At Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore (JAES), we envision an environment where our students are hands-on while learning valuable life skills. We provide activities that engage students resulting in light bulb, “aha” moments. We see students building upon the lessons that are taught in the classroom and kick starting the experiential learning cycle: Experience. Reflection. Conceptualization. Application. Learning through experience can develop so many skills that are needed for our youth to take their learning to the next level.
Experiential Learning
• Oral, Written & Digital Communication Skills • Teamwork & Collaboration • Critical Thinking & Problem Solving • Innovation & Entrepreneurial Thinking • Professionalism & Integrity • Leadership • Career Development • Self Reflection ExperiencenoitazilauReflectionConceptnoitacilppA inspiredbyexperiencejaes.org
Jayme Hayes
Dear JA Friend, In 2007, when I joined Junior Achievement as a staff of one, I instantly fell in love with its mission and our programs’ impact on our students. We taught a few hundred students on a small budget but, I knew we were just getting started! Over the years, as the demand from the schools grew and our supporters continued to grow, we expanded. And expand we did-- adding more programs, events, and powerful collaborations between community and schools like our beloved JA Inspire. We now teach more than 10,000 students a year with a plan to more than double in the next two years. My staff of one, well, we’re a solid and incredible team of ten. Today, our expansion continues. We are building a 25,000 sq. ft. educational facility, the Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center. There are 4 such facilities in Maryland, 58 across the country, and now, 1 right here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It’s located right off the Route 50 bypass, convenient to the seven counties we serve. Our center will include immersive experiences like JA Finance Park and JA BizTown. It will have a virtual career center, interactive classrooms, and an impressive simulated city of local businesses and industries—a city with actual storefronts such as Pohanka Automotive to purchase a car and TidalHealth for their healthcare. Here, students will be given a life scenario where they may have a salary of $45,000, two children, and bills to pay. The ability to budget and make informed decisions that an adult would have to make allows them to learn and relate to our economy in a safe environment through a hands-on curriculum. Inspired by Experience. Just as before, I feel like we’re just getting started! Thank you for being a part of this journey. The entire JA team and Board of Directors appreciate your continued and growing support.
Junior Achievement has been educating the Eastern Shore’s youth on financial literacy for decades and has become a necessary piece of our education system. With the increased ability to provide a more handson experience at the new JA Center, Junior Achievement’s impact will increase exponentially, not only providing a greater benefit to our students, but to the Eastern Shore as a whole.
Testimonials
Junior Achievement is efficiently and effectively providing our community the direct pathway for our high school students to that success.”
—Mike Dunn, JA Executive & Wicomico Chair
—Hank Fisher, Worcester Vice Chair
Junior Achievement has helped many and continues to impact and transform the lives of both young and old. Without a JA, there wouldn’t be any involvement in communities to help further the youths’ experience of career development, financial literacy and professionalism and even walking them into their purpose. I believe Junior Achievement is needed for everyone because we all may come into contact with someone in need of help or to even be the help!
Perdue Henson JA Center is game changing for the students of Delmarva. This facility will take financial literacy and career success to the next Experientiallevel.learning – hands on learning - at this new state-of-the art facility is tremendously exciting. Get ready for this facility to make a difference on Delmarva!!
When thinking about how best to prepare our children for successful lives, teaching them financial literacy is at the top of the list. Add to the equation work readiness skills and entrepreneurship thinking and you build a future of smart leaders and thriving communities. That is what Junior Achievement does.
—Kathy Kiernan, Capital Campaign Chair
—Chris Perdue, JA Center Committee Member
—Jasmine Shuman, Wicomico Board Member, JA Alum
—Abby Graves, Talbot Vice Chair
“As a businessman and civic leader, I understand the future of our city is dependent on the potential of our youth. A healthy and growing city needs a steady stream of educated, entrepreneurial young people graduating to help us grow and thrive.
JA plays such a critical role in our community. Knowledge truly is power and JA empowers students from all backgrounds with information and skills they need to succeed.Having a facility like the JA Center here on the shore expands the impact of JA tremendously. Not only will the facility help students understand and take advantage of great opportunities in our area, it will also help connect those students with businesses in need of their talent making it a win for all!
