance to earn a $75,000 donation for their local JA chapter on behalf of FedEx. (Rick Wilson/AP Images for FedEx)

 

All teams presenting at the FedEx Junior Business Challenge are participants in the JA Company Program, a Junior Achievement program in which students learn to be entrepreneurial-minded when they create their business from scratch and try to make a profit.

The FedEx Junior Business Challenge, an extension of the JA Company Program, serves as a platform to provide select JA students the opportunity to showcase their business concepts at designated PGA TOUR tournaments this season for a chance to generate a $75,000 donation from FedEx to further support youth entrepreneurship.

View more photos from the event.

About Junior Achievement of North Florida

Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. Junior Achievement of North Florida has been operating in Jacksonville since 1963 and now includes a satellite office in Tallahassee. Through an innovative partnership between the business community, educators and volunteers, Junior Achievement of North Florida helps young people connect with relevant learning and the importance of staying in school. This collaboration resulted in 56,489 students reached during the 2015-2016 school year. To learn more about Junior Achievement of North Florida, visit http://www.JAjax.com.

About JA Company Program

JA Company Program is Junior Achievement’s longest running program. It is a blended learning approach that offers groups of students the opportunity to understand the steps involved in launching their own businesses while learning the basics of entrepreneurship, financial literacy and business success. Learn more about JA Company Program.

Students gain “Skills to Achieve” at Macquarie Group

Lee High School students participated in JA’s “Skills to Achieve” program at Macquarie Group’s Jacksonville office.

The students learned what skills are necessary to work at Macquarie Group and succeed in the finance industry. Company volunteers taught Junior Achievement lessons that further discussed tools and skills required to earn and keep a job in high-growth career industries.

Thank you Macquarie volunteers!

-Anthony Glenn
-Gerrylyn Williams
-Kisha Shabazz
-Renaire Le Blanc
-Nasr Jeries
-Claudio Ghipsmann

Skills to Achieve brings high school students to a company location for a stimulating, interactive, and impactful one-day experience. The day begins with a host company experience and continues with corporate volunteers team teaching JA lessons on financial literacy and workforce readiness.

To learn more about JA programs in North Florida, visit JAjax.com.

Stay connected: Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // Google+ // Instagram // Website

Junior Achievement of North Florida and Voya Financial launch ‘Skills to Achieve’ Program

$5,000 grant to expand program presented during launch event

Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA) and Junior Achievement of North Florida announced the launch of an innovative, new program called Skills to Achieve, an effort that invites high school students to participate in a stimulating, one-day program hosted by various corporations. Students learn what skills are needed to succeed in a specific industry, and employee-volunteers teach participating students lessons on financial literacy and workforce readiness using the Junior Achievement (JA) curriculum.

“The Skills to Achieve program developed for Voya Financial by Junior Achievement is a testament to both organizations’ commitment to youthful career exploration and financial success,” Steve St. Amand, president, Junior Achievement of North Florida. “Voya is a leader in financial planning, and Junior Achievement is the world’s largest financial literacy program provider. The partnership will help more young people appreciate the opportunities at their disposal and what they have to do to succeed.”

The launch event took place at Wolfson High School on April 20. The day began with a check presentation, followed by Voya employees teaching Wolfson High School students the JA curriculum designed to advance financial literacy, entrepreneurship skills and workforce preparation.

“At Voya, we’re committed to supporting and leading initiatives that drive financial awareness and improve education,” said Jeff Machols, Voya leader and JA board member. “We recognize that, for meaningful change to occur, we need great partners like Junior Achievement and the many schools who participate in JA programs. We’re excited to build on our history of support for JA by launching the Skills to Achieve program, which furthers our goal of teaching hands-on, real-world content and fostering skills that will be essential for students to succeed in the future.”

About Voya Financial^®

Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA), helps Americans plan, invest and protect their savings — to get ready to retire better. Serving the financial needs of approximately 13.6 million individual and institutional customers in the United States, Voya is a Fortune 500 company that had $11 billion in revenue in 2016. The company had $484 billion in total assets under management and administration as of Dec. 31, 2016. With a clear mission to make a secure financial future possible — one person, one family, one institution at a time — Voya’s vision is to be America’s Retirement Company^®. Certified as a “Great Place to Work” by the Great Place to Work^® Institute, Voya is equally committed to conducting business in a way that is socially, environmentally, economically and ethically responsible and has been recognized as one of the 2017 World’s Most Ethical Companies^® by the Ethisphere Institute, as well as one of the Top Green Companies in the U.S., by Newsweek magazine. For more information, visit voya.com. Follow Voya Financial on Facebook and Twitter @Voya.

