Anderson Family Foundation Makes $1.5 Million Lead Gift to Junior Achievement of Southern California's "Campaign4Kids"

LOS ANGELES, March 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Junior Achievement of Southern California (JA SoCal) is very pleased to announce that it has received a $1.5 million gift from The Anderson Family Foundation. It is the lead gift in "Campaign4Kids," a five-year, $7 million initiative aimed at expanding the growth and impact of Junior Achievement programs in Southern California.  This transformational gift is the largest in JA SoCal history.

Designed for grades K-12, Junior Achievement programs help students gain critical life skills, such as learning how to manage money, start a business and make the connection between what they learn in school and future career possibilities. JA SoCal's programs reach over 70,000 Southern California youth annually with the help of more than 4,000 local area volunteers. 

Dr. Les McCabe, President & CEO of JA SoCal stated that, "In addition to expanding the impact of Junior Achievement programs locally, funds from the 'Campaign4Kids' will be used to continue the development and funding of JA Finance Park." The Mike Curb Free Enterprise Center JA Finance Park™ is a financial literacy laboratory nestled on the edge of Griffith Park. JA Finance Park allows 7th to 12th grade students to see, touch, and live the experience of personal finance in a real-life setting of stores, shops, and financial institutions, by basically becoming "an adult for the day."

"JA SoCal has been providing programs to youth in our community since 1954," said incoming Board Chair, John Tipton. He continued, "Research shows that Junior Achievement students are more likely to start a business, successfully manage their finances and achieve their educational goals. This transformational gift from the Anderson Family Foundation will help ensure that these important programs continue to have a life-changing impact on the young people of Southern California."

JA SoCal Board member Sam Sheth added, "The Anderson Family's support of business education and youth empowerment in Southern California has been longstanding and incredibly generous. We are so thankful that they are investing in the future of JA SoCal."

Bill Anderson, Executive Chairman of Topa Equities and Board Member of the Anderson Family Foundation stated, "Our family has been passionate about supporting educational opportunities, entrepreneurship and children's causes in Southern California for many years.  We are proud to support the important work of Junior Achievement of Southern California and their dedicated Board of Directors, Volunteers, Educators and Students."

For information on how to get involved with Junior Achievement or the "Campaign4Kids," contact Les McCabe at [email protected] or Monica Farrell Bringleson at [email protected].

About The Anderson Family Foundation
The Anderson Family Foundation is a philanthropic organization through which the Anderson family supports educational, health care, and other community-based organizations including UCLA, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and many other organizations.

About Junior Achievement of Southern California
Since 1954, Junior Achievement (JA) SoCal has been the leader in inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. JA SoCal brings our local education and business communities together to invest in the success of K-12 students- the majority of which are considered socio-economically at-risk. With the support of nearly 4,000 volunteers, JASoCal provides relevant, hands-on learning experiences that connect what students learn in the classroom to the real-world and demonstrates how learning correlates to earning - knowledge critical to empowering students to own their economic success. Through a variety of programs and initiatives like, JA Connect2Tech, the organization is shaping the college and career-readiness conversation and playing an important role in Southern California's economic development.  In 2019, JASoCal is expected to reach 70,000 students in 2,600 classrooms throughout Los Angeles County, Orange County and Kern County. For more information, visit jasocal.org.

About Junior Achievement USA^® (JA)
Celebrating its centennial in 2019, 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 more than 4.8 million students per year in 107 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.

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SOURCE Junior Achievement USA