Evolving Our Approach Steadfast in Our Purpose | Annual Report 2022

Adapting & elevating our impact in a changing world

A North Star for Young People in an Ever-Changing World

Though the world continues to change around us and the world of work continues to evolve, one thing remains constant – the need for Junior Achievement’s powerful mission of hope, inspiration, and empowerment.

The evidence for this need is found in the results. Last year, JA of Southwest New England served more than 29,000 students, a 78% increase over the prior school year. With impact as the number one priority, much thought and care went into each and every JA experience for our K-12 students. We listened. We problem-solved. We innovated.

Click To View Our Vision & Principles

Jeremy Race President & CEO

Jay Buth Chief Accounting Officer, Eversource Energy JA Board Chairman

In many cases, we developed new customized programming or further tailored existing programs to specifically meet the needs of our constituents. From dedicated “Career Weeks”, Bi-lingual Career Days with Hartford Public middle school students, to full semester financial literacy courses at Berlin and New Britain high schools, a multitude of job shadow experiences at local manufacturers, and a first-ever opportunity for high school students to participate in JA activities from the comfort of their own home – we made it a priority to meet our students needs no matter where they were. We proudly expanded partnerships with fellow youth-serving agencies to serve more students in both the after school and summer time frames because the need for JA does not cease when the school bell rings.

This year also witnessed the unveiling of Junior Achievement’s new brand identity, symbolic of our continued evolution and unwavering focus on the aspirations of the 21st century. And proudly, JA Worldwide was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize – a strong example of how JA is affecting change in the lives of young people and impacting society at a global level.

Here’s what one local JA student had to say about her experience: Thank you Junior Achievement for shaping me into the person that I am today. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be where I am today. You instilled in me the confidence, the drive, and the motivation to be greater than my situation and I cannot thank you enough for that.

Meaningful and lasting impact is our goal. With the continued generosity and leadership of so many loyal partners, we are committed to our students, our schools, our communities, and ourselves.

Thank you for being part of our exciting and important journey. Though our work is not done, the foundation has never been stronger to build upon for future success. With your support, we will continue to evolve our approach by offering both in-person and virtual programming and we will remain steadfast in our purpose to positively impact the lives of young people in all that we do.

Boundless Possibilities

Click to watch why we help young people discover what's possible in their lives by connecting what they learn in school to life outside the classroom.

Our Visual Identity

2022

We envision a world in which young people have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities. Although our mission remains the same, our vision has evolved resulting in this powerful new identity. Junior Achievement aims to serve as a North Star, guiding young people to a world where success is the only option.

Our mission is what drives our staff, our volunteers, and our community partners, but with this new step, we are focusing on impact, pushing for more meaningful results and deeper connections.

As we look forward to all the great things to come, we wanted to also look back on where JA has been and all we’ve done to get to this point today.

A Focus On Impact

JA has engaged in deep conversations defining and envisioning what impact looks like. Educators, volunteers, community organizations, and industry leaders shared they believe JA’s career exploration, workforce development, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship experiences are a perfect conduit for setting students up for longterm success, shrinking the racial wealth gap and supporting thriving industries in recruiting skilled talent. We continued to meet our students, schools, and business partners where they were in ways that best suit them including high caliber virtual programming as well as experiential in-person opportunities. We have also engaged more diverse employee resource groups (ERGs) and professional associations than ever before to increase the racial, ethnic, and gender identity of volunteers that teach our JA programs and to and ensure the students we serve see role models that look like them and that can relate to their lived experience.

Innovating with Intention

BILINGUAL JA CAREER DAY

JA hosted our first bilingual virtual JA Career Day with over 550 middle grade students from Burr Middle School and Bellizzi School in Hartford. Steven Hernandez of CT Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity was joined by more than 20 volunteers who attended these schools when they were children. Presenters included the National African American Insurance Association (NAAIA), The Village for Families and Children, Travelers and a local business owner from the South End of Hartford who shared how he opened his own barbershop . Students said they felt seen, heard, and inspired.

Local business owner, Mario Diaz, shared how he opened his own barbershop in the South End at the Bilingual Speaker Series. Sharing tips on the trade and being a business owner.

JA PATHWAYS TO CAREERS AT HARTFORD

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

This year-round, cumulative program for 6-8th grade students provided tailored opportunities aligned with their interests each year. JA worked with schools to customize programs with volunteers that could relate to students’ experiences, many who even attended the same school. This initiative helped students from every middle school in the Hartford Public School district explore their opportunities for the future and decide which high school best suited their new career aspirations.