1919
Junior Achievement Through the Years
Junior Achievement is founded. 1985 Junior Achievement adopts the Eastern Shore branch. 2014 JA Finance Park is first taught by JAES. 2021 JAES announces the creation of the Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center.2023 The Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center is open to our students! 1990s Junior Achievement in the U.S. develops a complete suite of inschool programs for all grades K-12 2019 Junior Achievement celebrates 100 years!
“It is lessons like these that Junior Achievement teach to our students. They learn through practical experience and personal contact with our own business leaders the lessons about our American economy and how it works. Junior Achievement in our schools today means the kind of work force in our community tomorrow that will perpetuate our values and prosperity. Our community can afford to support Junior Achievement. We cannot afford to not support the program.”
—Richard A. Henson
Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore has a long-term goal to reach more than 25,000 students annually in the next 5 years. In order to accomplish this task in a rural area, we need to bring the students to us. We plan to build a 25,000 s.f. experiential learning facility. This facility, officially named “The Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center” will allow more than 10,000+ students annually to visit the center throughout their school lifetime. This facility, we believe, deepens our impact by allowing our long-term strategy of a minimum of “5 JA interactions” to truly showcase a behavioral and developmental change in our youth.
Students Years 30,00020,00010,000 Students Vs. Years 2020 2021 2025 2030 Why JAES?
Imagine When... Together, we can empower our students to own their economic futures. Together we can Inspire by Experience. EXPECTED FACILITY ANNUAL IMPACT 10,000+ Elementary & High School Students 1,000+ Professional & VolunteersCommunity 200+ Corporate & PartnersCommunity 9 School Districts + Indicates numbers in addition to those impacted through traditional JA Programs Increased Graduation Rates Economic Growth IncreasedIncreasedOpportunitiesSoftSkills Increased Social Mobility Increased Confidence Increased Financial Stability
Prepared through 13 in-school lessons of JA curriculum, students work in one of 18 JA BizTown storefronts such as banking, city services, and insurance, learning what it takes to run a successful business, manage personnel and business finances, and work as a team.
Students apply learned concepts in a real-life setting and receive a “life scenario” which includes a family, job/income, and other pertinent factors.
Following its opening in 2023, the Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center will specialize in two core programs designed to provide real-life scenarios. PROGRAMS
To provide promotional opportunities and create a recurring revenue stream, JA will lease these spaces to local businesses from here on the Shore. By providing familiar storefronts and company names at the Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center, students can familiarize themselves with the skills and education needed to excel in that respective position or career.
Throughout the process, students have the opportunity to identify personal interests, skills, work preferences and values that will help them identify future, real life career interests. Like JA BizTown, the businesses and companies students interact with will be local, giving them an idea of how companies and organizations in their backyards have achieved success.
JA Finance Park was designed to teach middle and high school students about personal finance and career exploration through 13 lessons of in-classroom instruction culminating in a day-long simulation at the facility.
JA Finance Park® Advanced & JA Career Center
JA Finance Park - Advanced is the high school version honing in on each student’s specific career interests while allowing students to create their life situation, rather than be told which life situation they must endure in their first interaction with the program.
Students visit businesses to gather information for making personal financial decisions for bank services, housing, transportation, furnishings, food, health care, and other expenses.
With the JA Career Center, high school students will engage in a third component of the JA Center, customized to their pathway with a focus on career readiness. Students can expect to learn more about regional jobs, apprenticeships and internship, take part in a leadership lab, participate in augmented reality and virtual reality company tours and training, and familiarize themselves with artificial intelligence.
JA BizTown®
JA Finance Park®
The program JA BizTown is a fully interactive, simulated, free-market facility where students in Grade 5 become business leaders, consumers and employees for a day.
But we all know career success found in those cities exists right here on the Shore. We want to keep our students here and allow them to further develop our area to make it an oasis for all. We envision years from now, parents and children, and even grandparents, sitting around sharing their experiences at the Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center, valuing the lessons they learned that helped shape their careers and futures.
