Junior Achievement Winter Newsletter

Winter 2016 Newsletter

JA of North Central Ohio

empowering young people to own their economic success

Over the last few months I've had the good fortune to attend many community events, and time after time, the speakers at these events have touched on or emphasized a number of concepts that are exactly in Junior Achievement's wheelhouse.

Whether it was Summit Education Initiative's GradNation Community Summit, Leadership on Main, or United Way's Campaign Wrap-up celebration, the subjects of education in general, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship were front and center over and over.

Our staff is striving to be included in the relevant discussions throughout the region. Being seen at all these events reminds these education and community leaders of the far-reaching mission of Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio.

We hope that you will join us in these discussions. As an advocate for JA, we're counting on your support. We hope you'll share your passion for Junior Achievement with everyone you meet. That next person you talk to might be the top philanthropy officer at a large business or the curriculum director at a local school system. Either way, you can help us reach more students and prepare them to succeed in a global economy.

As always, thank you for your continued support.

Michael Gaffney

President

Change for Change Supporting Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio TODAY 4:30-6:30pm

Rockne's is located at 7 Merriman Road, Akron, OH. You are welcome to bring your friends, family, and coworkers. We hope to see you there!

A Successful JA in a Day in Cochocton County

Junior Achievement held its Ridgewood Elementary JA in a Day on January 22, 2016. Over 30 volunteers came out to make this event a success. The local newspaper, The Coshocton Beacon Today, covered the event. The local Mayor, the Superintendent of Ridgewood Local School District, and the Principal of Ridgewood Elementary all came out to support the school.

Superintendent John Marks was quoted saying, "I think the community sees the school in a different light by coming in and teaching. It gives the kids positive feedback from the community. It takes special timing and a little bit of risk, but what you achieve has a lasting impression on the kids. It's something other than what they read in their textbooks."

We are so happy with the success of this program and hope to make it an annual event in Coshocton County. Thank you to the following organizations for funding this JA in a Day: Coshocton Foundation, The Montgomery Foundation, The Simpson Family Donor Advised Fund, Walmart #1937, and Galion Building & Loan.

To read the article by The Coshocton Beacon Today, Click here.

JA Staff Acts as Judges for the Regional DECA Competition at The University of Akron

Michael Gaffney, Denice Schafer, and Megan Beebe all participated in the 2015-16 DECA Regional Competition at The University of Akron, acting as judges for various topics. DECA, formerly known as Distributive Education Clubs of America, prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe.

Many of the schools we serve in the area take part in the DECA Competition every year. The competition included both a written component and an interactive component with an industry professional serving as a judge. DECA's industry-validated competitive events are aligned with the National Curriculum Standards in the career clusters of marketing, business management and administration, finance, and hospitality and tourism.

This is just one of the many ways the entire JA of North Central Ohio office is getting involved in the local community to contribute to the rising demand for work readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship education.

JA Welcomes New Staff and Current Staffing Changes

Our goal for this fiscal year has been to hire the right people and have them in the best places to benefit our office as a whole. We have now accomplished this goal!

Carol L. Carbary, ACFRE, joined Junior Achievement of North Central Oh io a s the Development Director in October 2015. She has more than tw enty years of development and fundraising experience at institut ions such as Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Kent State University, and the Cleveland Clinic. She was also Vice President of Advancement at Notre Dame College and President and CEO of the Foundation at North Central State College. In 2015, Carol earned the prestigiou s Advanced Certificate of Fund Raising Executive (ACFRE), held by only 107 people worldwide. She has a BA in Math/Physics from Wells College (NY), BS in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, and an MBA from Kent State University. In her free time, Carol enjoys reading, traveling, and playing board games.

Hannah Moore started as a District Manager with Junior Achievement in January 2016. Her focus is Summit County schools outside of Akron Public Schools. Before joining JA, Hannah worked for over two years as an Executive Assistant at White Sp ace Creative. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kent State University in Interpersonal Communications with a minor in Marketing. When she isn't working at JA, Hannah enjoys watching scary movies, but only during the day, and going to as many concerts as her credit card will allow. She currently lives in the Bath area and is a Revere High School Alumna.

Megan Beebe has moved from the position of District Manager of Summit County to the Development Manager for Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio. Her background in marketing, social media, and administration along with her Master's degree in Literature make her tailor-made for the Development Manager position.

Laurel Heath has now taken on additional responsibilities as the Special Events Coordinator while continuing to be the Administrative Assistant and Bookkeeper. With over thirty years of administration, office management, bookkeeping, public relations, and event planning experience, Laurel is the perfect person to grow our events and help Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio reach its increasing goals.

Enjoy Pizza and Support JA! What Could Be Better?

We have another easy way to support Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio! Order Papa John's pizza online using the promo code below. For each code used, JANCO receives $2. Support your local JA and get delicious pizza. What could be better?

Papa John's is also hosting a pizza night on Monday March 14, 2016. 15% of your purchase from one of eight Akron-area locations will go to JA just by mentioning Junior Achievement, using the online code, or presenting a flyer. March 14 is the perfect day to host an office pizza party and support JA at the same time!

Mark your calendars now and k eep an eye on your email and our Facebook page for more information in the coming weeks, including the participating locations.

JA Launches a New Resource for Educators

JA Influencer is a resource for educators to discuss topical subjects on financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship with students.

Designed with high school students in mind, the JA Influencer white paper and discussion guide dive into current events to prompt conversation and learning. These relevant, realistic topics help educators teach their students to connect classroom learning with the real world.

To learn more about what JA Influencer has to offer, Click here.

Save the Date for The Annual JA Golf Outing

The JA Annual Golf Outing, to be held in June, is the perfect opportunity to entertain your business clients or to show appreciation to your employees.

The Golf Outing encourages our JA supporters to network and develop professional relationships in the community while enjoying a first-rate golf experience. It begins with breakfast, followed by a morning round of golf and the luncheon and awards.

More information to follow in the coming weeks! Please contact Laurel Heath at [email protected] with questions.

Junior Achievement at the White House

On November 25th, Jack E. Kosakowski, the President & CEO of JA USA, along with Junior Achievement alumni Joseph Fortuno from Northern California and Rachel Gorgas from San Diego attended a White House meeting with President Barack Obama. The meeting was part of the President's recognition of November as National Entrepreneurship Month. Joseph and Rachel, whose student companies received special recognition at the 2015 JA National Student Leadership Summit, were wonderful ambassadors for JA during this meeting. The President spent a great deal of time speaking with each student about their entrepreneurial experience and goals for the future.

Click here to read the White House blog, which provides an overview of the meeting.

This is the second time JA has been invited to participate in a White House event in the past six months. I believe this is testament to the impact JA is having on the millions of students we serve each year and the tireless efforts of JA Associates to empower young people to own their economic success.

Show Your Support for JA

Interested in Volunteering?	Want to Sponsor a Student?
We are always looking for volunteers to work in our classrooms and make our programs successful. We have a wide range of opportunities available throughout our 12-county footprint. Please check out the open class list HERE and contact the District Manager on the list for more information.	We cannot achieve our mission without the generous support or businesses, foundations, and individuals like you. Every donation is greatly appreciated and makes a difference in the life of students in your community. If you would like to sponsor a program or a student, please click HERE.

Upcoming Events

Please join us at our upcoming events to help support Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio. Our events take place across our 12-county territory and provide many different opportunities to support our mission: to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy.

For more information, sponsorship information, and registration forms, please go to our website HERE.