1919

We are dedicated to increasing diversity in everything we do. Diversity in our volunteers allows our students to connect with people who understand their experiences.

JA STEPS TO SUCCESS

We were the first JA area in the nation to launch a brand new, locally developed delivery model offering online programming for students in their own homes! The first six-week session, held in spring 2022, focused on Financial Literacy. Led by Professor Meloy from Central Connecticut State University, high school students from throughout Connecticut engaged with community volunteers and built a solid financial foundation each week. The program culminated in a panel discussion where students learned more about volunteers’ backgrounds and jobs, mentorship, changes in the financial field, post-secondary education, and more. The next Steps to Success session is slated to debut in October 2022 with a focus on Entrepreneurship.

Help Us Change Lives

Junior Achievement was started in 1919 as a way to help young people whose families moved from farms to the city to gain the skills needed to be successful adults.

JA Clubs displaying products New Britain, Connecticut

Woodworking company at Midwinter Expo in Hatford, Connecticut

Building Talent Pipelines

A cohort of at-risk 7th grade students visited Wepco Plastics in Middlefield where they explored the machining floor and learned about injection molds, 3D design, and careers in manufacturing.

We partnered with Jackson Labs and JA of Maine to run three ‘labs’ with students in small groups, working hand in hand with scientists, to achieve a probable outcome for a patient. At the end of a 45-minute work session, all three groups reconvened and shared their findings.

Volunteers from Pratt & Whitney discussed what engineers do and the types of career opportunities in their industry. They walked students through basic wiring with copper tape to create a circuit that lit up a rocket on a postcard then gave students the opportunity to try it out themselves.

JA provided a hybrid experience for students with our Mock Interview and Social Media Workshop. Students participated in two rounds of mock interviews with in-person and virtual volunteers. New this year, we added a workshop on appropriate use of LinkedIn and other social media tips during their off-rotation from interviews.

Students visited Wepco Plastics in Middlefield where they explored different manufacturing elements and career opportunities.

Asnuntuck Hands On Learning

provided a hybrid experience for students with our Mock Interview and Social Media Workshop.

JA

OUR

VISUAL IDENTITY

1941

JA has evolved our approach to work more strategically and intentionally with our partners to expand

$250,000 CHEFA

Workforce Development Programs - largest single grant JA has received

20%

JA Week - Ed Sullivan and Bing Crosby

JA alumni earn 20% more than their non-JA peers

our student reach and provide our most impactful programming yet. We have collaborated with more community organizations and program providers than ever before. Together, we are working to ensure economic viability and vibrancy across the state.

Through deep dive discussion, students were taught the importance of leadership and risk management from Smith Brothers Insurance volunteers.

A Community Approach to Developing a Diverse Workforce

VIRTUAL CAREER PANEL: ACCOUNTING CAREERS & DEI

Students tuned in live from six different schools in CT to learn about careers in accounting and consulting. Panelists came from Marcum’s Black and Latino Associates Resource Groups.

JA SOCIAL INNOVATION CHALLENGE

URISE Ventures mentored a group of Hartford young adults. Utilizing the JA Be Entrepreneurial curriculum, students created a business idea, an app called U-OK?, centered around supporting their peers with mental health. U-OK? was submitted to the JA Social Innovation Challenge and was one of 11 finalists out of over 80 national submissions!

BE ENTREPRENEURIAL CHALLENGE

Boys & Girls Club students spent six weeks learning how to start their own business through JA’s Be Entrepreneurial Curriculum with additional lessons on Principal Centered Leadership and Risk Management from volunteers at Smith Brothers Insurance. Winners of the challenge impressed the judges with their “ET at Home” device to assist elderly and compromised homeowners with medical assistance.

SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM WITH CAPITAL WORKFORCE PARTNERS

JA provided customized career inspiration and exploration opportunities for over 1,500 youth at 10 community sites including Our Piece of the Pie, OIC New Britain, and Center for Latino Progress.

The Future of JA Programming

Despite the continued evolution of school settings and student needs amidst the pandemic and changing workplace, JA remains committed to serving our students and teachers in the ways that best meet their needs. We have and will continue to pivot our structure and delivery methods to provide more robust and engaging experiences. JA will continue to adapt and explore additional ways to connect students to community volunteers through this crisis and beyond. We invite you to join us on this journey if you haven’t already, whether that is as an educator, a company, an organization, or an individual volunteer.

