Junior Achievement of Greater Hampton Roads, Inc.

JA's mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy.

Values:
*Belief in the boundless potential of young people.
*Commitment to the principles of market-based economics and entrepreneurship.
*Passion for what we do and honesty, integrity, and excellence in how we do it.
*Respect for the talents, creativity, perspectives, and backgrounds of all individuals.
*Belief in the power of partnership and collaboration.
*Conviction in the educational and motivational impact of relevant, hands-on learning.

We do this by developing:
*business/education partnerships that build bridges between the classroom and the workplace;
*positive attitudes toward work and contributing to a diverse society;
*the desire in young people to stay in school and appreciate lifelong learning.

Basic Beliefs:
*Integrity
*Respect
*Excellence

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, The 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. In the last 25 years, Junior Achievement has gradually expanded its activities and broadened its scope to encompass an ever-widening student population.

Junior Achievement of Greater Hampton Roads, Inc. was established in the Hampton Roads area in 1966. This year locally, over 400 business professionals, parents, retirees and college students will enter our schools to teach Junior Achievement programs. These volunteers use their personal experiences to make the Junior Achievement curricula practical and realistic. Providing children with positive adult role models, who illustrate ways to build self-confidence, develop skills and find avenues of success in our free enterprise system, which is a hallmark of Junior Achievement.

Testimonials

"JA is a good program because it helps me make the right choices in the future and makes me interested in a job that I will like. It teaches me strategies on how to get a job and proper manners on how I should act in an interview." 5th grade student

"I put my JA experience on an application for a bank teller position. The bank called me in for an interview, but as a loan analyst. It turns out that the bank president was a classroom volunteer and knew first-hand what JA had taught me!" Former JA student

"JA provides instruction on realistic things that are going on in this world and the kids open up and begin to believe in themselves." 12th grade teacher

Bowl-A-Thon Fundraiser
Business Hall of Fame
Stock Market Challenge
Jeans for JA Day

No matter how a company chooses to be a part of Junior Achievement, it is guaranteed to make a wonderful difference in a child's future. For more information on how to get your company involved, contact Kevin Will at 757-455-9503 or kevin.will@ja.org