Kathy Smith has been a counselor at Thunderbolt Elementary, a Title One school, for over 18 years, serving as a liaison for JA for eight of those years. Under her leadership, over 2,500 students have been directly impacted by JA programs taught by some of the area’s leading business people.
Smith has worked diligently in recruiting and retaining teachers who are open to hosting JA volunteers in their classrooms. Because of her role as a school counselor, she is able to fully promote the JA mission throughout Thunderbolt Elementary, allowing us to impact the lives of the students who need it most.
Smith has not only been successful in promoting JA within the classrooms at Thunderbolt, but she has also helped JA launch at Youth Challenge Academy in Hinesville, GA. YCA is a unique preventative youth-at-risk program operated by the Georgia National Guard that targets drug-free, law-free unemployed dropouts, ages 16 to 18. Core components of the program are citizenship, academic excellence (GED attainment), life-coping skills, community service, health & hygiene, skills training, leadership skills, and physical training. Because of Kathy’s referral and relationship with the director of this program, JA volunteers have been able to successfully reach hundreds of at-risk teens.
Because of her dedication and commitment to Junior Achievement, she has been a wonderful ambassador for JA in the Savannah area and continues to help us prepare and inspire students to succeed in a global economy. JA of Georgia's Savannah District office is pleased to announce Kathy Smith as its Teacher of the Year.
To provide our programs free of charge, JA of Georgia relies on the generous support of our donors.
JA of Georgia’s volunteers are the critical link between the business and education communities.
Teachers are where everything starts; get your students involved in Junior Achievement.
