Junior Achievement Aiming to Reach 17,000 Students This School Year

Eastern Shore, MD -- Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore (JAES) is busier than ever. With schools being virtual this year, they faced the challenges and rose to the occasion.

"We knew this school year would look different," said Kate Bleile, JAES Vice-President, "But our schools and our students needed us, and we put all our resources into meeting those needs". JAES is currently serving seven counties on the Eastern Shore (Accomack, Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties) with Accomack County being newly added this year.

This week, JAES launched its brand new JA Virtual Program Sites - virtual versions of their traditional programming. "We started developing and building the custom sites in the summer, and have been working the last several months to prepare them for use by our schools and students," said Bleile. Each site is full of interactive lessons focused on living within your means, savings, budgeting, career exploration, business ownership, and more.

JAES is also working on its annual JA Inspire event. This year, the event will be virtual. "We are super excited about JA Inspire being virtual this year," said Lisa Thornton, JAES Development Director. "Last year we were able to reach 3,000 students. With location not being a factor this year, even more students and businesses will be able to participate. We are so excited!"

"Through all the uncertainty, one thing remains," said JAES President, Jayme Hayes, "the need for JA's programming is vital, and all students should have access." Many schools have increased their programming requests this year, changing JAES's goal to 17,000 students. "Our students deserve futures that are certain," said Hayes, "and won't stop until that happens."

For more information on JAES' full program plan for this school year, visit https://www.juniorachievement.org/web/ja-easternshore/2020-2021-program-plan

About Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore

Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore (JA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing possibility and powering potential for students, grades K-12, on The Shore. As the liaisons between business and education, we immerse ourselves in local business industries, identify the needs of the marketplace, and develop an innovative, needs-based curriculum that is brought to life by volunteers in our community. We teach concepts that equip and inspire our students to live within their means, build wealth, identify fulfilling career pathways, prepare for the "new norm" of work, and explore entrepreneurial thinking that stimulates our local economy and employs our neighbors. Our interactive, fun approach and digestible curriculum help students connect what they're learning in school to real-life experiences; encouraging students to stay in school and making life after graduation a possibility. With the help of our community of Game Changers, our programs are provided to our schools at no cost to ensure all students, no matter where they find themselves in life, have access to JA's vital programming. At JA, we believe in a world where every child's story ends in success, and we won't stop until that happens.