JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF SOUTH FLORIDA CELEBRATES ITS 65TH YEAR EMPOWERING 1.3 MILLION YOUTH
Events will take place throughout the last half of 2024 and all of 2025, beginning with a Celebration for JA’s Pre-Apprenticeship Program Graduates on July 26
Broward County, FL — Junior Achievement of South Florida (JA) will celebrate its 65th anniversary throughout the 2024- 2025 fiscal year. The nonprofit, which partners with Broward County Schools, has served more than 1.3 million students since its inception on Aug. 10, 1959, and annually serves more than 80,000 K-12+ students in 10 established programs. In its 65 years in operation, JA has stayed true to its mission to empower young people and give them the tools they need to succeed in the real world.
The first event to commemorate the organization’s 65th anniversary will be a graduation celebration for the students who successfully completed JA’s Pre-Apprenticeship program. This empowering program helps high school seniors and young adults pursue professional careers in the marine and construction fields. Participants undergo a 6-month training program, which sets them up to earn any of five industry-recognized certifications, fast-track life-changing careers and earn $600 in milestone incentives. The program then matches students with top employers in the industries and launches them into registered apprenticeship careers.
The Pre-Apprenticeship Graduation Celebration will take place on July 26 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at JA World Huizenga Center at the Lillian S. Wells Pavilion (1130 Coconut Creek Blvd., Coconut Creek, FL 33066).
The second anniversary event will be a Celebration of Impact Breakfast, on Oct. 17 from 8 to 10 a.m. (also taking place at JA World Huizenga Center at the Lillian S. Wells Pavilion). Kicking off the new school year, the event gathers community business leaders, legislative advocates, Broward County Public School officials and other key stakeholders, who are committed to JA’s mission. The celebration will honor community trailblazers and feature ribbon-cutting ceremonies for new storefronts opening in JA BizTown and JA Career Discovery Park two simulated cities that teach critical skills in financial literacy, learn about career paths and gain the knowledge they need to join the workforce.
All of JA’s 65-year anniversary events will pay homage to the organization’s history. JA USA, JA’s parent organization, began in 1919 when founder Horace Moses, Theodore Vail, then President of AT&T, and U.S. Senator from Massachusetts Murray Crane, set the foundation for a global movement to bridge the gap between education and practical business skills Their vision was to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. In 1959 the Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale partnered with JA USA to launch a local branch. In 2009, JA World Huizenga Center at the Lillian S. Wells Pavilion, the largest single JA center in the nation, was opened on the north campus of Broward College.
To learn more about all of JA’s programs, visit JASouthFlorida.org.
Media is invited to attend both the Pre-Apprenticeship Graduation and the Celebration of Impact Breakfast. Interviews are available upon request with JA’s CEO Laurie Sallarulo, Pre-Apprenticeship Program Director Felix Collazo, JA Board Chairman Andrew Koenig, students in JA’s programs and other influential members of JA leadership. Press photos and videos are available. Please contact Senior Marketing Manager Christopher Miller at Ch*********@************da.org or (954) 979-7110.
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About Junior Achievement of South Florida
Junior Achievement of South Florida (JA) empowers our youth with the knowledge, ability and confidence to navigate their futures, drive our economy, and lead our community. JA provides real-world training in financial literacy including budgeting, spending, investing and the use of credit; offers cutting-edge skill-building opportunities that enable young people to explore meaningful, productive careers; teaches students how to start businesses; and introduces entrepreneurial values that strengthen workplaces. Last year, with the help of 5,000 trained corporate and community volunteers, JA delivered 10+ programs to more than 80,000 students in classrooms throughout Broward and south Palm Beach counties and at JA World Huizenga Center at the Lillian S. Wells Pavilion, a first-class facility housing JA BizTown and JA Career Discovery Park. For more information about Junior Achievement of South Florida, visit JASouthFlorida.org. Follow JA on social media @jasouthflorida.
For More Information, Contact:
Christopher Miller, Senior Marketing and Media Production Manager
Junior Achievement of South Florida
(954) 979-7110
