JA of North Florida receives 2016 State Farm Good Neighbor Citizenship Grant

Thank you State Farm!

At our August 18 Board meeting, State Representative Jay Fant joined State Farm agents to present a $5,000 check to fund our ‘JA Work$’ initiative. We are so honored to be a recipient of State Farm’s 2016 Good Neighbor Citizenship Grant!

The grant will fund our ‘JA Work$’ initiative that brings real-world financial literacy & workforce preparation to high school students.

JA Work$ allows high school students from low income families to have a better understanding of the workforce and the work place. Three hundred students from Ed White High School, Lee High School, and Ribault High School – all Title I schools on Jacksonville’s Northside – have been recruited to participate and will be exposed to resume writing, job interviews and the responsibilities of work.

Fifty of these high school students will go on to teach Junior Achievement classes in three Title I elementary schools. The high school students will receive a stipend upon completion of their “job”, and much like a real job will be monitored and receive feedback on their work.

“The State Farm-sponsored JA Work$ initiative provides a direct impact on students graduating from high school,” said JA of North Florida president Steve St. Amand. “Junior Achievement’s workforce preparation programs that highlight resume writing, interviewing skills and workplace skills are coupled with actual work experience to give students a ‘how to’ guide for use once they graduate.”

Learn more about Junior Achievement of North Florida at www.JAjax.com.

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Junior Achievement Receives $7,000 State Farm Grant towards High School Workforce Preparation

Junior Achievement of North Florida received a $7,000 State Farm Good Neighbor Citizenship grant to carry out its JA Work$ initiative that teaches workforce preparation to high school students. These students will get a firsthand experience of the working world when they are trained and given a “job”: to teach Junior Achievement’s professionally prepared financial literacy programs to elementary students, while receiving feedback and evaluation on their performance.

JA Work$ allows high school students from low income families to have a better understanding of the workforce and the work place. Students from Lee High School have been recruited to participate and will be exposed to resume writing, job interviews and the responsibilities of work. Additionally, these students will have a deeper grasp of financial concepts because they have to teach them as their “job” when they teach Junior Achievement’s financial literacy programs to classes at Pinedale Elementary School.

“The State Farm sponsored JA Work$ initiative provides a direct impact on students graduating from high school,” said JA of North Florida president Steve St. Amand. “Junior Achievement’s workforce preparation programs that highlight resume writing, interviewing skills and workplace skills are coupled with actual work experience to give students a “how to” guide for use once they graduate.”

These high school students will receive a stipend upon completion of their “job” and much like a real job will be monitored and receive feedback on their work. They will also learn about responsibility, working in front of a group and the value of contributing to their neighborhoods. The elementary students who are taught JA programs by the high school students will not only be exposed to JA programs but to positive role models from schools in which they will soon be enrolled.

JA Work$ was implemented in 2012 as a pilot program thanks to State Farm’s support. This year, Junior Achievement looks to expand the program, preparing more students for success after high school.

State Farm and JA inspire students at Pine Forest Elementary

State Farm Insurance Company employees gathered at Pine Forest Elementary to teach JA in a Day on April 30, 2013. Sixteen volunteers taught students in kindergarten through third grade about financial responsibility and money concepts. State Farm’s “Good Neighbear” mascot made a surprise appearance to many kindergarten and first grader’s delight.

JA of North Florida Receives $5,000 State Farm grant

Junior Achievement of North Florida is receiving $5,000 State Farm Good Neighbor Citizenship Grant to support high school workforce preparation on Jacksonville’s Westside.

During the 2012-2013 school year Junior Achievement will prepare 25 Lee High School students for the workforce using it workforce preparation programs and other resources, place them in elementary schools to teach Junior Achievement programs, and monitor and evaluate their work experience. Teaching JA programs will provide high school students with public speaking, teaching, and public service experience.

Participants will be exposed to resume writing, job interviews, the responsibilities of work, and evaluation. Additionally, high school students will have a deeper grasp of financial concepts because they have to teach them as their “job.”

The grant funding will provide the training and include resources like transportation and lunch, as well as $150 stipends for the students who teach all five Junior Achievement classes.

These high school students will bring lessons in financial literacy, practical economics, and workforce preparation to youth in Jacksonville. The younger students who are taught will not only be exposed to JA’s professionally prepared programs, but to positive role models from schools in which they will soon be enrolled.