1995 - 2004

1995 - James B. Hayes, former publisher of FORTUNE Magazine and Board Chairman of JA Inc. from 1991-1993, becomes the organization’s CEO.

July 1996 – National Web site, www.ja.org, is launched.  A consolidation of area franchises begins in 1996, reducing the number of operating units across America from 232 to 145 areas by 2004.

1996 - Building upon the success of the elementary school programs, JA develops three middle grades programs replacing the first in-school offering – Project Business. Junior Achievement now offers a fully-integrated, sequential Kindergarten through ninth grade curricula.

1997 – Hands-on learning centers, where students run a model city for a day open their doors. Exchange City, JA Enterprise Village for elementary school students and JA Finance Park for middle grades students, are all included in the “Experience JA” initiative.

2000 - JA Titan, a Web-based interactive business simulation for high school students, launches.

July 2001 - David S. Chernow becomes the organization’s 16th president and CEO.

2002 - the JA Pioneers Archives Committee is created to establish the Museum of Junior Achievement History, to develop a permanent archives collection at Indiana University/Purdue University Indianapolis, and to continue the written history of the organization.

Read the book Junior Achievement: A History by Joe Francomano and Wayne & Darryl Lavitt to learn more about the history of Junior Achievement.