Millions of Americans don't understand the basics of budgeting or saving for the future.
Some kids get money lessons at home, but many parents lack financial knowledge or confidence themselves. Junior Achievement's 2015 Teens and Personal Finance Survey sponsored by the Allstate Foundation found that millennial parents, ages 18-34, are the least confident about explaining money management to their kids, many of whom are currently in lower grades.
Under the leadership of JA of Greater Washington board member and Enterprise General Manager, Michelle Bosch, Enterprise Holdings has generously agreed to a $30,000 sponsorship of the JA Hero® volunteer training program at Junior Achievement’s JA Finance Park® Prince George’s County for the 2016-2017 school year.
While wealth and income gaps are noticeably pronounced today, in Jack Kosakowski’s view such disparity can be associated with a perennial American problem: the widespread inability to manage money.
“Almost all the research shows that the general population doesn’t have much confidence in money management,” says Kosakowski, president and CEO of Junior Achievement, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their futures and make smart academic and economic choices.
One-in-Five Teens Say Parents Face Challenges Paying for School Supplies, According to Junior Achievement USA® Survey
A new survey of 1,000 teens by Junior Achievement USA® (JA) shows that a majority of teens (78%) believe parents pay less than $500 for their back-to-school supplies. This is in contrast to the annual Backpack Index, sponsored by Huntington Bank, which reports parents of teens can expect to pay between $957 and $1,498 for school supplies for teens this year. Only 5 percent of teens said school supplies cost $500 or more, with 17 percent responding “I Don’t Know/Unsure.” The JA survey of 13-17 year olds was conducted by ORC International.
On Wednesday, August 10, 2016, 15 student entrepreneurs from around the Greater Washington region participated in a Shark Tank-style pitch competition. The three teams presented their entrepreneurial business ideas in front of a panel of business professionals as well as parents and community members. To prepare for this culminating event the students completed a three-day program full of challenges, and working sessions. The students were assigned an adult mentor and ultimately tasked with finding a creative, innovative, and sustainable business solution to the challenge presented to them. Junior Achievement’s partner in this summit, Community Business Partnership (CBP), led sessions on pitching, customer discovery and marketing.
JA Worldwide (JA®) and HSBC announce the renewal of a partnership to build youth financial-literacy skills through the JA More than Money program, a global financial-education initiative. For continued support and implementation of this and other JA® financial literacy programs, HSBC will contribute $6.3m over the next three years, allowing JA® organizations in over 30 countries to offer the program to students, ages 7–11, through the 2018–2019 school year.
While Americans as a whole are feeling less financial stress, making ends meet remains a daily struggle for millions — particularly women, millennials, African-Americans, Hispanics, and those lacking a high school education. These findings come from the National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), released last month by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation (FINRA Foundation).
Recently, Junior Achievement was awarded a $7,500 grant from the Washington Forrest Foundation to support JA®’s K-12 financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship programs in Arlington County, Virginia. JA serves approximately 2,300 Arlington County students annually. Approximately 80% of those students are living and/or attending schools in South Arlington.
This past week at the JA USA National Leadership Conference (NLC) in Indianapolis, Indiana, Sarah Dohl, Vice President of Communications for JA of Greater Washington was awarded the National “Rising Star” Award for outstanding impact on the organization.
The Rising Star Award, created in 2004, is given to mid-level staff members who are emerging leaders within the organization, and who demonstrate outstanding, measurable success in executing their responsibilities.
