Junior Achievement Introduces Redesigned JA Be Entrepreneurial® Program to Help Teens Become Entrepreneurs and Innovators

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Oct 07, 2020, 10:02 ET

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Oct. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Junior Achievement USA is launching a redesigned JA Be Entrepreneurial^® program to help high school students understand the concepts of innovation and entrepreneurship. The enhanced program, which has been part of JA's high school programming for nearly 20 years, has been updated to include a completely re-imagined modular formant introducing students to concepts such as creative problem-solving, how to think like an entrepreneur, and innovating for the social good. These changes were made possible thanks to a contribution from Chick-fil-A's corporate foundation. The funding is part of Chick-fil-A Foundation's 2020 commitment to expand its partnership with Junior Achievement USA to support education initiatives.

"You don't have to be a business owner to have an entrepreneurial mindset, and that's one of the lessons of this important program," said Jack E. Kosakowski, President and CEO of Junior Achievement USA. "With the support of the Chick-fil-A Foundation, this program will introduce teens to the concepts that entrepreneurs are solution-finders, failure is okay if something is learned from it, and innovation doesn't just help business but can benefit society as a whole."

"At Chick-fil-A, we want to equip young people in our restaurants and our communities with educational opportunities that can be building blocks for a successful future," said Rodney Bullard, vice president of corporate social responsibility for Chick-fil-A, Inc. "JA Be Entrepreneurial offers students practical business and leadership skills that they can apply throughout their academic and professional careers. Junior Achievement has been a great partner for many years, and we are proud to help them launch this new program and provide these important tools to even more students."

JA Be Entrepreneurial is a reimagined, modular program that teaches students about the mindset and the skills needed for success for aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators, giving them the opportunity add value to any organization. Students completing all three modules use Design Thinking, a problem-solving approach, to create business ideas. Students also learn to transform their ideas into concise, effective, and actionable one-page business plans. JA Be Entrepreneurial is part of the JA Entrepreneurship Pathway. Participating students will have the opportunity to compete in a new national virtual competition, JA Social Innovation Challenge, which provides a platform for them to share their innovative ideas for improving their communities and to compete for national honors.

The program comes in both teacher-led and volunteer-led models and uses blended learning technology. These models allow JA Be Entrepreneurial to be delivered in various learning environments, including virtually, which are being used this school year in response to social distancing guidelines.

High schools interested in learning more about getting JA Be Entrepreneurial in their classrooms should contact their local Junior Achievement office. For more information about Junior Achievement and programs like JA Be Entrepreneurial, visit www.JA.org.

About Junior Achievement USA® (JA)
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches nearly 4.8 million students per year in 105 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.2 million students served by operations in 100 other countries worldwide. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.

About Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a family owned and privately held restaurant company founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy. Devoted to serving the local communities in which its franchised restaurants operate, and known for its original chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A serves freshly prepared food in more than 2,600 restaurants in 47 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada.

A leader in customer service satisfaction, Chick-fil-A was named top fast food restaurant in Newsweek's 2019 America's Best Customer Service report and received several honors in QSR's 2019 Reader's Choice Awards, including "The Most Respected Quick-Service Brand" and "Best Brand for Overall Experience". Additionally, Glassdoor named Chick-fil-A one of the top 100 best places to work in 2020. More information on Chick-fil-A is available at www.chick-fil-a.com.

SOURCE Junior Achievement USA