juniorachievement

Different Paths. Same Hope for the Future.

This month, I decided to share a personal message and shine a light on a pool of talent we may be overlooking in our workforce: young adults with disabilities.

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month and National Disability Employment Awareness Month. As the mom of a young adult with Down syndrome, this is personal. It’s also a big part of why I am so passionate about Junior Achievement.

Some of you have heard my story, but it bears repeating.

When my son Patrick was born, I asked myself, “What can I do to help him become the most productive, independent, responsible adult he can be?”

I knew that meant giving him opportunities to learn, grow, explore and discover his abilities. It meant giving him the experiences, resources and supports he would need to thrive and succeed.

Two years later, my daughter Samantha was born. I realized I wanted exactly the same things for her. The preparation and support might look different, but the goal was the same – a life with purpose, choices and economic independence. For both my children it was about building the skills, confidence and connections to move forward in life.

From my children to thousands of young people

Today, through JA, I get to help create those opportunities for tens of thousands of young people.

Each comes to us with different strengths, experiences, backgrounds and circumstances. Some are navigating foster care or have been involved with the juvenile justice system. Some have disabilities, and some just need additional support or a different approach to learning.

Everyone deserves the chance to discover what they can do.

Talent we may be missing

When we talk about building our workforce, young adults with disabilities need to be part of that conversation.

Are we seeing what someone can contribute or making assumptions before we’ve had the chance to find out?

A disability doesn’t tell us someone’s interests, work ethic or potential. We discover those by getting to know the person and giving them opportunities to demonstrate their skills.

That means matching people with meaningful work, understanding their support needs and providing clear expectations and training.

We cannot prepare young people for work and then leave them without a chance to work.

At JA, we walk the walk

Through our partnership with Broward College, JA hires interns with disabilities, giving young adults opportunities to gain experience and contribute to our organization.

As an employer, and as an organization that’s core focus is workforce development, we have a responsibility to put our beliefs into practice through meaningful assignments, guidance and opportunities to grow.

Be the employer who sees the potential

Look at the work your business needs done. Could an internship or job be a good fit for a young adult with a disability?

Offer an internship. Host a workplace visit. Give someone the chance to show you what they can do. Connect with JA to explore how you can get involved.

As Patrick’s mom, I know how much it matters when someone sees your child’s abilities. As JA’s CEO, I want more young people and employers to experience what can happen when that potential gets a chance.

Our future workforce should include young people with disabilities. Let’s make sure our opportunities do, too.

Laurie Sallarulo
President & CEO, Junior Achievement of South Florida

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An Evening of Connection and Inspiration Aboard the Gallant Lady

Beautiful views, great company and a shared passion for helping young people made an evening aboard JM Family Enterprises’ Gallant Lady a memorable occasion for Junior Achievement of South Florida. The yacht provided a spectacular setting to come together, celebrate service and reflect on the possibilities that open when a community invests in its next generation.

Among those sharing their inspiration were Maureen and Tom Shea, featured in Junior Achievement of South Florida’s “Why I Serve” video series. Their message brought the purpose of the gathering into focus: mentoring, guiding and helping young people recognize their potential. Their commitment offered a personal reminder of why volunteering matters and how giving time and encouragement can help a young person envision a brighter future.

The evening also highlighted JM Family’s connection to Junior Achievement of South Florida. That involvement extends into hands-on learning through its JM Toyota storefront partnership in Junior Achievement BizTown, which was recognized among refreshed storefront partnerships in 2023. It is a tangible connection between the business community and opportunities for students to explore the working world.

JM Family’s commitment reflects a broader tradition of giving back that began with founder Jim Moran and remains part of the company’s culture. Through philanthropy, volunteerism and educational partnerships, the company supports opportunities for young people to reach their potential.

Aboard the Gallant Lady, that shared purpose gave the evening its meaning. The beautiful setting and enjoyment of being together became part of a larger story about people willing to show up, share their experience and help others move forward.

Junior Achievement of South Florida thanks JM Family Enterprises, Maureen and Tom Shea, and the volunteers and supporters whose commitment helps young people discover what is possible. Together, we go further.

Click here to learn how to get involved.

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From Classroom to Coastline: McArthur’s 3DE Students Explore Marine Conservation

For McArthur High School’s 3DE freshmen, a visit to the Marine Environmental Education Center in Hollywood brought classroom learning closer to home. With South Florida’s coastline as the setting, the experience connected science to the challenges of protecting the marine environment and introduced students to a place where education and conservation work together.

Located at the historic Carpenter House in Hollywood North Beach Park, the center is a partnership between Nova Southeastern University and Broward County. Its interactive exhibits and resident sea turtles, Captain and Cane, make coastal conservation tangible, offering a compelling setting to explore marine biology, ecosystems and the relationship between people and wildlife.

