Capital Region Cares Capital Region Cares 2017-2018 | Page 96

Junior
achievement
of sacramento
BUILDING KNOWLEDGE
AND SKILLS FOR
FINANCIAL SUCCESS
A
mong the most compelling
reasons today’s youth need
Junior Achievement (JA)
programs are the skills gap that plagues
our workforce and the degree to which
our society is plunging into debt. JA
tackles both problems by providing
financial literacy, entrepreneurship,
and workplace readiness education and
skills to the next generation.
JA programs help students
understand the bridge between
successful education and successful
careers. Studies find that one-third
of Americans carry credit card debt
month to month and nearly as many
have nothing saved for retirement.
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In addition, more than 90% of U.S.
senior executives feel American’s
lack skills necessary to support our
economy, such as critical thinking,
communication, collaboration,
and creativity. JA’s financial literacy
programs educate young people about
how to handle money wisely and
effectively.
“Our goal is to help local youth be
smart about money, and how to find
success in the working world,” confirms
Susan Nelson, Junior Achievement of
Sacramento President. “With the critical
support of volunteers from our business
community, we offer more than 25
programs, all developed by professional
916.480.2770 / JASAC.ORG
educators, to students in Kindergarten
through twelfth grade.”
Serving the greater Sacramento
area since 1961, JA offers economic
empowerment curriculum and
workshops in various formats both
during and after school to elementary,
middle, and high school students.
Facilitated by more than 750 volunteers,
JA served more than 12,500 local
students in the 2016-17 school year.
JA’s success lies in its ability to
engage the business community. “By
joining forces with JA, volunteers and
financial contributors are helping
to create and prepare tomorrow’s
workforce,” notes Nelson. Volunteers