Thousands of SouthCoast Students Benefit from Junior Achievement

As part of our Southcoast Health Community Spotlight, we are excited to shine the spotlight on the non-profit organization Junior Achievement of Southern Massachusetts. 

Junior Achievement of Southern Massachusetts is a nonprofit organization that collaborates with the public, private, and education sectors to advance career readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy education for kindergarten to college-aged students across the region.  Junior Achievement of Southern Massachusetts has grown its student education programs to over 6,000 students annually across 21 cities and towns.

President and CEO of the local Junior Achievement Program Jeffrey Pelletier is all about inspiring young people and preparing them for success in life.

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Pelletier says Junior Achievement focuses on three core areas:

1. Financial literacy: how to manage your money. 

2. Career readiness: thinking about how to get a job, keep a job, and succeed in a job, 

3. Entrepreneurship education: thinking about your passion and goals and having the necessary tools to successfully start a business of your own or a leadership position of some kind. 

Working with local schools and the community is all part of the organization's mission to help young people think about their futures and reach the next step in fulfilling their life passions.

“It’s all about helping you land a job and succeed in higher education," Pelletier said. "We work with the business community, the education community, and local volunteers to try to get our youth excited about their futures and help prepare them to make their lives successful how ever they want them to be."

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When it comes to working with kindergarten classes the organization enlists the help of the local community to make the experience of learning and thinking about your future interactive. 

“With the kindergarteners, it's really interactive with lots of games and hands-on activities," Pelletier said. "We recruit local volunteers from local businesses. South Coast Health in particular has volunteers come into local classrooms to help out. So they share their stories with the kids and prepare games for them. So its fun and interactive and they are learning some real fundamentals of business and entrepreneurship as well."

Visit jasouthernma.org to find out more about Junior Achievement of Southern Massachusetts.