The visit reflects a central goal of 3DE: helping students understand why their education matters beyond the classroom. Through a competency-based case methodology, 3DE connects academic learning with real-world experiences that build skills, strengthen engagement and broaden students’ understanding of future opportunities.

Marine conservation offers a meaningful context for that approach. Questions about protecting sea turtles, reducing marine debris and preserving coastal habitats require students to connect scientific knowledge with human decisions. They also create opportunities to practice the kinds of thinking that real-world challenges demand: examining evidence, considering different perspectives and explaining potential solutions.

The center’s field-trip programming supports those connections through hands-on learning, sea turtle encounters, educational beach walks and tours of the property. Its school programs align with Florida’s Next Generation Sunshine State Curriculum, reinforcing the connection between academic content and environmental stewardship.

For students beginning their high school journey, a visit like this can also widen their view of where learning might lead. Marine science, environmental education and conservation provide examples of how classroom knowledge can become meaningful work serving the community.

By connecting school to the coastline in their own community, the experience brought 3DE’s emphasis on relevance into focus. It offered an invitation to look more closely, ask thoughtful questions and consider how students’ knowledge and choices can help shape the world around them.

Click here to learn more about 3DE.

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Opening Doors to Their Future: Franklin Academy Students Explore What’s Possible

Students preparing to enter high school, discovering a career that connects with their interests can give new meaning to what they learn in the classroom. Eighth graders from Franklin Academy (K-8) in Pembroke Pines first visit to JA Career Discovery Park gave students an opportunity to make those connections, explore their strengths and begin imagining where their education could take them.

Through technology-driven simulations and industry-inspired storefronts, students explored a world of more than 100 career pathways. That exposure matters at an age when young people are beginning to make decisions about high school courses and future goals. Discovering an unfamiliar profession can broaden a student’s ambitions. Seeing how a personal interest connects to a career can provide a practical reason to stay engaged in school.

The experience also brings career exploration together with work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy, helping students consider how their education, career choices and financial decisions connect. Students do not need to leave with their futures mapped out. The value begins with knowing they have options and understanding that they can take steps to explore them. Bringing eighth graders to JA Career Discovery Park continues that learning journey, moving from understanding how a community works toward discovering how they might contribute to it.

The potential impact reaches beyond the students themselves. Helping young people recognize opportunities in their own region lays groundwork for a stronger future workforce. Connecting education to the careers that support local businesses and essential services can help students envision building fulfilling lives while contributing to South Florida’s growth.

With the support of educators, volunteers and community partners, Franklin Academy’s first visit created space for questions, discovery and conversations that can continue at school and at home. Each new possibility gives students another reason to see their education as an investment in a future they can help shape.

Click here to explore JA Career Discovery Park.

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JA Career Bound Kicks Off a New Year of Possibility

An exciting new chapter is underway for Junior Achievement of South Florida’s Career Bound students. With orientation complete, the 2026–2027 program has successfully launched, welcoming young people eager to explore their interests, build professional skills and take meaningful steps toward their futures.

That excitement comes with plenty to look forward to. JA Career Bound connects high school juniors and seniors with experiences that make the working world more accessible. Throughout the school year, students will explore local businesses, connect with professionals and practice the skills that help turn ambition into opportunity.

The program’s message is clear: Get Career Ready. Get Connected. Get Paid. Whether students are considering college, trade school, military service or entering the workforce, JA Career Bound helps them prepare with greater confidence and a clearer understanding of their options.

Students will work alongside their peers to tackle business challenges, develop ideas and present solutions to industry partners. Job shadow experiences and career speakers will introduce them to different roles, workplaces and professional journeys. These opportunities connect classroom learning with practical questions: What am I good at? What interests me? What skills do I need to take the next step?

Along the way, students will strengthen their resumes, build LinkedIn profiles and practice interviewing and professional communication. Lessons in teamwork, leadership, ethics and personal finance will help them prepare for the responsibilities that come with earning a paycheck and contributing in the workplace. Students who complete the program’s requirements can become eligible for paid summer internship opportunities, putting their preparation into practice.

The potential to change a life begins with these connections. A conversation with a mentor can introduce a career a student never considered. A business challenge can reveal a talent for leadership. An interview can become a chance to demonstrate newly developed confidence, and an internship can provide the first experience on a longer career journey.

Orientation marked the beginning of that work. Ahead lies a year of discovery, preparation and opportunities to grow, supported by educators, volunteers, business partners and the Junior Achievement team.

To our new JA Career Bound students: welcome! We are excited to help you build your skills, discover your strengths and take the next steps toward the future you want to create.

Click here to discover more about JA Career Bound.

