Citi’s JA in a Day at Waverly Academy

In partnership with our JA Girl$ program, each year Citibank women return to Waverly Academy to teach JA in a Day.

Volunteers taught the JA More Than Money program which teaches earning, spending, sharing, and saving money. Students played the Community Game to reinforce their money-management skills and to better understand the role and importance of money in their lives.

Volunteers taught JA It’s My Business! to older students, during which they discussed knowing customers’ wants and needs, launching effective marketing, and creating detailed business plans.Students began to identify the skills and knowledge needed to start a business. Putting this knowledge into practice they worked in groups to complete a blueprint for a teen club. They identified the first entrepreneurial characteristic, “Fill a Need,” by considering customer needs and brainstorming product design. They wrapped up the assignment by presenting their “Club Blueprint” to the class.

Thank you volunteers for empowering these young ladies with financial and business knowledge!

View more photos from JA in a Day at Waverly Academy here.

About JA in a Day

“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. Click here to learn more.

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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.

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Program Spotlight: JA Ourselves

JA Ourselves®

Kindergarten

Students learn about:

• the role of money in society,
• and practical information about earning, saving, and sharing money.

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

• Practice personal economics by considering choices.
• Explain the difference between needs and wants.
• Understand the concept of money, particularly earning and saving.
• Identify the importance of giving to a worthy cause.

 

Session One: This or That? Make a Choice

Students practice economics by making personal choices.

Session Two: Do I Need What I Want?

Students begin to understand that people have basic needs and wants and that money-smart people know the difference between them.

Session Three: A Penny Earned

Storybook characters help students learn about ways to earn money.

Session Four: A Penny Saved

Students learn the importance of saving and having a savings goal.

Session Five: A Penny Shared

Through storybook characters, students learn about earning money to help others in their community.

Bring JA Ourselves 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.

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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.

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Reverse Job Shadows: Spring 2017

Traditional job shadows bring students to the workplace. JA’s Reverse Job Shadow brings the workplace to students!

We’ve partnered with numerous schools to bring our Reverse Job Shadow event to their students.

Reverse Job Shadows are made possible by the volunteers: local companies, small businesses, and entrepreneurs sign up to share their work advice, experience and answer student questions.

As a result, students become more work-ready by learning about the career opportunities available to them in the local area, and how the educational concepts they are learning each day can be practically applied to the world of work.

Sandalwood High School

Special thanks to everyone who attended the career fair with Sandalwood High School PTSA:

• Celeste Hearon – KELLY Educational Staffing Jacksonville
• Oliver Schnusenberg – University of North Florida Coggin College of Business
• Virginia Abell – Balanced Living LLC
• Susan Lazcano – BB&T
• Noel Blaha and Clayton Edwards – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
• Tammy Holland and Nancy Loveland – Black Knight Financial Services
• Jessica Littlejohn – U.S. Army
• William Saunders – NEFBA Apprenticeship
• Tum Lyons – Florida Air National Guard
• Tim Martin – Florida State College at Jacksonville
• Kree Clark and Jessica Parker – Jacksonville University
• Tszyan Chu, Kathiravan, Darshika Desai – Florida Blue
• Tammy McKay, Michelle Curtright, Nina Manning, Jason Daily – Operation Lifesaver Inc.
• Albert Collins – Crowley Maritime Corporation
• Beth Friederich – Jacksonville Public Library
• Ron Tittle – Florida Department of Transportation
• Drew Guarino – Deutsche Bank
• Kelly Barrera – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

View more photos from Sandalwood High School here.

 

Sebastian Middle School

Special thanks to everyone who attended Reverse Job Shadow at Sebastian Middle School:

• KPMG U.S.
• St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office
• Pycraft Law LLC
• Florida Highway Patrol
• FCTC First Coast Technical College
• Coastal Court Reporters
• Signs Now of St. Augustine, Inc.
• Push Push Salon
• St. Johns County Public Library
• Railroad Collision Safety
• Harbor Community Bank
• AccuVein

View more photos from Sebastian Middle School here.

 

Mandarin Middle School

Special thanks to everyone who attended Reverse Job Shadow at Mandarin Middle School:

• Mark Goldwich – Gold Star Adjusters
• Alison Pulley and Beth Friederich – Jacksonville Public Library
• Rita Story, Raymond Wolford, Stephen Gallagher, George Robbins, Kenneth Allen, Jeff Edwards – Rotary Club of Mandarin
• Charles Myers, Jim Hightower – Operation Lifesaver Inc.
• Vivian Borque, Alkidamia DeSouza, Astina Sampodian – Vistakon Johnson & Johnson Stephen Frick – Synovus
• Michael Elder – Florida Highway Patrol
• Alan Painter – Edward Jones
• Chase Foster – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

View more photos from Mandarin Middle School here.