The future of JA, our new strategic direction, is to work together to directly influence things like a diverse talent pipeline development, improving high school graduation rates, reducing personal debt, overall career satisfaction, and economic self-sufficiency for ALL youth. To further support this vision, moving into next year, we’ve expanded our scope to include programs serving young adults, ages 18-25. JA is also exploring some new high impact opportunities.

1955

of JA alumni graduated high school/ have a GED (compared to general population of 88%)

After the War, JA began to grow nationally. The first international JA office was established in Canada during this time.

JA students have been recognized throughout history receiving awards at trade fairs and more.

OUR VISUAL IDENTITY

DID

The Future of JA: Can You Help Bring

JA INSPIRE

Thousands of students explore JA Inspire, developing a wider understanding of the career opportunities available to them.

Uniting educators and local business leaders to spark student interest in careers, JA Inspire gets everyone excited for what the future could look like. This event has the power to open students minds to all of the possibilities that await them in Connecticut. This unique career exploration journey engages middle and high school students in class followed by a full day of immersion in an expo-style setting. Packed with hands-on activities, often using actual equipment or tools employees use on the job, the expo gives students a tangible career experience. JA Inspire provides students the opportunity to connect with businesses in time to plan continued coursework aligned with newly discovered career aspirations. JA Inspire exposes both educators and students to new and innovative careers that they have never heard of, thought about, or understood before.

3DE HIGH SCHOOL

3DE’s competency-based case method transforms high school education to be more relevant and experiential, expanding opportunity for all students and learning styles to succeed.

3DE is an interdisciplinary high school model with a multifaceted approach to learning. 3DE uses case methodology and project-based learning to integrate real-world connectivity into the standard high school experience. From structure, to curriculum design, to teacher development, 3DE is a replicable and comprehensive model integrated within or among existing public schools. 3DE Schools systematically address the structural inequalities in education by providing access to in-demand careers, fostering school stability through engagement, and building a culture of inclusionary instruction and individual value. The result is a high school experience that reflects the dynamic pace of activity and interconnectedness of life beyond the classroom walls.

These Programs to CT?

1967

JA BIZTOWN

Looking ahead, our students will lead our businesses, advance our communities, and discover breakthroughs. JA BizTown creates an unmatched experience where students are able to interact within a simulated economy and take on the challenge of running a business. After in-class learning, students put their skills to work by becoming citizens for a day. Assisted by volunteer mentors, the students must make the hard and practical decisions to see their businesses thrive and succeed in their role. They get hands-on experience as both employees and consumers, paying rent, taxes and utilities, purchasing insurance, depositing paychecks, buying other business’ products, handling customer service, and more! This interactive program teaches students how to manage their personal finances and the importance of becoming a successful professional within our community.

During the 1960s, JA grew globally, with the establishment of JA affiliated Young Enterprise in the United Kingdom. Soon after JA-associated organizations started in other parts of the world.

JA hopes to inspire students to march to the beat of their own drum and dream big. Seen here is a historical marching band commercial.

JA has always flown above the rest as represented in this kite flying commercial. No one does career inspiration better than JA.

BizTown teaches students the meaning of being an effective employee, consumer, and business owner as well as the impact businesses have on the entire community.

ALEXIS "LEXI" VAIL

AMINA MUKHTAR

Received

Lexi served as Head of Marketing for her student company, during Junior Achievement’s Entrepreneurial Academy with The Hartford. Kingswood Oxford Associate Director of College Advising Matt Waldman shared, “through JA…Lexi is confident about her future and confident in her ability to succeed”. Lexi echoed this: “Through JA, I learned how to communicate in efficient ways, delegate, problem solve, create ideas, and collaborate. I learned life-long skills I can transfer over into my college and future career, while also learning a lot about myself and the type of female leader I want to be in the business world.” These skills and confidence helped Lexi launch a student-led initiative to build a “Public Speaker Center” resource at Kingswood Oxford – leaving a lasting impact at the school. Lexi’s other accomplishments and involvement include serving as the Softball Team Captain Sophomore through Senior year, being an active member of the Gender & Sexuality Alliance; and providing tours to prospective students and their family as a Shield & Dragon Admission Ambassador at Kingswood Oxford. Following the passion and experience Lexi received through her JA experience, she will be attending Bentley University studying Marketing.