About Junior Achievement of North Florida

Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. Junior Achievement of North Florida has been operating in Jacksonville since 1963 and now includes a satellite office in Tallahassee. Through an innovative partnership between the business community, educators and volunteers, Junior Achievement of North Florida helps young people connect with relevant learning and the importance of staying in school. This collaboration resulted in 56,489 students reached during the 2015-2016 school year. To learn more about Junior Achievement of North Florida, visit www.JAjax.com.

Stay connected: Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // Google+ // Instagram // Website

Acknowledging a superhero volunteer during Volunteer Appreciation Week

April 23-29 is National Volunteer Appreciation Week. Our hardworking volunteers have made an impact on many students’ lives, and for that we thank them!

Halley McKenzie (pictured, with JA North Florida President Steve St. Amand) received the Richard Maxwell Award at the Hall of Fame event in March 2017.

And rightfully so!

Halley has been teaching JA programs for 10 years, is now the volunteer coordinator for Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, and has had a hand in nearly 20,000 students receiving JA programs since the start of her involvement with Junior Achievement.

Named after the CEO of JA USA who brought JA programs into the classrooms in the mid-70’s, the Richard Maxwell Award is presented to someone who has not only been an exemplary JA volunteer, but has also worked tirelessly to increase volunteer participation by others presented to someone who is not only an exemplary JA volunteer, but has also worked tirelessly to increase volunteer participation by others.

Congratulations Halley, and thank you for your efforts!

If you or your company would like to get involved like Halley, click here to learn how you can make an impact with Junior Achievement in North Florida.

Stay connected: Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // Google+ // Instagram // Website

2017 Teens and Personal Finance Survey results released by Junior Achievement USA

The survey of 1,000 teens between the ages of 13 and 17 was conducted by Opinion Research International between March 14 and 21, 2017.

The focus of the poll included teens’ perceptions related to income tax rates, their understanding of 401Ks, and future income expectations.

Key Findings

Finding 1

More than 3 in 5 teens (62%) purchase items in a store using cash, while fewer than 1 in 3 (29%) said they use a credit/debit card. Far fewer (4%) use an electronic form of payment such as Apple Pay, Google Wallet, or Paypal; or use a check (1%). Five percent weren’t sure.

Finding 2

Half of teens (50%) receive an allowance. Almost three fourths of those who get an allowance (73%) earned it by doing chores around the house. The other quarter of teens (23%) get an allowance regardless of whether they do chores or not.

Finding 3

While 30 percent of teens accurately answered that a 401K is a retirement plan where the employee contributes a certain amount and the employer matches, almost 3 in 4 teens (70%) don’t know what a 401K is.

Finding 4

Another important piece of teens’ financial futures is the understanding of income tax. The survey revealed that 37 percent of teens have the misperception that the average American pays an income tax rate exceeding 40 percent (in actuality the average rate is 31.5 percent for Federal, State and FICA, according to the Tax Foundation.) Only 1 in 3 (29%) teens answered in the proper range (21-40 percent). Thirty-three percent came in low between 1-20 percent.

Finding 5

JA asked teens about their income expectations for their first job. Based on the results, 47 percent of teens think that they will make less than $35,000 while 28 percent believe they will make more than $35,000. A full 22 percent weren’t sure where their income would fall.

Read the full results here.

Methodology
This report presents the findings of an Opinion Research Corporation’s Youth CARAVAN survey conducted among a sample of 1,000 13-17 year olds. Respondents for this survey are selected from among those who have volunteered to participate in online surveys and polls. Because the sample is based on those who initially self-selected for participation, no estimates of sampling error are calculated.

About Junior Achievement USA®
Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches 4.8 million students per year in more than 100 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.6 million students served by operations over 100 other countries worldwide. Visit http://www.ja.org for more information.

About Junior Achievement of North Florida
Junior Achievement of North Florida has been operating in Jacksonville since 1963 and now includes a satellite office in Tallahassee. Through an innovative partnership between the business community, educators and volunteers, Junior Achievement of North Florida helps young people connect with relevant learning and the importance of staying in school. This collaboration resulted in 56,489 students reached during the 2015-2016 school year. To learn more about Junior Achievement of North Florida, visit www.JAjax.com.