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A Commitment to Openness: Junior Achievement of South Florida Earns 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency

Junior Achievement of South Florida is honored to have earned the 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, its highest Seal level. This recognition reflects our commitment to openly sharing who we are, how we work and the progress we make toward preparing young people for their futures.

Candid’s Platinum Seal recognizes comprehensive information sharing through an organization’s nonprofit profile. Building on disclosures about programs, finances and leadership, Platinum includes organizational goals, strategies and recent impact metrics. This gives donors and community partners greater visibility into the work they support.

For Junior Achievement of South Florida, transparency is part of the responsibility that comes with serving students and earning our community’s trust. Every contribution of time, expertise and financial support deserves a clear connection to our mission: helping young people develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to navigate their futures.

That mission comes to life through hands-on education in financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness. From Junior Achievement BizTown and Career Discovery Park to classroom learning and career preparation, our programs connect education with practical experiences that help students see new possibilities for themselves.

One example is our Career Bound Class of 2026: 377 graduates from 13 South Florida schools completed an eight-month experience focused on career exploration, workforce readiness and personal growth. Through business case challenges, job shadowing and mentorship, students had opportunities to build skills and explore their next steps beyond high school.

Sharing this work openly helps supporters understand both what we aim to accomplish and the progress behind our stories. The Platinum Seal reflects our commitment to making that information accessible and keeping our community informed.

We are grateful to the staff, board members, educators, volunteers, donors and business partners who make our mission possible. We celebrate this milestone with you and remain committed to earning your trust as we help South Florida’s young people build brighter futures.

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We Remember the Building. But Do We Remember Who Built It?

During my recent travels up north, I came across a sculpture representing the famous 1932 photograph Lunch Atop a Skyscraper—11 ironworkers sitting on a steel beam high above New York City, eating lunch during the construction of Rockefeller Center.

I’ve seen that photograph many times. But standing in front of the sculpture made me think about it differently.

We typically remember the building. But we often don’t remember who built it.

We know the names of famous buildings like the Freedom Tower, Biltmore Hotel, Vizcaya Museum, Stranahan House, Broward Center for the Performing Arts. We might know the developers or architects behind them. We attend ribbon cuttings and celebrate the vision that brought them to life.

But we rarely celebrate the people who actually built them. Without skilled workers, there is no skyline.

For years, we’ve put a strong emphasis on one path after high school: go to college, earn a degree and begin your career. College is the right path for many young people, but it isn’t the only path to success and other pathways shouldn’t be viewed as “alternative.”

Our communities need young people who will:

Build the homes, schools, hospitals and businesses we use every day.
Wire and power the places where we live and work.
Repair and maintain our cars, boats, equipment and infrastructure.
Manufacture the products our economy depends on.
Create the businesses and jobs our local economy needs to thrive.
Keep our communities running through careers in public works, telecommunications and other essential industries.

These aren’t backup careers. They are essential careers.

September is a fitting time to have this conversation, with it being National Tradesmen Day – a day dedicated to recognizing the skilled men and women who build, repair and maintain the infrastructure and systems we depend on every day.

That’s why this work matters.

Through a very strong partnership with Broward County Public Schools, Junior Achievement of South Florida’s Pre-Apprenticeship program is introducing high school seniors to these opportunities, providing hands-on training and certifications, industry exposure, connecting them with employers and helping them move from high school directly into meaningful employment.

But I believe we’re doing something bigger than workforce training. We’re changing the narrative around careers in the trades and the perception of what success looks like.

A young person who chooses an apprenticeship instead of a college isn’t choosing a lesser path. They’re choosing a meaningful career. They’re learning skills that have real value. They’re becoming part of the workforce our economy depends on.

As we place Broward County Public Schools graduates into careers in these fields, the building you walk into today or one you enter in the future, may have been built, wired or maintained by one of them. The road you drive on may be one they helped build and the boat you step onto may be one they repaired.

That sculpture reminded me that we need to do a better job of recognizing the people behind the finished product—the skilled hands that build, wire, repair and maintain the world around us.

On April 30, 2027, we will celebrate our young people at our Launching Futures Breakfast as they proudly declare the career pathways they are choosing and the futures they are building. Come see our programs in action by joining us for an upcoming tour and support our Launching Futures Breakfast. *More details coming soon.*

Click here to learn more about our Junior Pre-Apprenticeship Program, which prepares students for success through a 6 month, work-based learning experience designed to fast-track their path to a career.

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Opening Day Brings Students Back to JA World

The start of a new school year brings renewed energy to Junior Achievement of South Florida as students return to JA World for another year of exploration, discovery and hands-on learning. After a summer filled with planning, preparation and collaboration, our Experiential Learning Center team is ready to welcome young people into an environment where classrooms connect with the real world and possibilities come to life.