“Amina is a role model for all of the students of Crosby High School”, says Principal Michael Veronneau. Crosby HS Teacher Dave Ieronimo says, “In Amina, you are getting a well-rounded young lady who is dedicated to her academics and who is driven to succeed”. Amina participated in Junior Achievement’s Entrepreneurial Academy with Pratt & Whitney, creating the DESKABLE Company with her peers. Amina absorbed all she could from her JA experience, using everything she learned to put her own personal business plan into action by launching a shopping business from here in the US to Nigeria called ‘Meillur__une’. She also participated in JA’s Career Connections for Young Women program. Amina credits JA with helping her to communicate her vision and idea to her business partners in Nigeria. In addition to JA, Amina also served as past Vice President of Student Council as well as a Peer Mentoring Lead for Waterbury Bridge to Success. She will be attending Naugatuck Valley Community College, where she will study nursing, with a plan to move back into business in the future.

Received Elaine Dwyer Scholarship Kingswood Oxford in West Hartford

Elaine Dwyer Scholarship Crosby High School in Waterbury

- Lexi Vail

Click to Hear From Lexi

Click to Hear From Amina

ONIECIA MORGAN

Received JA of SWNE, Inc. Scholarship Weaver High School in Hartford

Throughout her Junior and Senior years of high school, Oniecia has deeply engaged with JA via both the JA Jr. Apprentice and JA Golden Leadership programs. She says “Jr. Apprentice taught me about work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy, so I can be prepared for future jobs and economic success. I have had to learn to balance my time, create priorities, and multitask.” Oniecia enjoyed Jr. Apprentice so much her first year that she chose to participate a second time, interning with HealthVenture both times, which she credits for developing communication and collaboration skills she’ll need for a nursing career. “Oniecia is, quite simply, a pleasure to know. She’s a go-getter, and she brings positive energy and intentions to everything she does”, says Weaver HS English Teacher and Volleyball Coach Matthew Fuller. In addition to her JA experience, Oniecia helped start the ‘Island Sensation Club’, which is a group for students newly arrived from Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean, filling a huge need in her school. She also served as a ReadyCT Student Ambassador, played Volleyball, and interned with the NAF program. Oniecia will be attending Southern Connecticut State University, where she will major in Nursing.

VICTORIA " TORI" MOORE

School

Victoria participated in JA’s Career Connections for Young Women (CCYW) program and really delved into the opportunity. In fact, due to the resume workshop along with the assistance and preparation JA’s program gave her, she credits CCYW with landing a job at a local daycare, through which she figured out that she wants to work in pediatrics one day. She said, “CCYW gave me new skills, confidence, and life-long connections… I have no doubt that everything I gained from my time with JA will stick with me for the rest of my personal and professional life”. Oxford HS Volleyball Coach Jimmy Gleason shared the following about the two-time team captain, “In all my years of coaching and teaching, there has not been a student that displays better leadership qualities than Victoria… There is no doubt in my mind that the OHS Volleyball program is better now than it was 4 years ago in large part because of Victoria’s contributions”. In addition to JA and volleyball, Tori has volunteered with HomeFront, a community-based home repair program that helps homeowners who are financially unable to maintain their homes, for the past five years. Tori will be attending the University of Connecticut, where she will major in Molecular & Cellular Biology on the Pre-Med track.

Received Karl Flemke Memorial Scholarship Oxford High

- Oniecia Morgan

Click to Hear From Oniecia Click to Hear From Tori

Special Events

Our focus on innovation and evolution carried over from our programs to our annual special events. Thanks to the leadership and support of the board, dedicated event committee members, corporate sponsors, and generous individuals, JA had an incredibly successful event season. We are proud to have provided a unique experience for attendees and collectively raised over $553,000 with nearly 800 individuals participating in the JA Golf Classic, JA Business Hall of Fame, JA Virtual Partners in Achievement Breakfast, and JA Office Warriors events.

The proceeds from these events not only helped bring valuable JA programs to thousands of Connecticut students, but also provided opportunities for those same young people to make valuable connections with members of the business community and be inspired for their future careers. Many of JA’s events invite alumni back to share their JA stories through speaking engagements, networking opportunities, and program highlights. Through these experiences, many alumni have not only gained the confidence they need to be successful, but have landed internship and employment opportunities.

JA Golf Classic

Golf Classic

The sold out tournament featured 48 foursomes. With new innovations, the event remains a leader in New England’s premier golf events.