Stay connected: Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // Google+ // Instagram // Website

Program Spotlight: JA Personal Finance

JA Personal Finance®

Grades 9-12

Students learn about:

• Earning money
• Spending money wisely through budgeting
• saving and investing money
• using credit cautiously
• protecting one’s personal finances

Following participation in the program, students will be able to:

• Recognize the fundamental elements of their personal finances: earnings, saving and investing, budgeting, credit, risk management, and giving.
• Apply these fundamental elements to a personal financial plan that allows them to set specific goals for their lifelong financial needs and desired quality of life.

Session One: Plan to Earn

Students learn that healthy personal finances take planning and managing. They begin to analyze major life events and issues that have financial implications.

Session Two: Saving for Life

Students analyze the role saving plays in their personal finances and how having a healthy savings plan is necessary in all phases of life.

Session Three: The Budget Game

Students investigate budgeting and why many people have difficulty staying within a budget.

Session Four: Credit Choices

Students analyze the importance of credit and the outcomes of wise and poor use of credit.

Session Five: Savvy Consumer

Groups work together to create public service announcements (PSAs) to inform each other of risks they could face in their finances and identify ways to protect themselves from potential loss.

Bring JA Personal Finance to your classroom!

At your invitation, we help arrange for business people and local community leaders to visit your classroom a few times or throughout the semester. Request JA Personal Finance for your classroom today at JAjax.com.

Become a JA Volunteer!

Join Junior Achievement’s national network of more than 213,000 volunteers and help students in your community connect the dots between what they learn in school and the “business of life”— work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Visit JAjax.com to learn how you can become a JA Volunteer.

Stay connected: Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // Google+ // Instagram // Website

JA in a Day with PwC Interns

A very special thank you to this great group of PwC interns for volunteering to teach JA in a Day at Andrew Robinson Elementary!

The students enjoyed having the volunteers in their classrooms. From kindergarten to fifth grade, students learned topics including saving money, earning money, businesses and community, entrepreneurship and more.

JA in a Day is a unique initiative that allows volunteers to teach all of the lessons of Junior Achievement’s elementary school programs in an intensive and effective one-day effort.

During the course of JA in a Day, students will learn about various aspects of financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. At the end of the day, students will receive their JA certificates for completing the program.

If you would like to volunteer, or if you’re a teacher who would like  JA in a Day at your school, please contact Tiffany Mackey at 904-398-9944 ext. 230 or email tiffany@jajax.com.

Stay connected: Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // Google+ // Instagram // Website

 

JA of North Florida’s December Newsletter is Out!

JA of North Florida’s latest newsletter, the December Edition, landed in inboxes today.

Inside you’ll find:

• A Bank of America grant that will benefit middle school students in Duval County
• The JA Hall of Fame in March 2017
• What’s happening at the JA Financial Literacy Center in New Town
• The difference that employees from Bank of America/Merrill Lynch and PwC are making in the lives of youth through “JA in a Day”
• The 2017 JA North Florida Golf Classic
• Volunteer opportunities in North Florida
• How you can help Junior Achievement inspire young people!

See the entire newsletter here!

 

Stay connected: Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // Google+ // Instagram // Website

 

 

5th graders think about future career paths with JA Our Nation®

Junior Achievement programs teach work readiness and behavioral skills such as what is required to land a job.

One of those programs, JA Our Nation, is redeveloped for the new school year.

Through hands-on classroom activities, the program provides upper-elementary students with practical information about the nation’s free market system and how it serves as an economic engine for businesses and careers.

The curriculum also introduces the need for entrepreneurial and innovative thinking to meet the requirements of high-growth, high-demand careers and the concept of globalization in business.

For example, in Session Three: Career Clusters, students examine career groups and the skills needed for a variety of careers when they participate in a Career Hunt. By answering questions on Career Cluster Trading Cards they discover which jobs require special degrees or training and the average salaries of certain careers.

Students also review a sample resume and identify important work-readiness soft skills necessary for career success.

In the Get and Keep the Job! Board game, they collect the soft skills employers are looking for.

JA Our Nation is a series of five required sessions and one optional supplemental session recommended for students in fifth grade. Each session is 45 minutes in length. Like all JA programs, JA Our Nation is correlated to State and Common Core Standards.

To request this program for your class, click here.

To learn more about Junior Achievement programs in Jacksonville, click here.

Stay connected: Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // Google+ // Website