Junior Achievement of Southeastern Pennsylvania

Mission

Whether he wants to develop the next big technology startup, work on the next great scientific breakthrough, take pictures for a magazine, or serve in the marble halls of the U.S. Capitol, JA can pave the way, building a bridge from the classroom to his future. It's a path paved with personal finance tools, work readiness skills, and a foundation of entrepreneurial knowledge. From humble beginnings come great things. It's the American dream. And since 1951, Junior Achievement of Southeastern Pennsylvania has impacted over 850,000 students around the region. Today, we reach over 21,000 students in Bucks, Berks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia counties. Across the area, and the nation, financial literacy is declining. Understanding checking and savings will no longer suffice. With looming college debt, complex retirement plans, and a post-recession job market, we must do more to prepare our students for the jobs of the future, in fields such as science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). We must provide our youth the 21st Century Skills required to succeed in today's dynamic job market. At Junior Achievement of Southeastern Pennsylvania, we believe that to truly inspire the region's young people we must build a bridge from the classroom to the future. We also believe that any path to success is paved by a sound foundation of financial literacy, meaningful experiences, entrepreneurial skills and real role models who can show kids how to harness the vision to excel. The job market and economy are uncertain. What is certain is that Junior Achievement graduates will be more prepared to make the right choices and are less likely to become saddled with debt. In fact, 90 percent of Junior Achievement graduates report they felt significantly more confident in their ability to make the right choices in life. Junior Achievement isn't just a mission. It's a movement. A movement to ensure our children are better off than the generations who came before them; to inspire every kid, no matter where they came from, to figure out where they are going. To us, it's the most important thing we can do for our future generations.