On January 20, 2020, the JA Company Program students spent their day off from school performing acts of service in their communities as part of MLK Day of Service. This national initiative honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and is the only federal holiday designated as a day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve the world around them.
In observance, the 2019-2020 JA Company Program teams participated in service-learning activities related to their companies’ unique mission. Each company was responsible for seeking, managing and executing its own volunteer project.
The results were inspiring, as the teams took on activities such as cleaning parks and counting inventory. The day served as a great opportunity for the students to recognize the value of giving back, and to build relationships with one another and with their local communities.
Community engagement is a key element of the JA Company Program curriculum because it builds on the innate ability in students to solve a problem or fill a need in their community through an entrepreneurial spirit.
Team “Sasa,” a company that sells sustainable bamboo socks, joined forces with mentor Cliff Yee and the team at Northern Virginia Family Service, to track inventory at the Clock Tower Thrift Shop in Falls Church, VA.
Team “Scientists in Training,” a company that produces STEM kits for students, helped staff at Judge Sylvania Woods Elementary School set up and clean classrooms for their upcoming STEM Fair.
Team “Everseed,” a company that sells eco-friendly and plantable seed-pencils, cleaned up trash and raked leaves at Meridian Hill Park in Washington, DC.
With the support of Volunteer Fairfax, team “Stickers Speak,” a sticker company with designs that raise awareness for mental health, helped young kids create Valentine’s cards for youth in foster care, prepare cat adoption kits, create fleece lap blankets for veterans, and more at Volunteer Fairfax’s “Give Together” event.
Team “Pouchful,” a company that sells eco-friendly lunch bags, cleaned up trash at a local park in Bethesda, MD.
Team “Envism,” a company that sells mobile device magnifiers to reduce eye-strain, volunteered at Open Mic Night at Chesterbrook Residences in Falls Church to help connect youth and seniors.