Imagine a gleaming new structure, a place where students get to be an adult for a day, learning the basics of financial literacy; a place where a handson, interactive, state-of-the-art student experience awaits; a place where, once the student leaves, they’ll have an invaluable understanding of how to manage the day-to-day finances so necessary to be successful inAcrosslife. the country, there are 58 cities, like Atlanta, Washington, Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, Baltimore, and Wilmington – to name a few –where facilities like the one we envision building here exist.
our Goal
It takes a village to raise a child, and the same can be said about providing a major educational facility to over 10,000 students. As a non-profit organization, Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore relies heavily on the kindness and generosity of others. Throughout the year, JA hosts fundraisers, participates in national donation campaigns like Giving Tuesday, and seeks funds to ensure our students find success both in and outside the classroom. When building a 25,000 sq. ft. regional facility that will serve students across the Shore, every penny counts.ThePerdue
Junior Achievement Center is estimated to cost around $6.5 million. The Henson Foundation and Perdue Foundation kicked off our campaign with extremely generous donations of $1.25 million apiece, blasting us out of the gates with $2.5Evenmillion.ifyou don’t have children in the school system, your contribution would be funding educational advantages for our future leaders. Doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, restaurant owners, law enforcement personnel and so many more careers will see a field of qualified candidates seeking employment directly because of the work done at the Perdue Henson
Our mission is to empower the next generation –And you can be a part of it!
Henson
what will it take?
WAYS to support “Giving is not about making a donation. It’s about making a difference.” —Kathy Calvin EVERYONE is needed to provide this experience for our youth! Financial Support - Any Amount Helps! • Make a Pledge Through a One-Time or Recurring Donation • Ask us about naming opportunities! Volunteer • One of the greatest gifts you can give is your time! Sign up as a group with friends or a business partnership. • Volunteers are essential to our mission and helping to provide the best experiences for our youth! Be A JA Ambassador • Share & promote the JAES Mission • Help us inspire others to get involved! Stay Connected • Sign up for our newsletter • Follow us on social media • Attend JAES events
Mr. Richard A. Henson believed the following and building good character in our youth through leadership and example. entrepreneurial spirit by building an awareness of our free enterprise system. is the one absolutely necessary ingredient of all the most successful companies in the world
.” —Frank Perdue Thank You For Being A Gamechanger! Frank Perdue Richard A. Henson
“Quality
are important: •Educating
•Developing
For the past 35 years, the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the Richard A. Henson Foundation, and their families have continued to support Junior Achievement’s mission. longterm support and continued increase to meet demand has allowed Junior Achievement to create a sustainable and strong foundation in which to continue its growth in the future!
The
Can I donate to the Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center?
The Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center will provide experiential learning of financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship to more than 10,000 students each year. This 25,000 sq. ft. regional facility, located at the Oak Ridge Commons in Salisbury, will serve students from six counties on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and one county from the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Junior Achievement’s backbone is its volunteer base which not only inspire our students but share experiences and lessons that prepare our youth for the real world. The Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center will need several volunteers to help run our programs and activities, so be on the lookout for opportunities to sign up! JA is also in the planning stages of what kind of community events we can hold at the center.
Yes! This is an expensive project, and we need all the help we can get. Any amount is appreciated, and all funds will go towards ensuring our students receive JA programs and teachings for years to come. To make a donation, visit www.inspiredbyexperiencejaes.org.
It already has! Junior Achievement officially signed its lease and broke ground in May. Over the next year and a half, the building that once housed K-Mart will transform into an interactive city, filled with store fronts, an auditorium, offices, conference rooms and more. As the Oak Ridge Commons continues to revitalize its image, the Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center will be one of the brightest gems once construction is finished.
FAQ
When will construction begin?
When will the center open?
What is the Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center?
Can I as a parent or member of the community attend the center?
Those who attend facilities similar to the Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center have seen increased graduation rates, increased soft skills, economic growth, increased opportunities, increased social mobility, increased confidence, and increased financial stability. JA programs are implemented grade-level-wide in partnership with school districts across the shore.
What kind of impact will the center have on my child?
The goal is to have the Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center open to students in Fall 2023.
Will Junior Achievement stop going into the classroom when the center opens?
No! Junior Achievement’s mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed, and that comes with our consistent presence in the classroom. Volunteers serve as role models helping to positively impact young people’s perceptions about the importance of education, as well as critical life skills. While the center will open many new doors, expect to still see JA in schools up and down the Shore!
THERE ARE So SoREASONSmanymany TO STAY CONNECTED WITH REASONSJAES INSPIREDBYEXPERIENCEJAES.ORGEASTERNSHORE.JA.ORG FOLLOW US to stay in the loop! Junior@JAontheshoreja_easternshore@JuniorAchievementEasternShoreAchievementoftheEastern Shore 410-742-8112
“The greatest use of life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.”
—William James All Campaign Collateral Sponsored By
