Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana

Conclusion

Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Purpose

Stated Purpose:
Junior Achievement's purpose is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. 

Year, State Incorporated:
1953, IN

Programs

Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana (JANI) serves pre-kindergarten through high school students in 27 counties in northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. Last year, youth in our counties had 190,772 student experiences through our elementary, middle and high school programming. JA elementary programs teach pre-kindergarten through 5th grade students the basic concepts of business and economics through seven unique grade-specific lessons.  Through these foundational programs, students learn about responsibilities and opportunities within the economic community as they explore economic development, local businesses and career opportunities and learn about the roles of individuals and families in a successful working economy. JA BizTown® engages students in the role of workers and consumers in a series of classroom lessons that culminates in a day-long visit to JA BizTown, a fully-interactive simulated town. Through daily lessons, hands-on activities and active participation in the simulated community, students develop a strong understanding of the relationship between what they learn in school and their successful participation in a worldwide economy. Junior Achievements middle school programs offer practical problem-solving activities that help students develop skills and aptitudes for personal, workplace, and economic success. The programs allow students to use their creativity and critical thinking to explore business and economics while also reinforcing the economic concepts taught in social studies, career, and life skills classes. The JA Young Entrepreneur Summer Camp inspires middle schoolers to a future of business ownership. JA JobSpark® is a career and work ready program that connects thousands of area students to businesses and organizations in northern Indiana to spark” their interest in careers and get them excited for their future.  It provides the opportunity for students to learn about the skills needed for careers as well as the education or training necessary to achieve their career goals. It provides the opportunity for area businesses and organizations to help build their future workforce. Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana hosts both a two-day in-person interactive career expo for 8th grade students and a two-day virtual career expo for 8th – 12th grade students.  Both events bring schools and industry professionals together through a fun, engaging, and interactive experience to inspire and educate young people regarding future career opportunities. The JA Finance Park® program and its one-day onsite Lincoln Finance Park experience provides information and resources to engage middle and high school students in exploring and developing personal financial literacy and money management skills. Through hands-on experiences and with the guidance of volunteers, students learn about lifelong financial issues such as incomes, budgets, personal and family expenses and savings and retirement planning. Career exploration is an important component of the program.  JA Career Ignite™   is an interactive in-person experience for high school students that connects them to post-secondary opportunities: Employment, Enrollment, Enlistment, and Entrepreneurship. This career fair will help students navigate their next steps in life by bringing together information about colleges, careers, military service, and entrepreneurship opportunities in northern Indiana. Students will explore their future pathways to prepare for next steps towards future career goals.  Junior Achievements high school programs help students build practical skills, such as entrepreneurial thinking, workplace interpersonal effectiveness, goal-setting, decision making, and the fundamentals of micro-, macro- and international economics. In 2022-23 JANI began a new high school program called 3DE® by Junior Achievement in two of the local high schools.  In 3DE, the learning experience is re-engineered to be authentically connected to the world that exists beyond the classroom walls.  The program empowers, inspires and better prepares students for life after graduation by giving education real-world context through case studies which require teamwork through small group student collaboration.  This 3DE model helps students develop skills by encouraging creativity, cultural agility, critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving and self-direction.  The program expanded into five local high schools beginning in 2024-25.

For the year ended June 30, 2024, Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana's program expenses were:

Governance & Staff

Chief Executive
Lena Yarian, President

Compensation*
$235,560

Chair of the Board
Andy Veenstra

Board Size
56

Fundraising

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Telephone appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Television, Grant proposals, Other

Tax Status

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

Financial

The following information is based on Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana's audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2024.

Source of Funds

Programs: 73% Fundraising: 12% Administrative: 15%