 

Upcoming Reverse Job Shadows

• KIPP Jacksonville Elementary School – Wednesday, April 19
• Global Outreach Charter Academy – Wednesday, May 17
• Matthew Gilbert Middle School – Monday, May 22

 

Whether you want to bring this unique experience to students at your school, or you’re a business owner or represent a company who would like to volunteer, contact us today! Call Tiffany Mackey at 904-398-9944 ext.230 or email tiffany@jajax.com.

Learn more about Reverse Job Shadow on our website.

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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

Fidelity Investments women inspire JA Girl$ participants

Our JA Girl$ program recently partnered with Empowerment Resources to bring JA Career Success and JA It’s My Future to their Journey Into Womanhood program participants.

The young ladies visited Fidelity Investments on a Saturday to engage in the interactive lessons and ask questions to the ladies of Fidelity Investments. The women from Fidelity Investments served as inspiration to the young girls as they spoke about all things careers, personal brand and financial literacy.

The young ladies participated in topics including:

• 4Cs: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity
• Strong soft skills
• Work priorities
• STEM and other high-growth industries
• Personal-brand and job-hunting tools—resumes, cover letters, interviews, and digital profiles

JA Career Success equips students with the knowledge required to get and keep a job in high-growth industries. Students explore the crucial workplace skills employers seek but often find lacking in young employees, and also learn about valuable tools to find that perfect job, including resumes, cover letters, and interviewing techniques.

Thank you to photographer Tonya Austin for the photos.

JA Girl$ is a Junior Achievement of North Florida initiative to educate girls and young women in financial literacy, career readiness and entrepreneurship. Learn more about this program and ways to get involved by clicking here.

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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.

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JA Hall of Fame honors Jackonville philanthropist Lawrence DuBow

Each year the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame honors businesses and individuals who have contributed to the betterment of our community and who play a tremendous role in the impact JA is able to make.

On Monday, March 13 at the University of North Florida University Center, JA will induct Bill Koch of Northwestern Mutual and Wells Fargo Bank into the JA Hall of Fame.

The Thompson S. Baker Award will be presented to Lawrence “Laurie” DuBow, a Jacksonville philanthropist.

The Thompson S. Baker Award celebrates individuals who have shown outstanding leadership through civic and philanthropic deeds that have positively influenced business and education in the Jacksonville community.

Lawrence DuBow, through the DuBow Family Foundation, continues to support and encourage charity and philanthropy in our community. JA is proud to honor Mr. DuBow with the 19th Annual Baker Award.

The keynote speaker at the 2017 Hall of Fame will be Nikolai Vitti, Superintendent of Duval County Public Schools.

JA Hall of Fame Sponsors

Senior Partner Level

Publix Super Markets Charities

Event Sponsor

Beaver Street Fisheries

Luncheon Sponsor

THE PLAYERS Championship

JA Hall of Fame Sponsor

Wells Fargo

Chairman’s Circle

Citi
CSX
David Stein / Howard Korman
Deutsche Bank
Florida Blue
PNC Bank
The DuBow Family Foundation
SunTrust Foundation
US Assure

Executive Level

Bank of America / Merrill Lynch
Baptist Health
CenterState Bank
The Community Foundation of Northeast Florida
Deloitte
Ernst & Young
Pivot CPAs
TD Bank
Jim Winston
W.W. Gay Mechanical Contractor
UF Health

Media Sponsor

Jacksonville Business Journal

100% of funds raised by the JA Hall of Fame remain in North Florida and are used to provide financial literacy programs to North Florida’s students.

In the 2015-2016 school year, JA of North Florida:

• Reached 56,489 students in North Florida (verified and audited)
• Programs were in 124 local schools
• Programs were welcomed into their classroom by 980 teachers

The Junior Achievement of North Florida Hall of Fame is composed of individuals and organizations most responsible for JA’s success in North Florida.

Members of the JA Hall of Fame have contributed their time, talent and treasure in ways and amounts that have substantially changed Junior Achievement. Without these inductees, Junior Achievement would not be the organization it is today.

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