Through immersive experiences in Junior Achievement BizTown and Junior Achievement Career Discovery Park, students will have opportunities to develop essential skills, explore potential careers and better understand the connection between education and their futures. Whether they are managing a business, making financial decisions, working with classmates or learning about different industries, students are encouraged to think critically, communicate effectively and approach new challenges with confidence.

These experiences are designed to be engaging, inclusive and memorable for every student who walks through our doors. Working alongside educators, volunteers and community partners, the JA team creates meaningful learning opportunities that help young people recognize their strengths, discover new interests and envision pathways they may never have considered.

Opening day is about more than beginning another school year—it marks the start of thousands of individual journeys. We cannot wait to see JA World filled once again with the energy, curiosity and inspiration students bring each day as they begin exploring futures filled with possibility.

Be a part of the journey, volunteer here and make the difference. Click here to explore opportunities.

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Rosé Soirée Celebrates Women, Students and Brighter Futures

The Circle of Wise Women’s 2026 Rosé Soirée was a resounding success, bringing together an inspiring community of women and supporters to celebrate leadership, generosity and the potential of South Florida’s young people. The event honored Allison Cagnetta as the 2026 Woman of Wisdom and Diane Alonso as the 2026 Spark Award honoree, while also recognizing past honorees and welcoming newly pinned members into the Circle of Wise Women.

The highlight of the event was an unforgettable student fashion show featuring Caitlyn Lee, Olivia Campo, Shervonah Somers, Aaliyah Brown, Amanda Woods, Jasmina Bastien, Jasmine Hillaire and Makahla Gregory. With confidence, personality and style, the students stepped into the spotlight and brought JA’s mission to life. Their enthusiasm captivated the audience and offered a powerful reminder of what can happen when young women are encouraged to believe in themselves and embrace new opportunities.

Another meaningful moment came with the presentation of the 2026 I. Lorraine Thomas Scholarship to Jordyn Randolph. Guests also heard from JA alumna Solena Joachim, further demonstrating how Junior Achievement experiences can help young people develop confidence, discover their potential and move toward successful futures.

More than an elegant celebration, the Rosé Soirée reflected the heart of the Circle of Wise Women: women coming together to open doors for the next generation. The event’s success was made possible by its generous supporters, dedicated leaders and everyone who shares the belief that empowering one girl can transform a future—and strengthen an entire community.

For more information about the Circle of Wise Women, contact Diana Metcalf, di***@************da.org. To find out more about Rosé Soirée click here.

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2026 SYE Student Journey – Vincent Prieto (Ontic MRO)

When Vincent Prieto began his Summer Youth Employment internship with Ontic MRO, he had a clear goal: he wanted an internship that could potentially lead to a job offer. At the time, however, he had little awareness of or interest in the aviation industry.

That changed through his internship experience.

Vincent quickly became immersed in Ontic’s workplace culture and developed a genuine interest in the aviation field. Through hands-on experience, he gained exposure to payroll, cross-department communication, team meetings, business operations, and how different departments work together to support a company. Vincent shared that seeing the “behind the scenes” of the organization helped him understand how departments function together, while attending meetings gave him valuable exposure to the professional corporate environment.

Throughout the internship, Vincent strengthened key workplace skills, including communication, adaptability, setting priorities, organization, typing, and Microsoft Excel. His supervisor consistently recognized his positive energy, eagerness to learn, strong time-management skills, and daily contributions. He also demonstrated growth in Vincent’s attention to detail and in balancing productivity with the quality and accuracy of his work.

Vincent made a meaningful impact on the business as well. His supervisor shared that he was able to step into a department function and assist with business-critical, time-sensitive tasks, providing valuable additional support to the team. One of his standout moments came when he successfully handled a human resources management project during an in-house event while his supervisor was absent, demonstrating initiative, responsibility, and his ability to step up when needed.

Ontic’s team also valued the opportunity to coach Vincent as he explored his future career aspirations. His supervisor described him as an ideal fit for the company and noted that his exposure to different areas of the workforce helped him begin envisioning new possibilities for his future.

By the end of the internship, Vincent’s experience had exceeded his original goal. He was offered the opportunity to continue working with Ontic and ultimately transitioned into a full-time Customer Service Representative.

For Vincent, the internship did more than lead to employment—it helped him discover a career field he had never previously considered.

As Vincent shared in his final evaluation, “I never thought aviation was in my career interest, but now it certainly is.” He also described the JA experience as an amazing connection between students and real-life work experience and said that he was “loving” his new position with Ontic.

Vincent’s journey demonstrates the impact of meaningful work-based learning: a summer internship can build professional skills, expose students to new industries, strengthen career confidence, and ultimately open the door to long-term employment and a new career path.

Click here Explore the Summer Youth Employment program.

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