For the first time ever, our JA Golf Classic sold out in April! On June 6th, 48 foursomes joined us at Tumble Brook Country Club in Bloomfield as we welcomed back the Jefferson Hotstix, an elementary school drum line from Jefferson School in New Britain to kick off the day. This tournament has earned a well-deserved reputation as the premier golf event in Central New England attended by business leaders from throughout Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, and beyond. To improve the experience, this year JA offered both best ball and scramble options of play. A special thank you to our top sponsors - Stanley Black & Decker, the Presenting Sponsor, as well as Accenture and Olsen Construction Services, the Apparel Sponsors.

View The Photos

See The Highlights

JA Partners in Achievement Breakfast

Join Us This Year

Each year, JA proudly holds its annual Partners in Achievement fundraising breakfasts in Hartford and New Haven. These events celebrate JA’s impact in the community, showcase students who have experienced JA in their classrooms, and highlight the critical need for financial literacy, work-readiness, and entrepreneurial programs in local schools. This year, we decided to again combine our two breakfasts into one virtual event. JA’s Virtual Partners in Achievement Breakfast included an innovative networking experience followed by impactful testimonials from our talented JA students, alumni, and educators.

Over 200 people joined us on the interactive platform, REMO, where they were able to jump table to table, virtually connecting and networking with their colleagues and friends before the formal presentation began.

1987

With the creation of the Personal Computer (PC), JA was one of the first organization to bring computers into classrooms as part of its Applied Economics program.

JA

Students

- JA Student

Kenya Mouning and Chris Heyl at the 2022 Virtual PIA Breakfast, concluding the morning with the difference JA can make in a students’ life.

helps students understand the link between their finances and what is to come in the world of work, strengthening their economic values.

are enaged with hands on activities led by business leaders they can relate to. “It made economics easy to understand and fun to learn.”

JA Business Hall of Fame

Each year, JA holds its JA Business Hall of Fame events in Hartford and New Haven to honor both individuals and organizations who have made a significant impact in both business and the community. This year, we combined these two events into one hybrid experience. JA’s Business Hall of Fame was hosted virtually through an exclusive and interactive event page that included a digital program book, live stream video, chat function, and more. We also held an intimate live viewing party and dinner for honorees' guests and top sponsors at The Hartford Club. Two live emcees joined us, local radio personality, Brian Shactman, and JA board member, Don Allan, as well as a JA student company with musical guests and special appearances by past honorees.

year JA held our

again be together in person while live-streaming

The Business Hall of Fame Honored:

• Laureate – R. Nelson “Oz” Griebel, Posthumously inducted

• Laureate – Rich Caporaso, Partner, KPMG US

• Laureate – Jeff L. Hubbard, Senior Vice President, Regional Manager, Liberty Bank, Spirit of Hope Award

• Paulette Fox, Executive Director, OIC, New Britain, Spirit of Hope Award

• Alexis Smith, Executive Director, New Haven Legal Assistance Association, Community Leadership Award

• Jeffrey Flaks, President & CEO, Hartford HealthCare, Entrepreneur Award

• David Light, Founder And CEO, Valisure

We posthumously honored R. Nelson Oz Griebel for his overwhelming impact and dedication to improving the lives of people in our state.

Jeremy Race with the 2022 honorees from the Hartford and New Haven regions.

This

first-ever hybrid event format, allowing people to once

to audiences at home.

JA Office Warriors

This year marked the return of our traditional JA Office Warriors event. Six teams spent an evening battling it out in office-themed games like water cooler bowling and computer paper box skiing, all vying to win the coveted Golden Paper Shredder! 50 “warriors” attended and participated in this office-Olympic themed event. Congrats to ConnectiCare for taking home the Gold Medal, Hobson Associates - Silver Medal, Fiondella, Milone, LaSaracina - Bronze Medal, and Hobson Associates, our Spirit and Originality Award Winner.

The Gold Medal Sponsor was Stanley Black & Decker with ConnectiCare and VOYA serving as Silver Medal and Bronze Medal Sponsors, respectively.

Head to head battles at JA Office Warriors created friendly competition between teams vying for the Golden Paper Shredder.

Watch Our Office Warriors

Office Warriors

New Haven Board of Directors

Samuel

Misty Amarena Senior Development Manager

Donna Koch Development Assistant

Ashlyn Lower

Kathy Mannion Education Manager

Bethany Pelletier Development Manager

Jeremy Race President & CEO Amanda Teti Grants Coordinator Susan Wagemaker Education Manager See Our Team