banner photo: Providence Mayor, Jorge Elorza, with his JA Ourselves kindergarten students at Carl Lauro Elementary School.
Why JA?
Employers agree that the nation's college graduates are not prepared with the 21st century skills to succeed in the workplace. Put simply, we're not empowering our kids to be more successful than the generations who came before them. At Junior Achievement, we believe that education from kindergarten to twelfth grade should be built on a bridge of engagement between classroom and community. Together with our educational partners, we can make learning relevant to every student's future by infusing authenticity, business connectivity, and real role models into the everyday learning experience.
Our core 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
who we are
Junior Achievement® is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students in grades K-12 about financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship, reaching more than 10 million students in 100 countries worldwide. Since 1921, Junior Achievement of Rhode Island has been transforming lives through its innovative, hands-on financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship K-12 programs.
JA®’s unique program approach brings volunteer role models from our region’s leading companies and the community to deliver these standards-based programs, providing students with a perspective that reaches far beyond the classroom.