“Junior Achievement was really the only outlet, the only place, I could go where I could truly learn about business. Going to Junior Achievement, I learned everything. Junior Achievement is a great opportunity to understand what it means to be successful as an entrepreneur in this country.” Mark Cuban, JA Alumnus, Former Dallas Mavericks Owner, and Shark Tank Personality
Our Promise
JA’s engaging, sequenced, and scalable learning experiences will be broadly available to deeply impact students in our region. JA experiences will be in high demand and well known to develop skill sets and mindsets that lead to meaningful and choice-filled lives in a free market economy.
Our Vision
A world in which young people have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities.
Our Mission
JA inspires and prepares young people to succeed in a global economy.
Our Values
- BELIEF in the boundless potential of young people.
- TEACH and embrace principled, market-based economics and entrepreneurship
- NURTURE the power of partnerships and collaboration.
- APPROACH our work with passion, honesty, integrity, and excellence.
- ADVOCATE for relevant hands-on learning
- RESPECT diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and talents in our staff and volunteers, and boards to reflect the geographies and communities we serve.
Accelerating Economic Mobility
Junior Achievement’s learning experiences promote the transferable skills and competencies students need to take advantage of economic opportunity and achieve economic mobility. Our lessons use financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurial concepts to emphasize the importance of continuing education and training beyond high school, especially in high-growth, high-demand fields. At the same time, our experiential learning approach ensures students gain the critical and creative thinking, collaboration, communication, and technical literacy skills needed to become lifelong learners to navigate “what’s next” in our ever-changing world.
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. Since then, Junior Achievement has expanded its activities and broadened its scope to include in-school and after-school students.
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Junior Achievement is committed to an inclusive culture that celebrates diversity. We are dedicated to providing a positive, enriching learning experience free of bias that promotes greater economic opportunity. We welcome K-12 students, volunteers, educators, staff, and other partners and stakeholders, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, gender identity, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristic.
