Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas Receives $10,000 Grant to Provide Hands-On Learning Initiatives for High School and Middle School Students

HOUSTON, Aug. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas announced today that it has received a $10,000 grant from the New York Life Foundation to provide economic empowerment programs to students who would not otherwise have the opportunity to experience these life-changing classes.

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Junior Achievement (JA) will use the grant to bring its financial literacy and work readiness programs to Hispanic and/or economically disadvantaged middle-school and high-school students in the local area.  The grant was presented by the New York Life Foundation as part of its 2012 – 2013 Skills for Success Initiative.

"We are grateful to the New York Life Foundation," said Rick Franke, president, JA of Southeast Texas. "The programs provided will give deserving students the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success and plan for their futures."

The various JA programs will specifically explore students' personal finance and career options based on their skills, interests and values and will introduce them to personal financial planning. Students will have the opportunity to participate in challenging, interactive exercises to help them develop personal strategies to achieve lifelong learning pursuits.

"JA programs help students make the critical connections between what they learn in school and life after graduation, and as JA continues to work toward improving the U.S. high-school graduation rates, engaging a key partner like the New York Life Foundation – that can help deliver JA experiences to our young people – is critical," Rick Franke said.

Junior Achievement programs prepare students for the real world.  Eighty-four percent of JA alumni indicate their participation in JA helped them bridge the gap between what they learned in school and how it can be applied in the real world. In addition to providing an educational opportunity for students, these programs create volunteer opportunities for community members.

About Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas
Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas is the greater Houston area's largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network of 12,000 adult role models, JA of Southeast Texas reaches 245,000 students in more than 900 schools. For more information, visit www.jahouston.org.

Media Contact:
Kevin R. Hattery
Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas
713.682.4500, ext 231 or 713.628.1441 (cell)
[email protected]

SOURCE Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas