Junior Achievement of North Florida recently released its 2019 return on investment (ROI) document which shows the results of its survey of Junior Achievement program participants. Every other year, the nonprofit organization surveys students, teachers and volunteers who take part in the JA programs in Duval County. The results from the recent report show overwhelmingly that JA programs work.
“We want to reach more students each year, but we want to make sure we are doing it right so every other year we take the time to ask,” said Steve St. Amand, president of JA of North Florida. “We want to know if what we are doing works, if participants want to continue with our programs and how we can improve. We are happy to report the students said they are learning a lot from our programs and 88 percent said what we are teaching them has made staying in school very important.”
The 2019 ROI was compiled from 2,438 responses from March 2018 to March 2019. The survey questions were manually distributed and returned to JA. The data was then compiled into the report.
To find out if JA is working, the survey asked students a number of questions including, “Has JA made you see that what is being learned in school can be used in the real world?” Eighty-four percent said yes, and 14 percent said a little. Eighty-seven percent said JA helped them understand business and economics and 95 percent say they would like it in their class next year.
Of the teachers surveyed, 80 percent said their students have a better understanding of business and economics because of JA and 96 percent said they would participate in JA again and would recommend it to other teachers. Ninety-nine percent of the teachers said the programs either compliment or enhance their classroom curriculum.
The volunteers who teach the JA programs in local schools come to the organization from corporations and the community. The volunteers are trained by JA staff to teach the curriculum.
Of the volunteers surveyed, 97 percent said they would volunteer again and 98 percent said they would recommend volunteering for JA to co-workers and friends.
The impact JA has on a child’s education and life is evident in the results. JA increases a student’s interest in work careers and staying in school. JA has served nearly 60,000 students and taught more than 600,000 hours of JA programs in local schools. More than 14,000 middle and high school students have completed personal finance programs that allowed them to experience real-world choices. Nearly 3,500 students have had the opportunity to visit a workplace and network with business professionals and more than 6,000 students experienced the JA Financial Literacy Center located in New Town with its JA Eating Healthy on a Budget and a shopping trip to the Jacksonville Farmers Market.
JA of North Florida is always looking for volunteers to expand their reach to students. For information on how to get involved, visit janfl.org or call JA of North Florida at (904) 398-9944. The complete 2019 ROI can be viewed at juniorachievement.org/web/ja-norflor/financial-reports.
