About JA :: What's New

 

Junior Achievement Reaches More Than Nine Million Students Worldwide

 

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
November 12, 2008

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT SURPASSES NINE MILLION STUDENTS REACHED WORLDWIDE, THE MOST EVER IN ONE YEAR

Organization experiences twelve percent growth.

Colorado Springs, Colo. - Junior Achievement, the world's largest nonprofit dedicated to teaching young people work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills, today announced it reached 9,326,748 students globally during the 2007-08 school year - the most in its 89-year history.

Sean Rush, JA Worldwide's president and chief executive officer, noted, "The current turbulent global economic climate demonstrates that young people need Junior Achievement's programs more than ever. Our programs provide young people with sound, practical financial skills which can help them avoid the financial pitfalls into which so many of today's adults - and businesses - have recently fallen."

Junior Achievement was founded in the United States in 1919 as an after-school club for high school students in which, under the guidance of a volunteer from the local business community, they started a company, marketed and sold a product, sold stock and attempted to turn a profit for their shareholders. Since then, the organization has expanded its scope internationally and has also expanded its program offering to reach elementary and middle grades students.

About JA Worldwide® (Junior Achievement)
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement provides in-school and after-school programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Today, 138 individual area operations reach more than four million students in the United States, with an additional five million students served by operations in 120 other countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.

-30-