Tuesday, October 13, 2026
70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement - Nearly 30 Years Later, the Mission Still Matters
70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement Nearly 30 Years Later, the Mission Still MattersClint Christopher, Superintendent I still remember being a brand-new teacher at Virgil Grissom Elementary in Princeton, Iowa, trying to find my footing in the classroom. A couple of the teachers I partnered with already had connections to Junior Achievement, and before long, I found myself pulled into something that would end up sharing nearly three decades of my career. We had JA volunteers coming
Monday, September 28, 2026
70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement - The Moments That Matter
70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior AchievementTeaching, Laughing & Making an Impact: Years of JA in the ClassroomAshley Dekarske, Merrill Lynch I’ve had the joy of teaching kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 5th grade classes—both JA-in-a-Day and the traditional five-week format. Most of my time has been spent at Harrison Elementary, though I’ve also volunteered in Iowa City, Walcott, and other Davenport schools. Kindergarten and 1st grade have always held a special place in my heart, and I’ve
Friday, September 25, 2026
70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement
The Opportunity That Sparked a PassionSaree Hahn, JA Volunteer Teaching kindergartners is where it all started for me. It was fall, and my son had just started school when his teacher asked if I would be their Junior Achievement (JA) volunteer. That single opportunity eventually led to my love of teaching in the classroom. Over the past 15 years as a JA volunteer, my passion for teaching children about financial literacy, smart money choices, work readiness, and entrepreneurship has continued to grow.
Monday, August 17, 2026
70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement: From JA Student to JA Volunteer
70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement: From JA Student to JA Volunteer As a junior in high school in 1977, I had no particular interest in business, but I did want to take advantage of extracurricular opportunities to learn, especially about how the adult world worked. One of those opportunities was Junior Achievement, which gave high school students the chance to form and run a miniature business. Our advisors, from Stanley Works (in New Britain, CT), helped us organize the company,
Friday, August 14, 2026
70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement: QCCTEC
70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior AchievementReady, Set, Work! Celebrating 25+ Years of the 7th Grade JA Career Work Day & QCCTEC For over 25 years, the Quad City Career & Technical Education Consortium (QCCTEC) and Junior Achievement (JA) have partnered to provide special population students with transformative career exploration. Now led by Special Populations Coordinator Steve Smithers and the QCCTEC team, the annual 7th Grade Career Work Day introduces students to essential workplace skills
Thursday, August 13, 2026
70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement: Long Time Volunteer
70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement "Group O has long been a big supporter of Junior Achievement, and soon after joining the team in August of 1996 I was encouraged to volunteer in the classroom for JA. Giving back to the community I grew up in felt right, and if Group O supported a cause I did as well. I don't recall exactly what year I started teaching. It was 1997 or 1998 and I taught an early elementary class at Horace Mann Elementary. I was a little nervous for the first
Wednesday, April 08, 2026
70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement. From student to volunteer.
70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement. From student to volunteer. My experience with Junior Achievement began in elementary school. I remember having several JA volunteers visit throughout the years. Those days always felt different — they were interactive, energizing, and created space to learn real-world skills in a way traditional lessons didn’t. I always looked forward to JA days. One of my core childhood memories is our trip to Exchange City (now called Junior Achievement
Wednesday, April 01, 2026
70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement - A Conversation That Changed Everything
70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior AchievementA Conversation That Changed EverythingMary McClorey, TBK Bank Mary McClorey, a Branch Manager at TBK Bank at the time, volunteered to teach Junior Achievement’s “It’s My Job” program in 2016 for juniors and seniors in United Township High School’s iJAG class. The JA curriculum focused on employability, leadership, and soft-skill development which aligned perfectly with the class’s goals. On the first day, Mary shared her own career journey from
